When you ‘show & tell’ your organization’s sustainability agenda through a visual story, customers can literally ‘see’ how your organization is making progress in social and environmental issues.

This visual communication makes the complexities of sustainability approachable and puts them into the context of a story. The format also offers great opportunities to communicate sustainability data – such as findings from your organization/product’s Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) data or your CSR report.

Capabilities include: Identity, Interaction or Information Design. I prefer to work collaboratively and have experience with project management, web strategy, information architecture and public art. I relish the challenge to communicate technical or complex sustainability data and scenarios.

. . . Process . . .

I take a collaborative approach to each project. Background Stories are a combination of art and science, design and data. There are several steps to creating this kind of visually-engaging communication. Whether the final result will be a printed info-graphic, an educational installation or an interactive application, creating a sustainability back-story involves these basic steps:

• Research: Each project begins with in-depth research on a particular topic; collecting information, interviewing people knowledgeable about the topic, partnering with community organizations to gather statistics.
• Outline: I then filter through this collected information to see what stories surface, in order to begin experimenting with multiple visual storytelling approaches. Mapping out ‘the big picture’ context of your message, data and process.
• Sketch a Framework for the data or content. These concepts are reviewed by the team.
• Develop a Visual Style. This can come from an existing brand style, or be created in a new visual direction.
• Refine the content and visuals. At this stage work is developed on the computer, then the resulting graphics/interactions are ‘output’ to context-specific objects/media.
• Implementation: The design can be produced in a variety of formats. Past ‘outputs’ include such varied methods as engraved dishware, murals, installations in public space, laser-cut adhesive, molded chocolate, packaged food products, carved ceramics, screen print & embroidered clothing, online interactions, static graphics and upholstered household articles.
• Track and Test response to the design

. . . Partners and Partners . . .

Clients and partners have included:

• Triodos Bank (Europe)
• Green Energy Supply Certification Scheme (UK)
• American Swedish Institute (US)
• bambu (US, China)
• MEDEA Collaborative Media Initiative (Sweden)
• Birchwood Cafe (Minneapolis, US)
• Cargill: sustainability team (International)
• Wellbody Alliance (US, Sierra Leone)
• Forecast Public Art/Public Art Review (US)
• Haberman & Associates (Minneapolis, US)
• Minnesota Landscape Arboretum (US)
• Interactive Institute (Sweden)

For more info, contact Arlene Birt | +1.612.246.4234 | arlene@arlenebirt.com

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