Staff Spotlight: Maura Broderson

WFYI is powered by everyday people with a commitment to trusted journalism, inspiring stories and lifelong learning. We love serving our community as public media professionals, and also love taking you behind the scenes of WFYI's headquarters. Today, meet Maura Broderson, our Design Strategist.

What does your work at WFYI usually entail?

My work is to create and manage all visual, branded elements of WFYI — so mostly what I do is graphic design. Since WFYI makes and distributes so much diverse content, it's my job to make it all look at feel "WFYI," while also making sure it's readable, beautiful and effective. And a big part of my job is creating this very magazine each month!

Do you have any advice for those who'd like to follow in your footsteps?

I would advise any designer to really study the foundational principles of design like hierarchy, balance, contrast: those sorts of things. And also, stay empathetic. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how beautiful or on-brand something is if you haven't considered and honored what motivates people and how they interact with the design.

What do you enjoy most about working at WFYI?

I'm very grateful to work somewhere where I can truly stand behind the "product," or in this case, our storytelling. The WFYI team, NPR and PBS all believe in telling the truth, in context, in a way that lets us see ourselves in one another.

When you're not at work, what can you often be found doing?

Outside work, I'm usually puttering around my garden, seeing a film at the Kan-Kan Cinema, birdwatching in the nearest woods, longboarding with friends or reading in a sunny spot in one of Indy's magnificent public libraries.

If you had to take one WFYI program with you to a desert island, what would it be and why?

Definitely Radiolab, because it was the first NPR program I fell in love with as a teenager. I felt so seen in their excitement over science, and I really believe their storytelling taught me to think in a more well-rounded, open-minded way. I could start crying right now if I think too hard about Jad and Robert (the original hosts) not being on the show anymore!