My name is Matthew Callahan
I’m a designer, developer and communicator who on a daily basis bridges the gap between editors, engineers and creatives. I lead a team of front-end developers and designers who build and maintain The Washington Post’s bespoke digital storytelling experiences. My speciality is integrated storytelling: blending and prioritizing the use of visual media and technology to bring stories to audiences in new ways.
Some projects I’ve edited over the years
Since I became an editor in 2018, I’ve gotten a chance to be a part of dozens of The Post’s most exciting and innovative projects including Pulitzer Prize winning stories, months-long investigations and quick turnaround projects. My role varies: sometimes I’m working with the editors and designers to shape the story, other times refining UX cues or optimizing load time and performance. My job is to make sure that we overcome any challenges, technical or otherwise, and that the stories publish across all platforms, on time and bug-free.
- Database of videos exposes the horrors of war in Ukraine
- Africa’s rising cities: How Africa will become the center of the world’s urban future
- The Pandora Papers series
- This tree has stood here for 500 years. Will it be sold for $17,500?
- The Afghanistan Papers: A secret history of the war
- Gone in a generation
- Reconstructing seven days of protests in Minneapolis after George Floyd’s death
- The Oscar for Best Poster goes to ...
- Canary: The Washington Post Investigates
Some projects I designed before becoming an editor
When I started at The Post, the design team was print focused. I became a pioneer on the team, building digital stories and helping to lead the team through a digital revolution. At first, I was an art director, digital desinger and a partner to reporters, editors and other designers. I interpreted and built presentations that took advantage of the most unique parts of each story. After three years, I formally moved into a leadership role, where I’ve been ever since.
- Why my guitar gently weeps
- A Marine’s convictions
- The Polaroids of the cowboy poet
- The inside story of when Run-DMC met Aerosmith and changed music forever
- America’s natural heritage
Some publication design
My career started as a print designer both at The Post and the Tampa Bay Times. While I spend most of my time focused on digital stories now, print design was where I learned the importance of white space, typography and hierachy. Here’s some of the ones that hold up.
