Documenting
community centred innovations
in disaster prone contexts

Summary

We designed a series of learning papers for the Start Network documenting a two year program, The DEPP Innovation Labs. The DEPP Labs supported local-level innovation to strengthen disaster preparedness in crisis affected communities.

The project documentation we designed consisted of a briefing paper, three field studies, an invitation for a demo day with innovators and funders in London, and twelve posters featuring the different innovations.

It was a challenging editorial project, in which we had to render dense content in a very visual and engaging way; however we were thrilled to work with an organization that, through local teams, supports the very same people who experience the problem in designing its solution.

Branding

We were to design a series of engaging materials with its own voice, yet aligned with the Start Network branding.

• Audience:
  Policymakers, people from the UK and abroad working in the field.
• Keywords provided to describe the project:
  Visual, engaging, accessible.
• Aim:
  The papers serve both as a tool for other possible innovators interested in building up on the findings, as well as research papers.

Concept

We were inspired by the atmosphere of co-creation and human-centred design. Co-creation usually happens in an informal environment; uncomplicated tools like brightly coloured post-it notes, rough sketches, and sheets of papers are often used to instantly visualize, further explore, and even test ideas.

We translated this approach into straightforward graphical shapes to determine the character of the cover, pictograms, text boxes, and overall design.

Color palette

We decided on a flashy colour palette that would both reflect the grassroot identity and dynamism of the project while complementing the more austere Start Network branding colors.

We wanted to make each one of the papers immediately identifiable as part of a series, while at the same time stand out as a unit; each paper was then assigned an ID color to be used discreetly outside and inside throughout.

Infographics and Icons

We created a visual subsystem of icons, graphs and typographic elements to emphasize and simplify key concepts and processes throughout the books.

We designed a few sets of icons for different functions; the sets, while staying coherent between each other, allow for various degrees of visual complexity according to the content.

Innovators from each lab were invited to London to seek financial support for their start-ups. We designed some supporting material for the event.  

Posters

The posters were to be featured at the event itself and they functioned as information pieces to capture the investors' interest.

Each one of the 12 posters, color coded in relation to their incubation lab, featured a picture and a key quote from the innovator/innovating team, as well as a description of their innovation.