Stories Everywhere: An Interview with David Neil

In this interview, David Neil discusses his experience working as a User Experience Designer in Design and Development at the Library of Congress. He shares behind-the-scenes insights about some favorite Library products, advice for practitioners, reflections on the past and future of technology, and his own near-term plans as he retires.  

Leah: Hello, David. Could you tell us about what you do as a User Experience Designer at the Library of Congress? 

David: My story as a User Experience (UX) Designer at the Library of Congress has evolved over the years, from the early days supporting a variety of Library projects, initiatives, and collections, culminating as a lead UX Designer for the digital transformation of the U.S. Copyright Office.  This is a large, muti-product, multi-year effort to integrate technology-based services for: the copyright submission process; recordation and assignment of copyright material; collection of licensing fees; and the display and search of copyright public records. 

As a lead UX Designer, I am as much a counselor, arbitrator, and advocate for users as I am a designer, information architect, and technical advisor. Ultimately, within the Agile team dynamic, I help to craft stories and journeys to allow different characters, both public and government, to navigate the copyright submission and examination process. 

Leah: Tell us a bit about your background, which I understand spans print, broadcast animation, and web development. What was your professional and educational journey, and how have those experiences informed your work here? 

David: My story is a series of chapters, each with different journeys and characters, and each facilitating and guiding the next, leading me ultimately to the Library. I started as a “graphic artist” in what I consider “simpler times” in my career. Much of what I learned was by experience, self-taught out of necessity, and hands on, particularly in my early journey as a print designer and paste-up artist. I worked alongside, and learned from, craftsmen in the print industry, when things were done by hand and took considerably longer than they do today. 

I quickly learned that even those early methods and processes were ever evolving, and that the next chapter was always on the horizon. This became evident to me when the print shop where I was employed purchased some of the first Macintosh computers. I took to it like a moth to a flame, diving into user manuals, attending training seminars, and going back to community college to finish my graphic design degree. 

That Macintosh experience helped me land a job at USA TODAY in the marketing and promotions department. After a few years there, during the dot-com boom, I learned HTML and CSS and became a designer for USA TODAY.com. Yet another opportunity presented itself as a broadcast television animator when USA TODAY Live television was launched. After seeing the movie Toy Story, I obtained a free, one-month demo version of Adobe After Effects. Then once again, I dove head-first into the user manuals and tutorials. I created an animated demo reel, featuring a USA TODAY Live logo that I designed. I landed the job, and they ended up using the logo as part of their branding. 

The years that followed were similar stories where I leveraged practical experience and a growing portfolio of design and media skills. I obtained several jobs, one at K12, an online education company and then a small subcontractor for CACI government training programs.  

During those years I continued to attend night school, completing my AA in Fine Art at Gaston Community College, an AA in Graphic Design at Northern Virginia Community College, and, finally, a Web Developer Certificate at George Mason University. I was eventually elevated to the level of Art Director and was managing a small team of designers, but a storm was brewing within the online education startups, so, as before, I began looking at the horizon for the next chapter. Enter the Library. 

Leah: What attracted you working at the Library? What aspects of your work here have you found most meaningful and engaging? 

David: My mother and father were sailors, and my father often said to me, “Any port in a storm, son”. Those words hit home when I was looking to move on from a startup company that was “taking on water” and I landed an interview at the Library. After one look around the building, I realized I could certainly find refuge, if not immerse myself in the boundless potential and opportunities the Library represented. The stories were everywhere, in the walls and floors, the holdings, and of course, the people. 

As a new member of the Design Division, I was welcomed and encouraged to provide input, to contribute creative thought, and to be part of a respected team. In that environment, I flourished, from one project to the next, each unique in their own cast of characters, journeys, and audience, each influencing the next. 

Leah: You’ve worked on numerous projects and initiatives at the Library, just some of which include Chronicling America, Copyright Office innovation, Songs for America, Law Library interactive maps, and data ingest systems. You even designed an app for children to interact with Aesop’s Fables. What did you find inspiring here at the Library, and how did you choose what to work on? 

David: All you have to do is look around or speak to someone at the Library to become inspired. Stories are everywhere and ripe for the picking. My curiosity would often lead me to explore on my lunch break, opening doors that exposed spiral staircases, hidden courtyards, or a labyrinth of layered book stacks, all rich with physical history and the treasures found on the shelves. 

One example of where I found inspiration was when I came across an old volume of Aesop’s Fables for children, rich with stories that I remembered from my childhood and illustrations that evoked emotions inside of me that I had long forgotten. Armed only with my experience as an animator and interactive designer, I pitched the idea to my manager for an interactive children’s book. He simply said, “Go for it” and walked away to a meeting. The project had chosen me, and so I began the work to bring the story to life. 

