Alex Tatusian is open 24/7.

He’s the deputy design director for digital projects at the Los Angeles Times, where he experiments with visual storytelling and works on long-term improvements to the website.

He was previously the deputy editor of the Data and Graphics Desk.

design direction, design
design direction
design direction, some code
design direction, design, some code
design direction, some code

Alex takes on freelance work of many kinds but especially loves long working relationships that grow with time.

A gray poster with a green grid and disintegrated archaeological objects reading The Early
art direction, design
A business card with the Rug and Vase logo one on side and David Chun's contact information on the other
branding, design with Sharanya
A colorful poster for an engagement party with illustrations of wine glasses all over it
art direction, design

Before the Times, he was the design director at The Marshall Project, a news organization reporting on criminal justice.

He designed and coded (and occasionally illustrated) ambitious stories, improved the website, oversaw design, and produced any physical or digital materials TMP needed.

An image of a browser frame with an orange outline of New York City with the text NEW YORK ON ICE on a black background
art direction, design, some code
An red line logo of what looks like prison bars being drawn back on one side like curtain fabric
branding, design
art direction, design, some code
art direction, design, some code
An image of the Death Penalty in America Facebook discussion group logo on a red background
branding, design
An animation of a woman with a Marshall Project tote bag spinning around
design
An illustration of two angles of a mugshot superimposed on top of each other
illustration

Alex was previously a fellow at the Center for Urban Pedagogy, where he designed a publication to elucidate New York City bail practices for families of the incarcerated.

The cover of a booklet reading Bail is Set Whats Next?
An illustrated spread from a booklet about paying cash bail
Six people sitting around a conference table looking at image ideas for a booklet project
art direction, design, illustration

That work led him to design and illustrate the first city-wide report on predatory equity in New York City's affordable housing system for Stabilizing NYC.

A red cover of a booklet on predatory equity on top of a yellow background
A map of predatory landlords on top of a yellow background
A graph of predatory equity techniques made of bricks on top of a yellow background
art direction, design, illustration

Alex seeks out collaborators doing crucial jobs, like VII, a photo agency that commissioned Uncertain Journeys, a compendium of their journalism from the refugee crisis in Europe.

A cover of a magazine with a life raft floating in the ocean reading Uncertain Journeys
A magazine spread featuring migrants crossing a border in life jackets
A photograph of life jackets stacked on the beach in a magazine spread
art direction, design

Until 2017, Alex was a designer at Bon Appétit, where he designed and art directed graphics for the print magazine, website, and video series. He produced a couple weird videos.

A magazine illustration featuring a coconut with milk coming out of it spelling Coconut
design, lettering
Three issues of Bon Appétit magazine with oysters, a donut and ramen on the cover
design, lettering
A magazine spread with hands eating out of the same bowl and text about Los Angeles
design, lettering
A title from a video reading Its Alive with Brad Leone
art direction, title design
A magazine spread featuring a chart about grilling over coals
art direction, design
concept, production, design

For 5 years, Alex helped facilitate BF Bifocals, a collective providing free graphic design, producing publications and exhibitions on major civic problems in NYC, and promoting a more accessible art and design community.

A zine with overprinted images of a church window
design, risograph printing
Two issues of a zine about The Bronx stacked on top of each other
design, risograph printing, binding
Hands holding open a spread from a zine about education
design, printing, binding

Alex's practice is powered by improvisation, a collaborative (rather than hierarchical) approach to problem solving, and the use of simple design tools to do unusual things.

An album cover featuring a field of sunflowers with the text BOWL OF PLUMS on top of it
art direction, design
A stack of booklets reading the third idiom wrapped in rubber bands
art direction, design
An orange album cover with random pieces of printed detritus and a yellow flower petal
art direction, design
The contents of a colorful vinyl reocrd package and inserts spread out
art direction, design
The contents of a tape cassette and transparent inserts spread out
art direction, design

Contact him at alextatusian @ cox dot net, and subscribe to his newsletter scraps of favor.

A newsprint poster about a film festival with punk rock typography
design
A black poster with red lightning and green and yellow information about a concert layered in
art direction, design
A printed poster with four bars of color reading THE BEN SERETAN GROUP
design, risograph printing
An animation featuring the cover and an internal spread from a printed booklet called White Fragility
art direction, design, risograph printing
An album cover featuring blobs of fuzzy colors bleeding into one another on top of a grid
art direction, design, music score visualization
A tape cassette case with blue transparent paper stood up against the light