The Story
You don't need to become a charismatic speaker or a gifted writer to be a great communicator. You're already a world-class problem solver. Communication by Design shows you how to apply the systematic design process you already know to your presentations, papers, and proposals - ensuring your best technical work gets the attention it deserves.
Drawing on two decades of experience mentoring researchers at Stanford University, Jack W. Baker introduces a five-stage, audience-focused design process - Empathize, Define, Brainstorm, Prototype, and Test - and applies it to the communication challenges that define academic careers. From structuring a conference talk to navigating peer review, from designing effective graphics to writing a winning grant proposal, each chapter delivers actionable frameworks backed by research and illustrated with real examples.
Whether you're a graduate student preparing your first presentation or an experienced researcher looking to sharpen your impact, this book gives you a repeatable process for communicating complex ideas clearly and persuasively.
Author: Jack W. Baker
Publisher: Coast Range Press
Published: 06/03/2026
Pages: 238
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.32lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.81d
ISBN: 9798994527733
About the Author
Baker, Jack W.: - Jack W. Baker is the William Alden Campbell and Martha Campbell Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford University. He teaches and researches disaster risk and structural reliability, and serves as Editor-in-Chief of Earthquake Spectra. He has spent two decades helping researchers communicate their technical work through presentations, papers, and proposals.
Description
You don't need to become a charismatic speaker or a gifted writer to be a great communicator. You're already a world-class problem solver. Communication by Design shows you how to apply the systematic design process you already know to your presentations, papers, and proposals - ensuring your best technical work gets the attention it deserves.
Drawing on two decades of experience mentoring researchers at Stanford University, Jack W. Baker introduces a five-stage, audience-focused design process - Empathize, Define, Brainstorm, Prototype, and Test - and applies it to the communication challenges that define academic careers. From structuring a conference talk to navigating peer review, from designing effective graphics to writing a winning grant proposal, each chapter delivers actionable frameworks backed by research and illustrated with real examples.
Whether you're a graduate student preparing your first presentation or an experienced researcher looking to sharpen your impact, this book gives you a repeatable process for communicating complex ideas clearly and persuasively.
Author: Jack W. Baker
Publisher: Coast Range Press
Published: 06/03/2026
Pages: 238
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.32lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.81d
ISBN: 9798994527733
About the Author
Baker, Jack W.: - Jack W. Baker is the William Alden Campbell and Martha Campbell Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford University. He teaches and researches disaster risk and structural reliability, and serves as Editor-in-Chief of Earthquake Spectra. He has spent two decades helping researchers communicate their technical work through presentations, papers, and proposals.
