Design Systems • Research & Policy
Where form Meets function.
The Indiana Community Action Poverty Institute produces research and policy reports that support community action and decision-making across Indiana. To allow for last-minute updates and internal collaboration, many of these reports are finalized in Microsoft Word, the same tool used by their internal team.
Designing within Word presents meaningful limitations, including inconsistent typographic controls, restricted layout flexibility, and limited styling tools compared to professional page layout systems. Still, the Institute needed reports that felt intentional, readable, and professionally composed. These documents needed to meaningfully inform stakeholders, policymakers, network partners, and the public.
Design for
Real-World Workflows...
Working directly within Word’s constraints, I created structured layouts that elevate the content without compromising flexibility. Through intentional hierarchy, spacing, and infographic-style elements, dense research is organized into readable, navigable sections while remaining fully editable up to the point of release.
The final reports feel polished and professional while staying accessible to the Institute’s workflow. By designing within the tools the team already uses, the work supports faster updates, clearer communication, and research that is ready to move ideas forward.
In their words....
Working with Christine has been an invaluable part of our reporting process. Many of our publications require flexibility right up until they are released, which means keeping documents editable in Word for last-minute updates and approvals. Christine understands this reality and designs thoughtfully within those constraints—without sacrificing clarity, professionalism, or impact.
She brings structure, visual hierarchy, and readability to complex policy content, transforming Word documents into polished, accessible reports that truly support our mission. The result is work that looks strong, functions seamlessly for our team, and helps move our research forward in meaningful ways.
- Erin Macey, PhD., Indiana Community Action Poverty Institute
In their words....
Working with Christine has been an invaluable part of our reporting process. Many of our publications require flexibility right up until they are released, which means keeping documents editable in Word for last-minute updates and approvals. Christine understands this reality and designs thoughtfully within those constraints—without sacrificing clarity, professionalism, or impact.
She brings structure, visual hierarchy, and readability to complex policy content, transforming Word documents into polished, accessible reports that truly support our mission. The result is work that looks strong, functions seamlessly for our team, and helps move our research forward in meaningful ways.”
- Erin Macey, PhD., Indiana Community Action Poverty Institute
