Testimonials
Jennifer van Alstyne has worked with people in
- United States
- Canada
- United Kingdom
- Australia
Here are select testimonials from our satisfied clients.
“I’m a community psychologist and researcher. I’m an evaluator for the government sector and develop workshops for universities. I’m just starting off, so I don’t have materials such as a great bio that really summarizes where I’ve been and where I’m going with my values in social justice. I realized I really need an expert to help me with this process in creating a bio that I would just be able to share out. It’s always easier for someone else to write about me. I always have a hard time with that. And there was an upcoming podcast that I needed to submit a bio for.
The questions that you asked were really insightful and thoughtful. Those were questions that I never think about but they’re in my head and so I really appreciated unpacking that with you, and you created that in a really concise way. You always work better with someone else. There was a lot of plain language in the structure of the writing. I would never have done that. I would have made it more complicated because of my position as a researcher. That was really helpful to have someone who prioritized that kind of plain language.
I’ve already been talking about you. Yes! I definitely plan to recommend you. Thank you so much. You are a pleasure to work with. Thank you for being understanding. It was easy to talk with you and share about my work.”
— Tatiana Elisa Bustos, PhD
“We would recommend Jennifer for any project where academic research needs to conveyed onto websites and social media. Jennifer’s strategic website plan was detailed and well-organized providing suggestions to make our web redesign effective for our center’s audience (e.g., industry and the general public).
The social media plan helped us put in place a communications schedule and tools that will increase the amount of exposure we have on those platforms. Her approach to collecting feedback from the whole team before writing a plan helped align the vision for the team.
Working with Jennifer was easy and enlightening. We hope to hire her again in the future for one of her trainings or further development work.”
— Matt Hotze, PhD, NEWT Engineering Research Center (Rice University, Arizona State University, University of Texas at El Paso, Yale University)
“I reached out to Jennifer because I was looking to revamp my website and online presence. I wanted something that could appeal to non-academics. I wanted someone to look at my website and be able to find things easily, but also want to engage with me beyond my CV. I find most academic websites follow a similar template and are heavily dependent on text. Jennifer was helpful in getting me to simplify my writing, allowing my website to focus on getting people to the information they need.
Jennifer’s approach focused on getting me to understand why my work was important to the broader community, not just academia. Every meeting with Jennifer was a revelation; she was constructive in her feedback, yet collaborative in her strategy. My website engagement has increased significantly. I can’t thank or recommend Jennifer enough. Jennifer would be great for any early career academic who is trying to promote their work to broader audience, or the mid career/seasoned academic who needs to refresh their website/online presence to meet the demands of the academy today.”
— Emmanuel Balogun, PhD
Website redesign and videos strategized by The Academic Designer LLC. Website created by our website development partner at Iggy + Stella Creative Studio.
Bio writing and faculty profile
“Jennifer was tremendous in distilling my professional experience into longer and shorter narratives. The multiple bios are extremely useful to use when funders and publishers request bios that require different lengths and pieces of information. Jennifer was able to help balance the right amount of personal information and professional information that I feel represents me well.”
— Emmanuel Balogun, PhD
“Jennifer was able to bring together professional, academic content that not only reflected the team and our approach to research but also met the expectations of our University. I could not have managed this process without her experience and strategic support.”
— Natasha Lannin, PhD, Brain Recovery and Rehabilitation Research Group at Monash University
“I was amazed how much you Jennifer was able to fine tune her plan based on the interviews. I really liked the level of strategic plan – not too simple, not too advanced for my level of SM knowledge. Jennifer really opened my eyes to what is relevant for a Social Media Strategy and gave me clarity on what I want to do. She had some very useful tips that immediately translated into improvement of visibility on SM. Since our consult I have gone back multiple times to her strategic plan and adjusted my activity.
I am so happy with the results that I recommended her to the Dean of our graduate school who is in the process of improving our social media presence.”
— Dennis A. Bente, DVM, PhD (@BenteLab)
“Jennifer was extremely thorough in her research and professional in her delivery of her recommendations. Meetings were well organized and I knew exactly what I needed to do and what to expect each step along the way.
At the end, I received a comprehensive report and recommendations that were exactly what I needed to take the next step. Her command of the space is extraordinary and her recommendations are well founded in research and real world evidence. It was a pleasure to work with Jennifer.”
— Paula McCree, MS
“I recently had a valuable and helpful consultation with Jennifer van Alstyne, The Academic Designer, regarding my new writing and editing business, HCS Ink. Our conversation left me feeling inspired, motivated, and more focused.
