Graphic imperative process book

Advocacy for

The Graphic Imperative

by Allyson Maturey Designer as author Patrick Dooley

Advocacy

Project Synopsis

“An advocacy poster is the manifestation of a charges social or political idea designed to inform and illuminate, stimulate and inspire, agitate and attack. When finely honed, it communicates without ambiguity. When smartly conceived it imparts meaning through complexity and simplification. When on target — when message and image, form and function are one — it shoots a change into the brain that pierces the conscious and subconscious triggering action, now or later.”

—Steven Heller, Author and Co-Chair School of Visual Arts, NYC

For the first project, we were to create a pair of advocacy posters. Possible themes included, dissent, liberation, racism, sexism human rights, civil rights, environmental and health concerns, AIDS, war, literacy and tolerance.

It was up to us to choose the advocacy group, the specific issue/message of the poster, the target audience and the action to help resolve the problem.

Of the pair of posters we were to design, one uses type and image and the other uses type as image.

essay analysis

On Steven Heller Heller begins his essay by defending “those flimsy sheets of paper.” He believes that advocacy posters “have cautionary and curative powers that may not stop all the horrors that besiege us, but are weapons for those who try.”

Heller tells us that advocacy posters inform and excite the audience. It is used to trigger emotions and call for action. A poster should not only be readable from 10 feet away, it should also last years and even decades after being published. The “ultimate graphic imperative” of an advocacy poster is to propagate a message long after it’s published.

Focusing more on war advocacy, Heller shares several posters from the exhibit describing their history and impact. He seems to have a strong feeling towards war posters due to the fact he spent a lot of time on the subject. Another major point that Heller makes is that a “truly viable poster somehow balances aesthetics and expression.”

One can only be so clever when creating an advocacy poster. If it’s too clever of a piece the audience may misinterpret the message. Moving onto the issue of technology, Heller tells us that some say that because of the widespread accessibility of multi-media posters are ineffectual. He, however, disagrees with this idea.

Despite the fact that turning to the Internet can be cheaper and can reach a more people in less time, it is easy to overlook an “onscreen massive.” It is a lot harder for people to miss/ignore a large printed art form. Because posters are large and printed in multiples, they have more potential keeping power than the next viral meme.

Posters are memorable and collectable.

For me, I enjoy the physical, hold in your hand, touch experience that comes with printed mediums. It is easier to make a connection to something that is so “real.”

When posted or spread through the Internet, It makes it harder to relate or connect to a viral message.

On Carol A. Wells Wells starts out sharing a little of the history of political graphics. They have been used to educate, agitate and inspire. She focuses more on the protester kind of posters and how they have evolved during different types of movements.

Wells then transitions into the issue of the Internet. She asks the question “Is the Internet replacing the protest poster?” Because of the Internet, it is easy to mobilize masses of people quickly for protests. However, Wells raises a point that not everyone has access to a computer, and creating visually engaging websites require certain skills. The number of people reached would be limited to only those who are fortunate.

On the other hand, the Internet allowed for exciting possibilities. One example is that artists were able to create images and graphics for others to print and use for protest posters, for free.

Wells states, “as long as the so-called ‘digital divide’ remains a critical in low-income communities, the political poster will continue to be an effective and affordable organizational tool.” She says that posters are a way to chronicle the untold history of a community. It can articulate its vision for the future. Although issues may change from time to time in all areas, a political poster is still the tool of choice for activists.

I do believe that the Internet is a powerful tool; let’s take the ALS ice bucket challenge for instance. One video caused an epidemic of ice water dumping across the world. It’s amazing how fast information can spread.

However, I do not think that if the low-income communities receive access to technology that posters will deteriorate. We all know that magazines were supposedly going to disappear when radio came along. Or, when TV came along. Or, how about when Internet took us all by storm. We still have magazines, and they are doing well. They aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, and I think that is true for posters.

