Photo by Dan Kvitka
I’m driven to bring people to a better understanding of themselves, others, and the systems around them. I approach this goal through two careers: one as a design researcher and one as a comics artist. My research includes studying digital tools, services and communities; my art work visualizes stories with humor and snark.
My comics tell stories about horseradish, climbing walls of trash, falling asleep in public, mosquitos and women’s voting rights (but not all at once). My work has been published in outlets such as The New Yorker, The Nib, The Guardian, Alta Journal and Funny Times, as well as in anthologies with Little Red Bird Press and Dirty Diamonds. I juried the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award, comics category, from 2019 to 2022.
Since 2017, I have worked as a design researcher in the healthcare technology space. Prior to that I completed a Masters in Interaction Design at Carnegie Mellon University, plus myriad classes and life experiences along my “scenic route” to the profession. Connecting with others through design is important to me. My latest efforts include teaching a drawing workshop for adults and co-curating two interactive gallery shows in Pittsburgh, PA.
I live in Los Angeles with a Scottish automotive designer.
Email me tk [at] theorakvitka.com, sign up for my fun and infrequent email newsletter, or find me on Instagram and LinkedIn.