Jennifer provided much needed insight on the specific steps I need to take to move forward with clearer purpose and vision. Jennifer’s practical advice and knowledge regarding business and networking made me feel more confident and organized. I highly recommend The Academic Designer for writers and academics who are looking to expand their careers or businesses. Jennifer is a pleasure to work with!”
— Heather Sweeney, MFA
“Jennifer was wonderful to work with. She came into our meeting prepared with invaluable insights, and information I would not have gathered on my own. Jennifer was able to pinpoint the overall essence, and goals of what I am moving towards achieving through creating a new website. Not only was she able to give clear direction, with direct explanations behind why choices for my site would be beneficial, she was able to see my vision, and reflect back the value of what I am trying to achieve.
As a poet and academic, who also works in the healing space, utilizing energy practices, I was self-conscious about how to move forward with this content on one website. Through her insights, and integrity of process, Jennifer was able to strengthen my commitment to the new website, and demonstrate how these parts can and do work together, and how this can be done successfully. What a gift! I am so grateful to be able to work with someone who was so brilliantly able to provide clarity and specific design pathways to every aspect of what I am trying to bring forth on my website. I came out of our session energized and ready to redesign. Once complete, I know I am going back to The Academic Designer for further website review!”
— Chelsea Palermo, MFA
“Working with Jennifer on the creation of a website was a wonderful experience. She took the material I provided — my CV, links to writings and other relevant information — and shaped it into a cogent site that is easy to navigate and deftly reflects the various dimensions of my long history as an art critic, educator, scholar and speaker.
She has a keen understanding of how academics and arts journalists reach an audience and interact with those who would want to engage with their work. In addition to creating the site, she synchronized it with social media sites to genuinely excellent effect.”
— Robert L. Pincus, PhD
“I used to hate LinkedIn…until I worked with Jennifer on a consulting call. In a short amount of time Jennifer was able to train me on how to use LinkedIn effectively. I had read a lot of articles about LinkedIn and tried the DIY approach for years, but nothing “clicked” for me and I still avoided the platform.
Somehow, Jennifer was able to explain LinkedIn to me in a way that made sense, was actionable, and actually made me want to dive in and use it more. She was engaging during our call, and I felt comfortable asking her a lot of questions–and she answered them all. Thank you, Jennifer!”
— Echo Rivera, PhD
“Jennifer makes people feel comfortable with something that’s often hard to do, but essential in business: talking about one’s self. She synthesized my accomplishments and developed a resource I’ve used again and again; it’s saved me immeasurable time and cognitive energy. Well worth the expense.”
— Meredith D. Clark, PhD
“I consulted with Jennifer about how I can use LinkedIn to find clients for my academic business. Working with Jennifer was a fantastic experience! She came to the call well-prepared providing customised feedback on my LinkedIn profile and activity and talked me through the step-by-step LinkedIn strategy she had created for me.
I have had LinkedIn training in the past but what stood out to me about Jennifer’s advice was that it didn’t feel icky to implement (no cold private messaging!). I got a whole new view on how I can use the platform in a way that feels authentic. As a result of her consultation, I have started to use LinkedIn in a more intentional way, which has saved me countless of hours I’d have otherwise wasted on ineffective activities.
If you are looking for help with LinkedIn, I highly recommend working with Jennifer!”
— Anna Clemens, PhD
“As a new graduate student, I didn’t understand the impact that a well-designed website (read: simple, user-friendly, clear and accessible) could have on my academic work and networking…I have to say that [my website] has been incredibly valuable, both for documenting my writing, publications, and teaching, but also for helping others find me on my LinkedIn, social media accounts, and helping to build my network…”
— Hannah E. Chapple, PhD
“Jennifer was so prepared for our session, and made the hour consultation just packed with useful guidance. She really listened to what I was interested in, gave me innovative ideas, encouraged me, and shared her expertise through concrete action steps I can take. I am implementing everything she told me and look forward to a follow up session!”
— Laura Baecher, EdD
“Working with Jennifer is a breath of fresh air! She is not only knowledgeable and skilled in establishing an extensive social media strategy, Jennifer is especially helpful in supporting her clients in mapping out a cohesive and comprehensive marketing plan to ensure they are able to get their message across to their intended audiences.”
— Chinasa Elue, PhD
Contact Jennifer
Jennifer van Alstyne is excited to help with your online presence. Get in touch today.