About

Gretchen Hooker

Designer | Illustrator | Naturalist

Contact me

I’m a lifelong artist and maker with an insatiable curiosity about science and the natural world.

In college I couldn’t decide between majoring in art or environmental studies, so I took coursework in both. The dots finally connected when I realized I could apply my creative instincts to address environmental problems as a designer. I’ve been passionate about using my creativity to build a better world ever since.

My creative drive has taken many different forms over the years, including:

  • Writing for one of the OG sustainable design blogs in the mid-2000s

  • Working for a museum exhibit design firm in Boston

  • Earning a graduate degree in industrial design at Rhode Island School of Design

  • Establishing the Office for Sustainability at a large state university, and

  • Many years with the nonprofit Biomimicry Institute crafting education programs at the intersection of design, biology, and ecological literacy.

    I wrapped up my tenure at the Institute as manager for visual science communications, creating and commissioning original science illustrations and graphics for AskNature, a digital library of biological information organized by function. Now, I’m excited to learn about your project and how I can help!

Qualifications
& Expertise

    • BA, Studio Art | Macalester College (additional coursework in environmental studies)

    • Master of Industrial Design | Rhode Island School of Design

    • Biomimicry Specialist | Biomimicry 3.8

    • Montana Master Naturalist | Montana Natural History Center

    • Montana Master Gardener | Montana State University Extension

    • Michigan Master Naturalist | Michigan State University Extension

    • Masterclass in Data Visualisation | Visualising Data (Andy Kirk, UK)

    • Digital Painting | CSU Monterrey Bay, Summer Science Illustration Program

    • Product Management | General Assembly

    • Building the Foundation of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion | Center for Diversity and the Environment

    • Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign

    • Nonprofit Program Management

    • Project Management

    • Product Design

    • Model-making and fabrication in a wide variety of materials.

Human-Made!

All artwork on this site is created by yours truly, without generative AI.

All work on this site is created by me, Gretchen Hooker, using traditional and digital illustration methods.

  • Careful observation is one of the most powerful ways we can connect with the natural world and both are intrinsic to my creative practice and values. These human experiences simply cannot be replaced by automated image generation. I am also concerned about the broader impacts of generative AI systems including the unconsented use of artists’ work in training datasets, the displacement of creative labor, and the significant environmental footprint of large-scale AI infrastructure.

    Beyond the philosophical, there are practical concerns as well. When it comes to creating science graphics, details matter and creative judgment must be skillfully employed to communicate complex ideas clearly and accurately. There are also significant copyright risks and limitations. AI generated images may be found to infringe on existing copyright and they typically cannot receive copyright protection themselves.