Leah: Your career has spanned several fields and many sorts of technology, and it seems like you’ve found interesting and innovative ways to bring the Library to people. What have you learned from experiencing shifts in technology and digital work? What inspires you? 

David: There is always something just on the horizon, something new to learn or an emerging technology or tool to explore. One example of technology driving my creative process was the popularity of JavaScript for user interface (UI) designers, which led to the prototype for the Aesop’s for Children project. The use of JavaScript “animations” made it possible to add interactivity and allowed me to bring the story to life using imagery and sound. 

Another example, in reaction to the “responsive” design movement to support mobile devices, brought about and popularized the use of scalable vector graphics (SVGs). By experimenting with SVG maps, I was struck by the idea that they could provide a level of interactivity and visual interest to the Songs of America project, better engaging and inspiring users to explore the regional aspects and stories of the collection. Furthermore, my mantra of “design it once, use it many times” led to applying the same creative approach to the Songs of the Civil War and the Law Library Indigenous Constitutions Maps projects. 

And, finally, although not a new concept, the maturation of UI and JavaScript (JS) libraries such as Bootstrap inspired me to create early design systems and templates that were the catalyst for other projects such as the Data Ingest System Dashboard project and the first iteration of the U.S. Copyright Design System. 

Leah: Do you have advice for people looking to get into the kind of work you do? 

David: Since much of what I do is essentially common sense and problem solving, I would avoid specific “prescriptive” advice regarding a UX Design career. What I can advise is to always be curious and follow your passions, trust your instincts, and don’t be afraid to fail. Find the characters, listen to their stories, and lead them on their journey, or just simplify or improve their process and you will be successful. 

Although thoughtful planning is necessary for a successful design career, often what you experience, and the journey you set upon in your career, will lead you in unexpected directions. Keep an open mind, knowing that the chapters in your story are intertwined, with some dead ends, but many are just the door that you enter through that will lead you to fulfilling and rewarding places. 

In addition, some practical advice would be to identify the story and break large items into “bit-sized” chunks. Be methodical and steady as you build, thinking of the end state without having to fully define it prior to getting there. Leverage existing patterns and templates and adopt a “build it once, use it many times” mantra. Keep it simple by remembering that “the best component is no component” and the “best process in no process.” Finally, listen to the characters in the story and empathize with them as if you were in their shoes. 

Leah: Where do you see technology taking us in the future? What possibilities have you seen for digital work and UX Design in connecting with people and stories? 

David: The question that’s on everyone’s mind is about AI, of course. Undoubtedly, it will change the way we design, but not the reason we design or what we choose to design. Stories will still need to be told. Characters, and the journeys they embark on, will still need to be explored and created. Ultimately, at the core, human connections to these stories will remain the focus. 

Leah: Thank you for being interviewed today! I hear you are getting ready to retire, and I know you have many interests. What’s next on the horizon for you?  

David: My near-term plan, and the answer to that question, is nothing and everything. I have many interests that will occupy my time. My analogy is that I imagine my dream schedule in school, where all my classes are electives of my choosing. Art and PE in the morning, lunch, recess, and auto shop in the afternoon, followed by music, movies, and reading in the evening. In addition, I plan to round out my days and weeks ahead exploring this great country with my dear wife and spending time with my grandchildren, currently numbering five and growing. 

Associated references:

Aesop’s for Children Interactive Storybook:
https://www.loc.gov/static/collections/childrens-book-selections/articles-and-essays/aesop/index.html 

https://www.loc.gov/static/collections/childrens-book-selections/articles-and-essays/aesop/002.html 

Songs of America Interactive Maps:
https://www.loc.gov/collections/songs-of-america/articles-and-essays/interactive-maps/ 

Mapping the Songs of the Civil War:
https://www.loc.gov/collections/songs-of-america/articles-and-essays/interactive-maps/ 

Indigenous Law Portal Interactive Maps:
https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2015/01/alaskan-tribes-added-to-the-indigenous-law-portal/ 

Chronicling America Collection:
https://www.loc.gov/collections/chronicling-america/about-this-collection/ 

Teachers Primary Source Sets:
https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/?fa=partof_type:primary+source+set 

Student Discover Sets iBooks:
https://books.apple.com/us/book-series/student-discovery-sets/id915842576 

US Copyright Modernization Projects (Enterprise Copyright System ECS) 

U.S Copyright Registration:
In development—Public Submission Portal and Internal Examiners Workspace 

U.S. Copyright Public Record:
https://publicrecords.copyright.gov/ 

U.S Copyright Recordation— Public Submission Portal and Internal Examiners Workspace
https://www.copyright.gov/recordation/pilot/ 

U.S. Copyright Licensing:
Internally facing only 

U.S. Copyright Design System:
http://ecs-design-system-dev.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/getting_started