Annie in Skara designs graphics for the UN

When Annie moved away from Skara after graduating, she had no plans to return. But life had other ideas, and after a couple of years in Gothenburg and later Stockholm, she found love - in Skara.

"It definitely wasn’t an obvious choice for me to move back, but when I met my husband, he was living in Skara with his child. I commuted between Stockholm and Skara for a while and realized there’s a big difference between living in Skara as a teenager and as a parent. Today, I see what I once considered drawbacks in a different light. Now, it’s only positive that it’s a bit smaller, easy to get around everywhere, and that the schools are so close by. As a teenager, I wanted to see more of the world - and I’m glad I did."

Today, Annie and her husband have two children living at home. Annie’s oldest bonus child has moved out, to Gothenburg.

A historic town – modern ways of working

Skara is a historic town with a great deal of well-preserved older building, something that suits Annie, who feels most at home in houses with character and history. Her office is located in Djäknestallet, a very old building in central Skara.

"It's crooked, old, and creaky - super cozy!"

Annie’s work as an illustrator and graphic designer gives her the freedom to choose where she works.

"It’s no problem working in a smaller town! I’ve had several collaborations with local businesses, but living in Skara doesn’t mean I only work with companies here. In my field, we’ve been digital for a long time. It’s nothing unusual that we don’t meet in person even though we collaborate."

“That kind of work is close to my heart.”

As a freelancer, Annie takes on a wide range of assignments and enjoys trying different things. However, a recurring theme in her work is that it often involves organizations working toward a sustainable and fair future.

"I’ve always been engaged in social and justice issues. It has become something of a niche for me to work with those topics. Early in my career, I had an internship at Amnesty and later worked with them as a freelancer. Through that, I built connections within the field and have continued along that path. I’ve worked with organizations such as Unizon - a national federation of women’s shelters - and Plan International. That kind of work is close to my heart."

At the moment, Annie spends most of her time working as a consultant for the UN. There, she designs reports, infographics, social media visuals, and much more.

"My work is for UNEP, the UN’s environmental program, specifically the part that focuses on financial issues. The target audience is banks and other major financial institutions, and the goal is to help them make more sustainable decisions."

A committed Scout

When Annie isn’t working, she volunteers as a Scout. She describes it as something she was born into and has long been involved in—both locally and at the national level.

"At the national level, I’m currently involved in planning a large Scout camp in Skåne where between 12,000 and 15,000 Scouts from Sweden and other countries will take part. I lead the team responsible for communication and services. It’s very rewarding and a nice change of pace to be trusted with leading a group toward a common goal, and to take a broader perspective instead of focusing on details, as I usually do in my work."

Locally in Skara, Annie has been a leader for family scouting, an activity where children up to the age of eight participate together with an adult.