Interview with Josh Byers + A Giveaway!

Happily, I stumbled across Josh Byers' artwork a few weeks ago on Pinterest. I'm excited to share this with you because the infographs he creates are such a helpful visual to understanding Scripture! Through his pieces we can see clearly when Israel split into two kingdoms, the sharp decline in the tribe of Simeon, and chart on the map where the Israelites fought their battles when they came into the Promised Land. Josh was gracious enough to chat about my questions and is generously giving away one of his posters! (More on that below.)

Tell us a little about yourself--where are you from, do you have a day job, are you married, etc.
If you check out my profiles on social media it says I'm a husband, father, pastor, designer, Broncos/Arsenal fan, and goldfish cracker connoisseur. To go a little more in depth, I have a wonderful family. I'm married to a fantastic wife with 4 beautiful children. I currently am on staff at a church in West Des Moines, Iowa. I oversee all of our communications and help people assimilate into the church. I also teach and speak from time to time.

How did you get started in graphic design?

I've always been interested in graphic art even from an early age. When I was in elementary school I would draw pictures of Lamborghinis and Ferraris and sell them to my friends.

From that an interest grew into a hobby which grew into a passion. As I've gotten older I've seen my passion for design spring up in a variety of areas from woodworking, to interior decorating, to web design and most recently digital art.

Why did you start doing Biblical infographs?

The visual theology infographics came out of a passion for design and good teaching and theology. I believe that the visual medium is something God has used ever since the beginning of time to teach man so there is a reason why we are natural learners from visuals. So a few years ago when I was doing student ministry I wanted a way to connect biblical truth to a generation who has grown up on visuals but didn't respond to the tired flannel graph of my youth. With the rise of the internet infographic it became the perfect medium to communicate simple and even complex truths in an exciting and visual way.

What's your favorite infograph that you've designed and why?

That's tough. It's like asking which one of my kids is my favorite :)

I would probably say the Books of the Bible in the style of the Periodic Table. It was one of the first and people just really seemed to resonate with it. That particular graphic spread very quickly, was translated into several languages, and has been used to teach numerous kids and adults around the world. There is a lot of satisfaction when you know people are buying into what you are doing, using it, learning from it, and loving it.

What's next for you? Will there be more Biblical designs from you?

Yep – there will be more, tons more! In fact I have partnered with Tim Challies and we wrote a book called (ever so appropriately) Visual Theology... It is is actually available for pre-order now and will be released next April. We are also launching a dedicated website for our Visual Theology pieces that I hope to have available in the next few weeks.

How has the graphic design work affected your faith?

It has strengthened it for sure. When you are thinking about how to communicate theology to people you tend to look at it from many different angles. The end result is a deeper understanding of how God works and who he is.

The Giveaway: Josh has agreed to send one reader a poster size print of the brand new version of the Periodic Table! He packed in a surprising amount of information to this sleek design, including authors, approximate dates written, and what category each book falls under. See the Rafflecopter below to enter. Contest runs through December 2 at midnight and the winner will be announced next week.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure and visit Josh's website and grab a couple of free downloads!

If you want to order a print head to his page on Society 6.

Thanks so much to Josh for a fun giveaway!