The Challenge
During the COVID-19 vaccine rollout for children ages 5–11, Seattle’s Department of Education & Early Learning needed a way to help families understand complex health information. The existing materials were text-heavy and intimidating. They wanted something visual, inclusive, and multilingual that kids would actually enjoy — and parents could trust.
The process
I designed a fully illustrated comic-book handbook that transformed vaccine info into an empowering story about bravery and community. Working with Public Health – Seattle & King County, I paired expressive characters with friendly dialogue bubbles and adapted the design into five languages: English, Spanish, French, Somali, and Vietnamese.
The Outcome
The Handbook for Health Heroes launched online and in classrooms and community centers, distributed countywide and available for free at education.seattle.gov. Teachers and community advocates praised its accessibility, representation, and effectiveness in helping children feel informed — and empowered — about their health. The visual approach helped transform serious public health content into something kids could connect with, making "health heroes" out of young readers everywhere.
Reflection
This project proved that education and illustration make a powerful team. When you tell a public-health story through empathy and humor, you don’t just inform — you inspire confidence.