Poster Analysis

Staeck, Klaus • And New Life Blossoms • From the Ruins • Germany, 1980 Issue: Environment For me, this poster reminded me of a childhood book I had read called The Little House. It was about a house in the country with lots of land, a pond and trees. As time changed and building cities evolved, the house ended up surrounded by a huge city. It’s once beautiful country landscape was lost amongst everyday life in a city. In this case I think posters make it a lot easier to relate to.

The content can remind of us something we once knew, or it can evoke a feeling. I believe the message in Staeck’s poster is to remind us that their is beauty amongst this ever evolving world. The contrast of the black and white crossroads and the bright green tree in the center of the page help tell his story. To make his headline standout strong he made it red, and balances out the centered placement of the tree.

Pirtle, Woody • Stop the Plant • USA, 2003 Issue: Environment This poster is so clever in the use of imagery. It’s very simple yet so intimidating, and strong. I think the strongest part of the message is set by the skyline.

When the poster was designed it was because advocates did not want the 40 stories high stack to dominate the scenic view at the Hudson River School.

The headline and use of type is, like many other posters, simple and does not have the immediate heirarchy. It specifically states what it wants, “Stop the Plant.”

Fukuda, Shigeo • Happy Earthday • Japan, 1982

Magleby, McRay • Wave of Peace • USA, 1985

Issue: Environment

Issue: Peace

This poster popped out immediately because of its high contrast in colors. It makes for a nice eye catching effect. Not only are the colors contrasting but so is the content. The copy says “Green and Human - Let’s save the earth.” The wooden axe displaying a growing stem says a lot in such little imagery. The use of type is also very simple and states only what it needs to say, nothing more. I think at first it took me a little time to understand what was meant by the stem and axe, but it clicked easily after observing and reading the headline.

Right away this poster emits a sense of peacefulness.

The choice of colors and the calm-like tidal wave immediately set a very peaceful tone. By just looking at the poster I do not get that is was designed for the 40th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, but I think this is a great example of how posters can be timeless, a piece of history. This is more of an image based design, and I think if the headline “Peace” was not there, we would still understand what the message is. However, the type does give another piece of the message. Because the letters are separated from each other it seems to represent how far away we may be from one another, but we can still have Peace.

Akagi, Doug; Powel, Kimberly • Save San Francisco Bay • USA, 1991 Issue: Environment Akagi and Powell really enforced their message by using recycled and handcrafted materials. It’s delicate to look at, but it gives the message that something is wrong. The hand lettering somehow makes it a little more meaningful, like someone took a lot of time to share and spread this message. It immediately makes you stop and look at it.

Aminain, Tahamtan • And Our World is Still Alive • Iran, 2002 Issue: Tobacco Use Because the type in this poster is of another language, I think it has a stronger impact than if it were the American alphabet. Especially because it is incorporated into the imagery. It’s more elegant and yet gives of this horrifying message about smoking. The use of the black background give off a dark feeling and gives more focus on the cigarette in the center.

organization overview

The Rainforest Alliance was founded in 1987 by Daniel Katz, and is a non-governmental organization based in New York City, with offices throughout North and South America, Asia, Africa and Europe. It works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods. The organization program work in more than 100 countries, and for more than five consecutive years it has earned a four star rating from Charity Navigator.

Mission Statement: The Rainforest Alliance works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behavior.

Vision: The Rainforest Alliance envisions a world where people can thrive and prosper in harmony with the land.

Strategy: At the heart of the Rainforest Alliance’s approach is the understanding that the health of the land is inextricably connected to the wellbeing of those who depend on it for their livelihoods. Their approach includes training and certification to promote healthy ecosystems and communities in some of the world’s most vulnerable ecosystems.

They work with forward-thinking farmers, foresters and tourism entrepreneurs to conserve natural resources and ensure the long-term economic health of forest communities. For a farm or forestry enterprise to achieve Rainforest Alliance

certification, or for a tourism business to be verified, it must meet rigorous standards designed to protect ecosystems, safeguard the well-being of local communities and improve productivity.

The Rainforest Alliance then links these farmers, foresters and tourism business to the growing global community of conscientious consumer through the green frog seal.

The Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal is an internationally recognized symbol of environmental, social and economic sustainability that helps both businesses and consumers do their part to ensure a brighter future for us all.

Agriculture Problem: Agricultural expansion is responsible for 70 percent of global deforestation, and is the single greatest threat to tropical forests. In biodiversity-rich regions, farms are often responsible for soil erosion, water pollution and wildlife habitat destruction.

Solution: Rainforest Alliance certification encourages farmers to grow crops and manage ranchlands sustainably. The certification system is built upon the three pillars of sustainability — environmental protection, social equity and economic viability — and no single pillar can support long-term success on its own. Farmers will improve in all three areas.

Action: By choosing Rainforest Certified agricultural products, one can support farmers and farm workers worldwide who are working to improve their livelihoods and those of their families while protection the planet.

Solution: “To use forests wisely.� Through training, certification and verification, the Rainforest Alliance, and its partners provide forest manager, farmers and tourism entrepreneurs with the tools to steward their lands responsibility.

Find certified products. Join the Rainforest Alliance. Make a donation.

To prevent deforestation and forest degradation, increase forest cover and conservation areas and generate the goods and services upon which we all depend.

Establish sustainable tourism business, which attract conservation, conscious travelers and provide local communities with a sustainable alternative to potentially damaging activities.

Forestry Problem: Rampant global consumption and illegal logging put a heavy strain on the essential resources that are provided by forests, such as oxygen, clean water, shelter, fuel and food. Not only do forests supply crucial resources for everyone, the often provide the only available source of local economic opportunity.

Action: Find certified products. Join the Rainforest Alliance. Make a donation.

Poverty Problem: Around the world, 1.3 billion people live on less than US $1.25 a day. Left with few options, some resort to clearing land for subsistence agriculture, cutting down trees for firewood and selling illegal timber on the black market, at prices below the actual value of wood. The bit of income they receive from these destructive activities is rarely enough to lift them out of poverty.

Solution: Instead of telling a community to put down the axe, without providing an alternative, the Rainforest Alliance and its partners work with farmers and forest managers to provide them with the tools and know-how to manage their natural resources. Those that meet the rigorous environmental, social and economic

standards can use the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal to differentiate their products. They can then reach new markets, negotiate better prices, improve their access to credit and lift themselves and their communities out of poverty.

Action: Find certified products. Join the Rainforest Alliance. Make a donation.

Campus Problem: Sourcing local food and working with local business is important, but many of the items used on campus can’t be local. Items like, coffee, chocolate and many other products are grown and harvested in the tropics, where unsustainable farming practices threaten ecosystems and livelihoods.

Solution: Campus Sourcing Action: Find certified products. Join the Rainforest Alliance. Make a donation.

Tourism Problem: Tourism is one of the world’s largest industries. It employs more than 235 million people worldwide, and generates some 9.2 percent of the global GDP. While tourism is a crucial source of income for many developing countries, it can also result in pollution, deforestation, inefficient energy use and cultural exploitation.

Solution: Provide training to tourism business, including hotels and lodges that provide them with the tools and techniques they need to run efficiently and

sustainably. Also provide travelers, tour operators and travel agents with a comprehensive listing of destinations that are not only beautiful, but also benefit communities.

Action: Find certified products. Join the Rainforest Alliance. Make a donation.

As a traveler: visit sustainabletrip.org

tps://us.fsc.org/index.htm | http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/ | http://www.sustainablebrands.com/

Target Audience

The Greenies “Green” individuals who share their passion of biodiversity through the products they purchase. Ages 23-29, these college graduates have spent four years learning how to provide for themselves, and along the way have realized that they can make a small difference, and support the community by “going local.” These college degree-holders, who are taking in less than $50,000 a year, may or may not be familiar with the Rainforest Alliance, but have come across the “frog seal” at one time or another.

These armature conservationists are eager to follow the next big movement or trend.

