I am a freelance writer and graphic designer based in Oakland California. I write fiction, journalistic essays and reviews, and have been published in numerous magazines, websites and journals. My design work has included full-featured, content managed websites including an online magazine, as well as many designs for print including magazines, flyers, advertising, and banners.

As a writer, I am always mapping, charting, and exploring. I see it as no different than the task of the geographer. When I’m writing fiction, I am attempting to map out inner regions, territory that belongs to the individual psyche or to group cultural constructions. When I’m writing more journalistically, I am attempting to document the details and the workings of specific people and places.

As a designer, I am most deeply motivated by rendering the written word in a way that supports the message of those words. Good design is often invisible. We fail to notice it because it blends seamlessly with what the words and images contained by the design are expressing. I balance this first motivation with the desire to experiment and push the medium I’m working with.

You can reach me at justinallen.org@gmail.com