Hi, we're Desai and Thuan, best friends from architecture school and early career designers on a journey to discover how to build creatively fulfilling and financially sustainable careers. We are super excited to share with you notes from our podcast, and hope you’ll subscribe for bi-monthly updates!

This week, we spoke with Hannah Dormido, a multi-award-winning data journalist and cartographer at The Washington Post. Hannah’s storytelling career began with childhood spelling bees and school newspapers, and has since spanned Bloomberg, the Financial Times, and leading news coverage on everything from climate to protests to geopolitics.

But her story isn’t just about professional accolades, it’s about betting on yourself, learning in public, and holding space for creativity, uncertainty, and community.

From Local Roots to Global Stories

Hannah’s career began not with a map, but with a story of her own. After graduating early with distinction from UP Diliman, she quickly rose through the ranks of journalism, first at the Financial Times, then Bloomberg News in Hong Kong, and now at The Washington Post.

Her reporting spans financial flows, science and tech, natural disasters, and climate change. But across all domains, her work stays grounded in clarity and intention. Every project starts with a central question: What story are we really trying to tell, and why does it matter?

Let Curiosity Lead You

Hannah didn’t set out to become a visual journalist. Trained in traditional print and hard news, she stumbled into data visualization while working at the Financial Times. What started as an opportunity to learn Illustrator turned into a turning point that shaped the next decade of her career.

From making line charts in Manila to cartography on global stages, she taught herself tools like QGIS via YouTube and Twitter, often after-hours and driven purely by curiosity.

“I didn’t train for this—I taught myself how to make maps because no one else was going to invest in me but me.”

From Invisible to Seen

Despite her talent, Hannah often battled imposter syndrome—doubting whether companies would invest in someone with a weak passport, self-taught skills, and no formal cartography degree. It took mentors, a supportive partner, and dozens of “just try” moments for her to begin owning her worth.

One pivotal moment came when a senior cartographer told her, “You are a cartographer. Say it.” Since then, she’s practiced claiming the title she once resisted.

Visual Journalism Is Journalism

At both Bloomberg and the Post, Hannah helped shift the perception of visual journalists from “support roles” to “reporters in their own right.” Today, she writes, researches, visualizes, and sometimes even builds the pages her stories live on.

Whether she’s mapping protests in Hong Kong, exploring global heatwaves, or creating hand-drawn art for her community fundraiser, Hannah’s work is grounded in purpose and precision.

“We don’t just make pretty charts. We add value to the reporting—and help readers truly understand what’s happening.”

Invest in Yourself (Even When It’s Uncomfortable)

From staging a 3AM job interview on her birthday in a Hong Kong hotel, to launching Studio 6101 to support her mom’s community outreach, Hannah embodies what it means to show up fully—messy, real, and all-in.

Her advice to young creatives?

* Find mentors who are honest, kind, and invested in your growth.

* Ask questions—even when it’s uncomfortable.

* When you're ready, be that mentor for someone else.

Hannah painted this floral piece straight onto a shower curtain from her balcony and she didn’t stop until it was done. → Instagram post

Connect with Hannah on LinkedIn and explore her amazing works at hannahdormido.com and @byhannahdormido @dormidomaps on Instagram.

Check out Hannah’s Tiktok @hannahdormido where she regularly shares her ChitChart talks and newly published maps visualizing current social and political events.

This article accompanies our podcast episode featuring Hannah Dreyfus Dormido. You can listen to it here on Substack, or through Spotify and Apple Music.

References:

* Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman, Herman Miller

* Steven Bernard, Senior Visual Journalist at the Financial Times

* ChitChart, Hannah’s series discussing the behind-the-scenes of how charts, maps, and visual storytelling are created.

* Daisy Chung & her Pulitzer Prize winning article on Fentanyl Supply Chain Process

* Desai’s website featuring her blog and sketches: desaiwang.com

* Thuan’s website featuring her watercolor paintings and photography: thuanla.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thepragmaticdesigners.substack.com