Maggie Heltzel, recently graduated from the University of Kansas earning a degree in Strategic Communication. Maggie currently lives and works in Kansas City. When she is not clocking in hours at Barkley, she enjoys all the little things that KC has to offer. On the weekends, Maggie likes to stop by the City Market to support the local farmers by purchasing produce, herbs and spices. And, sometimes the occasional flower bouquet. Because Maggie is really into the alternative music scene, she enjoys attending concerts at venues such as P&L, Crossroads, The Riot Room and the Midland. When Maggie needs to shop, she does most of her clothes shopping on the sales rack of American Apparel and Anthropology. Maggie also spends her free time taking her dog, Cobi, to the off-leash dog park. She loves getting to see him run free in the wide-open space.

Visual Audit

Concept Statement

To suggest

A lot of deforestation comes from slash and burn agriculture. Farmers and farm workers who suffer from poverty have built an unhealthy relationship with the environment, and in return continue to live in poverty. The Rainforest Alliance is working hard to train and certify these farmers and foresters, so that they can coexist with the environment. The Rainforest Alliance wants consumers to be conscientious when purchasing everyday agricultural products. They want them to buy products with the green frog seal because it has been sustainably produced.

Awareness unethical productivity deforestation harmony consumption conscientious livelihood conserve ecosystem coexist responsibility resources involvement educate certification protect essential environment alliance tools products pollution engage habitat follow sustainable consumer

Definitions

Coexist- to exist at the same time or in the same place.

Deforestation- the clearing of trees, transforming a forest into cleared land.

Conscientious- (of a person) wishing to do what is right, especially to do one’s work or duty well and thoroughly.

Responsibility- the state or fact of having a duty to deal with something or of having control over someone. The state or fact of being accountable or to blame.

Sustainable- able to be maintained at a certain rate or level. Able to be upheld or defended. (agriculture- using farming techniques that protect the environment, public health, human communities and animal welfare.)

copy ideas

Seal of Approval: The Rainforest Alliance works with farms to certify that their products are sustainable. Do your part by purchasing brands that have been stamped with the green frog. For product lists and locations please visit www.rainforest-alliance/ shopthefrog Coexist: thrive and prosper in harmony with the land. Poverty fuels most of the world’s deforestation. Support responsible farming and the Rainforest Alliance by following the little green frog. To learn more visit www.rainforest-alliance/shopthefrog

More than just a rainforest: It’s your coffee. It’s your tea. It’s your chocolate. It’s their livelihood. Support the Rainforest Alliance and their training and certification. Purchase agricultural products with the green frog seal. Visit www.rainforest-alliance/ shopthefrog for more information.

Support a healthy environment: 87 percent of farms have been trained and certified by the Rainforest Alliance. Now, it’s your turn. Support the farmers who take responsibility in sustaining their livelihoods. Purchase products that have been stamped with the green frog. To find out more go to www.rainforest-alliance/shopthefrog

Sustain life: Help farmers sustain natural resources. Support training and certification by the Rainforest Alliance. To make your contribution, just follow the frog. Look for products that are labeled with the little green frog.

Shop the frog: When you buy products with the green frog seal, you support sustainable farming in developing countries. Don’t let farmers in poverty build an unhealthy relationship with the environment. Do something about it and help the Rainforest Alliance train and certify them.

Notes

8.28 Advocacy posters make impact. They are simple “Raw.” They are tangible and start conversations. Posters can keep the message alive. They trigger and inspire an action. They can be very site speciFic. 9.2 Using positive persuasion will help the consumer buy the product.

Coexist, unite, be one with the earth.

9.4 Deforestation. Farmers abuse farm land and in return it causes deStay conscientious: Agricultural expansion is responsible for 70 percent of global deforestation. It is the single greatest threat to tropical forests. By choosing Rainforest Alliance Certified agricultural products, you can support farmers worldwide who are working to improve livelihoods while protecting the planet. Visit www.rainforest-alliance/shopthefrog for more information.

