“The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health deals with issues that affect people’s daily lives”

 

Jani Osolanus works in visual communications at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, creating materials that help make complex societal issues easier to understand. He finds it particularly meaningful to do work that has a real impact on people’s daily lives and wellbeing and that helps make important information available in a clear format.

I studied media technology and graphic design, and I hold a Master’s degree in design. Over the course of my career, I have worked in various visual design roles for around 20 years. 

My extensive experience has given me a strong understanding of the principles and possibilities of visual communications. Throughout my studies and career, I have focused on developing both my technical and visual skills, which helps me work effectively in a rapidly evolving communications environment.

For me, it is important that my work has societal relevance. When a visual designer position that matched my skills became available at the Ministry, I decided to apply. The Ministry works on issues that have an impact on people’s daily lives and wellbeing, which means I get to contribute to matters that are also important to me personally. 

The central government is an interesting working environment, offering opportunities to collaborate on a wide range of projects with different people.

The tangible results of my work can be seen across society through a wide range of visual materials. It is important that decisions affecting people’s lives, for example, are visualised in a way that is understandable for both citizens and decision-makers. A well-designed infographic is often worth more than a thousand words.

One of the highlights of my career was being responsible for the production of visual materials for the health and social services reform. It was probably the largest project in which I have played a key role. The COVID-19 pandemic and the communication work it required were, of course, a major undertaking for the Ministry as a whole. Visual materials played an important role in communicating correct information about the pandemic. A few years ago, I also worked as lead graphic designer, helping to create a new visual image for the Ministry.

My day-to-day work includes producing visualisations and designing layouts for a variety of publications. My work often also involves various kick-off and interim meetings related to projects. Visualisation work benefits from collaboration – sharing ideas and discussing solutions help achieve the best possible outcome. This is, in fact, a key part of the work of a visual communications specialist. Ultimately, the technical production of visualisations is only one part of the overall work. It is important to consider how different types of infographics can best help people understand a particular issue.

Jani Osolanus
Communications Coordinator (Visual Communications Specialist)