About Gabby
The Cliff Notes
French scientist who wandered into design and never left. Founder of Figures & Figures studio. She makes complicated data look good and actually useful.
The Slightly Longer Version
Gabrielle grew up in a chaotic household with five kids in a sleepy French town. She always had a knack for art, but her doctor parents insisted she "do science instead because you can always be an artist on the side".
She dutifully got a Master's in Immunology and Biotechnology, and a Magistere in Biotechnology & Communications because apparently she enjoyed school. Eventually, Gabrielle realized she could explain science better than she could conduct it. She made some truly hideous infographics in the beginning (we all start somewhere) before finding her groove in the data visualization world.
After a brief detour designing for cosmetics and restaurants (try getting a job on a visa), Gabrielle took the leap in 2019 to focus on what really mattered to here: using design to make important information usable to everyone.
What She Actually Does
Gabrielle runs Figures & Figures, a studio that transforms complex information into things people can actually understand and use. They work with organizations like the UN, Harvard, and the World Bank who have important data but need help making it matter to every day humans.
She also moonlights as a "fractional design executive" which is a fancy way of saying she temporarily joins organizations to build their data visualization systems or data-driven products and train their teams before disappearing back into the wild.
Sh*t she believes in
Gabrielle approaches design with a clear set of principles that guide her work:
She believes impact matters more than aesthetics, measuring success by real-world outcomes, not just visual appeal. Her work aims to create more equitable systems where everyone has access to the information they need to make better decisions.
She's known for challenging conventional thinking and reframing problems to discover more effective solutions. This often means pushing stakeholders beyond their initial request to address the underlying challenges.
Her reputation for exceptionally high standards stems from a belief that excellence should permeate every aspect of the work: from strategic thinking to pixel-perfect execution. She believes in doing things thoroughly or not at all.
She values long-term vision over short-term gains, often building systems and capabilities that continue delivering value long after she's gone. This approach has made her a trusted partner for organizations navigating critical transitions.
Some Fine Print
- Board Member at Maryland Institute College of Art (Data Analytics program)
- Co-founder of Effect & Affect, a newsletter about how information changes behavior
- Lead Elevate Data Visualization Community
- Plant hoarder, cat enthusiast
- Born in France, Based in Los Angeles, but her accent sounds confusingly Dutch (?)
.png)
Challenging How Design Meets Data
Gabrielle rejects the outdated "information deficit model" that assumes simply presenting data clearly will drive change. Drawing from her scientific background, she brings a healthy skepticism to design's "trust your gut" mentality and established best practices.
Her work acknowledges that humans aren't purely rational beings who make decisions based solely on facts. We're complicated creatures driven by emotions, identity, and existing narratives.
She believes effective data visualization practitioners should practice what they preach: using actual data about human cognition to inform design decisions, rather than relying on untested assumptions or aesthetic preferences. This often puts her at odds with design thinking evangelists, but it's precisely this willingness to challenge conventional wisdom that sets her approach apart.
She often quotes George Monbiot: "You cannot take away someone's story without giving them a new one." This philosophy shapes her approach to data visualization as a narrative tool that harnesses data to serve larger narratives of change and give people the information they need to better their lives.
Her work integrates evidence-based research from psychology, neuroscience, and social sciences to create communications that drive real change with one goal in mind: building connections between data and human experience that help us imagine better futures.