Amy Cavenaile earned a bachelor’s degree from Ball State University in journalism, specifically the graphics concentration, in 2014. Upon graduation, Amy spent a year as a front-page designer for The Omaha World-Herald in Nebraska before joining The Washington Post in 2015. As a designer and art director for The Post’s Emerging News Products team, she helped launch The Post’s Select app, its Snapchat Discover channel and The Lily, a Post publication focused on stories “critical to the lives of women.”
In 2018, Amy was promoted to deputy design director of the Emerging News Products department and design director in 2020. In these roles, she managed a staff of 12 designers and editors. Her editing and visual identity for a digital redesign of The Post’s Select app was awarded a silver medal by the Society of Publication Designers.
Amy currently serves as deputy design director for The Post’s Design department —a team of more than 50 designers and editors. She oversees work for apps, social media, podcasts, newsletters, editorial brands and new initiatives targeting young audiences.
As advice to up-and-coming media practitioners, Amy has said that it’s important to determine your strengths and weaknesses but also the strengths and weaknesses of the people around you in order to collaborate and create the best work possible.