Kristin Gecan

Kristin Gecan focuses on supporting designers’ abilities to write evocatively about their work. She has a particular interest in text-image studies, rhetorical devices, and making ideas real through narrative and digital communications.

Kristin first joined ID in 2018, and she currently serves as Assistant Dean and Senior Director of Content + Influence. In that role, she builds initiatives, partnerships, and strategic communications that enhance the organization’s reputation and support recruitment; directs thought leadership efforts, including content creation, packaging, and placement; and contributes as a member of the leadership team to defining ID’s future.

Kristin also is a host and producer of the ID podcast With Intent, interviewing a range of people who use design in their work. Kristin has a master of humanities degree from the University of Chicago, where she was a Corbel Scholarship recipient, and a bachelor of arts in English and French from Illinois Wesleyan University.

Industry Experience

Before joining ID, Kristin served as Associate Director of Editorial at the University of Chicago’s in-house creative agency, UChicago Creative (2014–18). There, she led copywriting, creative and strategic projects for UChicago partners, producing editorial content ranging from brand positioning and communications plans to longform feature writing, event promotion, and video scripts. Previous to that, Kristin was Interim Marketing & Media Director at the Poetry Foundation (2009–14), where she contributed to and executed on an integrated communications plan and managed various media partnerships.