Happy Holidays!
A Visual Explanation: PATRIC
PATRIC vision infographic by KAP Design.
The success of a new strategy or vision depends on efficiently generating understanding with stakeholders and communicating value to secure funding. The Catalyst Centre at the University of Guelph contacted KAP Design to visualize Precision AgriFood Technology Research and Innovation For Commercialization (PATRIC), an exciting new platform that “enables data-driven technologies and services to food producers, processors, distributors and retailers.”
The infographic was designed after a thorough discovery process with the Catalyst Centre team to clarify the pitch and multiple sketching sessions to arrive at a dynamic visual solution.
KAP successfully brought the vision to life with this engaging infographic that efficiently communicates the exciting possibilities and outcomes of PATRIC. This visual pitch is an important asset in the Catalyst Centre’s funding application as well as a valuable tool for structuring conversations with potential partners and collaborators.
Concept sketches for PATRIC infographic by KAP Design.
Visual Explanation: eMERGE
Click infographic to view larger.
KAP recently worked with eMERGE to create this information graphic or visual explanation to communicate who eMERGE is and what they do.
The project began with a discovery meeting in which the eMERGE team were asked to identify customer barriers to understanding and participating in the eMERGE programs. The messaging was then clarified in a collaborative process that leveraged feedback from different stakeholders.
Designing the visual story included creating multiple icons and illustrations that would engage customers and stakeholders and drive understanding.
The finished infographic will be used in customer-facing communication, partner conversations, internal strategy and in social media.
Presentation Design: Completing the Work–Share–Grow Cycle
Work–share–grow cycle by KAP Design.
You invest months of work – meetings, researching, collaborating, innovating – to create knowledge and find solutions. Great work needs to be shared to have impact and grow partnerships, clients and funding. You are added to the speakers list at an important conference. Preparing to share your work, you cut chunks of text from a report and paste them into a slide presentation. The presentation falls flat. You don’t make an impact.
Lack-luster presentations prevent important, innovative work from reaching and resonating with audiences. When the work-share-grow circle is broken, progress and growth is limited.
Grow Guelph presentation slide by KAP Design.
KAP Design worked with the University of Guelph to design an engaging presentation to tell the Grow Guelph story. First, KAP clarified the story from a Grow Guelph report and a variety of existing presentation content. Next, KAP created bold visual content – icons, illustrations – and designed an engaging 30-slide visual presentation.
Before and after: presentation slide by KAP Design.
The presenter reported being very confident backed up by the powerful visual story. The presentation connected with the audience resulting in increased information retention in follow-up conversations. Grow Guelph’s story is understood and the program is set up for growth.
Before and after: presentation slide by KAP Design.
A Company Boilerplate Visualized
The O’Halloran Group boilerplate by KAP Design.
Continuing to work with The O’Halloran Group (O’HG) to develop their brand, KAP collaborated with the O’HG team to clarify their pitch and then visualize it. The result, an engaging and informative visual boilerplate, is included in O’HG reports, shared in social media and will be integrated into a new website.
A highlight of the collaborative process was an exercise that required the entire O’HG team to become visual thinkers. Each person was asked to draw a picture that defined who the company is, what they do and how they do it. When the images were presented, many new insights were discovered that informed the final visual solution.
New Information Design Projects
Sneak peek at some of the exciting visual solutions KAP created over the summer.
We didn’t get to pull out the Muskoka chairs and relax on the cottage dock much over the summer. We were busy working on many exciting design projects – and the lake sits in one of the few internet access dead zones in the area. Now we have moved into our new office (more details coming soon) with strong Wi-Fi and are looking forward to sharing some of the work on kapdesign.ca and here on the KAP blog. Stay tuned!
Information Designers Clarify, They Don’t Simplify
‘The Story of The Seed: Creation of a Community Food Hub’ infographic by KAP Design.
We are in an information age where the quantity and complexity of information impedes understanding. Enter the information designer whose role is accurately described in ‘Information Design Workbook – Graphic Approaches, Solutions, and Inspiration’ by Kim Baer as:
“…the translating [of] complex, unorganized data into valuable, meaningful information”
Notice that the information designer does not ‘simplify’. Many times, information is never going to be simplified and still tell a meaningful story. Information design clarifies, it doesn’t simplify.
KAP was commissioned to create one comprehensive visual timeline to capture the evolution of The Seed Community Food Hub (above). The information graphic highlights key partners, achievements, turning points and more. There is a lot of information and simplifying any further would have reduced the value of the infographic.
‘The Story of The Seed: Creation of a Community Food Hub’ infographic detail by KAP Design.
When the extraneous data was removed, the remaining story was clarified using a visual theme (shelves of fresh food), icons, layout, and color. The visual narrative along the timeline isn’t simple but patterns, successes, and challenges are clear. The infographic will successfully inform the future evolution of the The Seed – a change that is complex, not simple.
