HOPE JASON

This Spotlight appeared in our June 2025 newsletter.

Please introduce yourself and tell us how you got connected to the Foundation.

Hi, my name is Hope Jason and I have been working with the Foundation since a 2017 word-of-mouth referral brought (now Executive Director) Jeanette Cesta and I together. Even though the Foundation wasn’t “the Foundation” yet, I saw not just the potential but the probability of its success from our first meeting.

Where do you live? What do you like/dislike about it?

I live in Lake Worth Beach, just south of West Palm Beach, near Palm Beach, in Palm Beach County, Florida. (Confused yet?) I love this area which has a condensed diversity unlike anything I’ve ever experienced: I can literally get a $4 taco or a $40 taco within a mile of my house. Situated between two bigger, busier cities, LWB has a great public beach, interesting small retail and restaurants, and robust community programming. Since moving here I have become a ‘plant person’ as the area’s downside, the south Florida summer weather, is great for gardening! The patio and backyard of the house I share with my boyfriend Rob and 16-year-old longhaired chihuahua Cookie currently hosts more than 100 orchids, bromeliads, flowering plants and fruit trees. My daughter Melody lives nearby and I like that too!

What has it been like working in person for the Foundation and seeing it grow?

After the initial conference in 2017, the Foundation and its corporate identity were established. While I originally came on board as a graphic designer, my administrative and other skills have been utilized more and more as the Foundation has grown. Meanwhile, I’ve designed everything VCF has printed to date: every agenda booklet, newsletter, conference sign, handout, brochure, kids’ book, branded merchandise, etc. I also designed the new website. Now I’m preparing for my first stint as an official 2025 Conference staff member. The Foundation’s growth has been truly astounding.

How have we as a Foundation changed since you first contracted with us?

Well it’s still a very small operation, but its reach has grown exponentially. The increased awareness and participation are incredibly gratifying. I find the Medical and Scientific Advisory Board to be especially impressive, along with the number of respected medical professionals who have chosen to become conference faculty members. Your (newsletter Editor Johnna Cesta) growing involvement is especially heartwarming as even Jeanette could use some help! She really is just a powerhouse. I’ve watched her work up close and in person and I still don’t know how she manages to accomplish so much, so well, so fast.

At the in-person events, how does it feel seeing your work published and displayed?

Much of my career has been spent designing for people and businesses I’ve never met in person or visited. Plus, over the last ten years, the balance of print to online work has shifted heavily toward the latter, so opportunities to see printed pieces in people’s hands are rare and greatly appreciated.

What do you like about graphic design and what prompted you to pursue it?

Before I knew what graphic design was, I liked magazines. My family jokes that I started getting 17 magazine at age 12… for the design. Later when I discovered that graphic design was something I could study in college, I jumped at the opportunity, earning my AA and then BFA and becoming one of those lucky people who truly enjoy what they do for a living.

I think of myself as a distiller. Taking a client’s text, images and input, then massaging and extracting and finessing that content and direction into an effective and visually engaging piece is a very satisfying way of meshing creative and analytical work that’s more than just making it ‘look nice.’

Do you have any graphic design pet peeves that you cringe when you see?

Bad AI of course, unreadable font choices, and my number one pet peeve: no hierarchy of information (i.e. everything can’t be the most important thing). Interestingly, my graduating class was the last one before the desktop publishing takeover, and in retrospect that timing has been an invaluable asset. Many designers think ‘through’ technology rather than thinking first and then using technology to implement the idea. Also, just because tools are available doesn’t mean we should undertake every project ourselves. You may excel at making furniture, but be terrible at marketing or accounting. I’m quite handy and resourceful, but I won’t be building my own house.

How much of your professional vs. personal opinion do you give on the content you are given to work with?

Unless I am in the target demographic I won’t usually offer my personal opinion. But since my professional opinion is part of why people hire me, I provide it but I also back it up. For example, I recommended that an optical center increase the font size used in its newsletter so that people could more easily read it. And since I also provide copy editing and proofreading services, I’ll address spelling and grammar while keeping or modifying your ‘voice’ as requested. So I make suggestions, but the decision is ultimately up to you, the client. The usual distinction made between fine art and commercial/graphic art is that a fine artist creates for themselves, but a commercial/graphic artist creates for their client. Taking that a step further: an effective designer designs for their client’s audience.

What is your favorite and least favorite project to work on for the Foundation?

Pleading the fifth!