Consultant Spotlight: Don Foley

Favorite part of being a consultant?

I love the variety of the work, and I love working with intelligent people. I thrive on challenges, and creating proposal graphics is essentially figuring out visual problems and coming up with accurate, yet attractive solutions, usually on incredibly tight deadlines.

What is the secret to creating successful proposal graphics?

The key is strong communication with the writers and managers. Of course, over 30 years of experience creating infographics doesn’t hurt either. I always self-edit my graphics. When I’m done with a graphic I look at it and ask myself ‘is this the best you can do?’ Not every graphic is going to be a show-stopper, but even the simple graphics need to be reviewed to make sure they convey the information in the best possible manner. I think of every proposal as a book, and I’m the illustrator for that book. I want every element to be meaningful and visually appealing, and I want the final collection of illustrations to work with the text and pull the whole narrative together.

Biggest proposal pet peeve?

I really don’t have any pet peeves. Everyone I work with are senior level professionals who know how to do their jobs. My only pet peeve is that War Rooms should have more food.

Best advice for handling a tight deadline?

Never procrastinate and always tackle the most challenging graphics first. Focus on structure and data first, then style.

Where was your last vacation and what was was the highlight of the trip?

I went to Scotland last year. I spent a week exploring all the museums and art galleries in Glasgow. It was fantastic. I spent a lot of time studying the work of Charles Mackintosh and his wife Margaret Macdonald along with dozens of other incredible Glaswegian artists. My favorite museum was The Hunterian, at the University of Glasgow. If you’re looking for great Neo-Victorian SteamPunk inspiration, the Hunterian has it.

Do you have any hidden talents?

I love 3D printing. It’s incredible to be able to design something and then print it out and hold it in your hands. My favorite subject matter is the aerospace industry and historic ships. On my mantle is a 5 foot long 3D printed replica of the Confederate submarine the CSS Hunley. It took me only one day to design it, but about 5 days to print out the 30 parts that I assembled and painted. My studio has nine 3D printers, but I do it mostly for fun. Other than that, I’m an avid sailor and canoeist.

If you could meet anyone in the world (dead or alive) who would it be and why?

Well, I don’t think I really want to meet anyone that is dead. But seriously, the creative process is something I think a lot about, and I wonder how folks like Shakespeare and da Vinci worked through their creative process. That would be a fun trio lunch to have at Clydes at Tysons.