Deforestation: the clearing of trees. 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their livelihoods. Just because you can’t see the consequences doesn’t mean there aren’t any. Join the movement and follow the frog at www.rainforest-alliance/shopthefrog

forestation. Train them. Teach them how to farm sustainably.

9.9 Keep sizing in mind. Make it more authentic by adding patters or try textures. Make sure that everything is relative in size, i.e bananas vs coffee beans. Don’t make it so clean.

9.11 Try using coffee beans to spell out the headline. Try sticks and twigs, natural substances. Maybe dirt? Farming tools? Finger prints?

9.18 Really focus on making the type legible (with coffee grinds). Play more with a label look. Make it appear more like where it came from.

9.25 Where do frog prints go? Why follow the frog frog? Maybe add an oasis water color at the end of the path. On the path include icons or text that would identify how to follow the frog.

Design process

The final outcome

Advocacy group: Rainforest Alliance

Target Audience

The issue: Most of the world’s deforestation comes from slash and burn agriculture.

Farmers and farm workers who suffer from poverty have built an unhealthy relationship with the environment. The Rainforest AllianceTM works to train and certify these farmers, so that they can coexist with the planet. This poster aims to encourage consumers to purchase products that have been certified by the Rainforest AllianceTM.

Green individuals who share their passion of biodiversity through the products they purchase. Ages 23-29, these college graduates have spent four years learning how to provide for themselves, and along the way have realized that they can make a small difference, and support the community by “going local.” These college degree-holders, who are taking in less than $50,000 a year, may or may not be familiar with the Rainforest Alliance, but have come across the “frog seal” at one time or another. These armature conservationists are eager to follow the next big movement or trend.

Solution: Support sustainable farming Action: Buy Rainforest AllianceTM products with the green frog seal.

Reflection

Laying it all out

Personal Involvement

Design perspective: In the beginning, I wasn’t for sure what type of design/ look I was going to go for. When we looked at the Graphic Imperative examples I was really drawn to how simple and visually appealing the posters were. I think this inspired me to do something similar. I didn’t really like the idea of using a lot of copy, but it only makes sense to when you are raising awareness. It was a challenge to make it well-balanced. It can be easy to just place huge letters on a page and call it good.

Strategically placing headlines and body copy within a poster was kind of tricky.

You want the reader to start somewhere and end somewhere, you want it to tell a kind of story. I really enjoyed my final poster designs. The colors and type came out better than I had imagined.

I’ve come acrossed the green frog seal several times before learning about what it actually meant. I decided to proceed with the Rainforest Alliance because I have a fascination with trees, and it saddens me that we live in a world that doesn’t think twice before cutting one down. Little did I know that deforestation was also caused by irresponsible farming. That was an interesting fact to learn. It is important to me to learn everything I can to help myself be one with this planet. It is the only one we have and we can’t recreate things we didn’t create in the first place. Nature is beautiful, but it seems to be the last thing on consumer’s minds.

It was difficult to stay on the “farming message.” I was easily swayed to speaking to

the trees, but that wasn’t what I was going for. What’s great about it though is that when consumers support certified farmers you really are helping the trees. It’s like a never ending circle of support.

I’d say in the beginning of the process I did’t really know what I wanted my type + image poster was going to stand for, but later down the road an idea hit me. I really wanted to show of the frog in a different form. Everyone knows what a tree frog looks like, and that they are linked to the rainforest, but using the frog feet was a nice way to break away from the small frog. I wanted the audience to follow the frog, to experience what he does when he walks into the rainforest. It’s an oasis. It’s exotic. It’s his home, and we shouldn’t ruin it.

Transfering to the type as image poster was a little tricky. I wanted use images so badly. I finaly figured out away to pull the green from the frog and create tree limbs out of letter forms. The texture was a nice way to create that sense of rough, exotic feel you’d get from the rainforest. Also, the rainforest is bigger than all of us, so the huge headline mimics that in a sense.

Overall, this project was fun. I really enjoyed designing something that I can strongly stand behind both design-wise and advocacy-wise. The coolest part was having my work shared by the organization, on their Instagram feed.