Globally acclaimed veteran design consultant Dr. Mario García—with a five-decade portfolio across 750 media companies in 122 countries—shares an exclusive write-up for NewspaperDesign.org on his 17th book, Consulting with Heart.

By Mario Garcia

CEO, Garcia Media; Senior Adviser on News Design/Adjunct Professor, Columbia University School of Journalism

Books don’t just arrive—they demand to be born. Mine knocked insistently on a transatlantic flight from Zurich to New York on June 12, 2024. I was meant to nap, but instead, my mind flooded with memories of a five-decade consulting odyssey across 750 media companies in 122 countries. By the time the BOEING 777-300ER touched down, the outline for Consulting with Heart—my 17th book—was scribbled in frantic notes and Swiss Airlines napkins. Launching November 4, this isn’t another manual on visual journalism, design, or AI-driven storytelling (though those threads weave through my work). It’s a very personal, diary-fueled memoir and playbook for anyone contemplating a consulting career.

As visual journalists and editors, you live at the intersection of ideas and execution: crafting narratives that captivate, redesigning layouts that innovate, and navigating client visions under tight deadlines. Consulting with Heart mirrors that world. Drawn from 200 personal diaries, it relives the thrill of birthing groundbreaking projects—and the sting of ideas shot down in flames. If you’ve ever pitched a bold redesign only to see it shelved, or interpreted a publisher’s dream into an award winning reality, this book is for you. It’s preparation I wish I’d had when I started: no graduate degree in consulting exists, yet the challenges never stop evolving. At 78 , I am still working as a consultant, facing new challenges and learning new lessons. My curiosity is the same it was 56 years ago when my career began.

Interpreting Dreams, Selling Ideas

At its core, consulting is dream interpretation. Clients arrive with visions—often vague, ambitious, revolutionary. Your job? Unearth the essence, nurture it through chaos

I see myself as someone who sells ideas, interprets dreams, and is often the writer

for what Jony Ive (the genius behind Apple’s greatest products) refers to as “the biography of an idea.”

Perhaps one of the most satisfying aspects of my consulting career, which I hope I transmit in the book, is the moment of birth for an idea is usually via a discussion on that first important meeting when the client expresses her desires, and I, as a consultant, dig into my experience and expertise to find how I can deliver them. An important job for the consultant is understanding and nurturing the essence of an idea during the development process of a project.

Trust is the foundation: active listening, genuine empathy, transparent limitations, and relentless follow-through. Master these, and you don’t just deliver—you transform newsrooms.

It’s Not All Roses: Embracing Rejection

Consulting’s dark side? Ideas die. A chapter dissects case studies where elements clashed—initially. Learn to detach: I’ve watched rejected concepts revive through in-house champions, while others filled my “drawer of dead ideas.” Don’t cling; the next breakthrough is waiting. Emerge wiser, ready to pivot, as I advise my Columbia graduate students: Pain awaits the overly attached. Triumph follows the resilient.

AI and the Human Edge

In Chapter 10, I dive into AI’s disruption—data analysis, risk mitigation, report automation, timeline optimization. These tools will reshape our workflows, freeing us for strategy and storytelling. But here’s the unassailable truth: Robots lack “the scent of the human.” Passion and heart remain your superpowers. A dedicated chapter unpacks passion as the ultimate engine—fueling marathons, PhDs, room makeovers, and every client wins. Integrate it from pitch to print, and watch expectations shatter.

The role of passion

I devote a chapter to the role that passion plays in the role of a consultant, and here is a takeaway:

Of all the qualities that contribute to a consultant’s success, passion is the most potent and transformative. Passion isthe engine that’s fueled every one of my endeavors, whether running a marathon, pursuing a PhD, decorating a room, or, mostimportantly, consulting. It is the engine that fuels my efforts,

propelling me to not only meet but exceed expectations. Offering best practices to make passion an integral part of the consultant’s work, this chapter will explore the vital importance of passion fora consultant and how it manifests from the very first interaction to the execution of key ideas.

Case Studies Tailored for Visual Storytellers

For you—the visual journalists and editors—Consulting with Heart pulses with real-world media transformations:

• The Wall Street Journal: Redesigning icons under pressure.
• Die Zeit (Germany): Infusing elegance into digital evolution.
• El Tiempo (Colombia): Cultural fusion in layout innovation.
• St. Cloud Daily Times (Minnesota, USA): An extended diary deep-dive into my first major project—a small-town paper’s leap to legacy.
• Plus glimpses into Des Moines Register, Handelsblatt, Tagesspiegel, Sudkurier, The New Paper (Singapore), O Estado de S. Paulo (Brazil), La Gaceta (Argentina), and Diario de Noticias (Portugal).

These are vivid narratives of highs, lows, and lessons..

The Collaborative Magic

A book is a collaborative effort.   My team elevated this one: Associate Editor Steve Dorsey scrutinized every word, image, and caption. Designer Rodrigo Fino (Garcia Media Latin America, Buenos Aires) crafted a visually stunning layout. Illustrator Chris Morris opened each chapter with evocative art that previews the journey. Greenleaf Publishers’ editors, led by Maxine Marshall, sharpened every insight.

I hope you enjoy Consulting with Heart . I hope it will arm you to consult smarter, innovate bolder, and lead with the passion that leads to transformation.

Order your copy: amazon.com/dp/1966629958