If there’s one thing we want to do as a blog, it’s to give back in our own way. This is why I am using this segment of the blog to implement a visual system to bring awareness towards the graphic integrity of environmental organizations.
My fascination with the beauty of marine life has been with me since I was a child, which is why my work has been inspired by the environment and taking the right actions to help preserve it.
Importance of Creating Better Visuals
One of the big points that the NOAA fisheries has emphasized is the impact of ocean noise on whales. Human added sounds can affect their means of communication, which can impact all aspects of their lives. Without a proper communication highway, breeding and feeding becomes much more difficult which can even result in death. Sound is a mundane thing we don’t think about, much like the graphic communication systems I’m about to discuss.
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/science-data/ocean-noise
It Started with Sketching
When I made this graphic a year ago (below), I was simply planning to use it as a line of merchandise. But because of the geographic area where they were being sold, it became difficult to sell the bags all by themselves.
I want this graphic to mean something so much more than just being a line of merchandise though. We have made previous attempts in the past to help donate to ocean conservancies, but we did not have a graphic with the simplicity, memorability and identification of this whale which took close to 80 hours to edit.
This design I feel can also be a prototype to a higher means of action.
At one point in time, the government actually had a graphics improvement program for how graphics should look! But because of the lack of systematic emphasis from designers, these graphic programs actually went to waste. The era in which these took place was the 1970’s. You can click on the link to watch this full video.
With retro styles and flat logos coming back in 2022 (thank god), I feel now is the time to strike. I feel that this mark can serve as a prototype for the standards that we should follow in environmental icon standards.
But it has now gone beyond just the identity which I grinded out. It’s time for me to implement an entire visual system that can further the importance of graphics in convincing people to take better care of ocean life and I am trying to do just that with this part of our blog.
Memorability in Communications is Key
I am filling this page to spread awareness. You can sit back and look at line after line of text all you want, but the visuals are the true pieces that can make for an interactive journey. I’m hoping that by creating these visuals, I can make reading online a fun and interactive experience to help lead towards taking action rather than just being dark and dramatic about environmental issues. I will say that the posters like the one below are not entirely sugarcoated, but they’re rather a caricature that reminds people of a common issue (in this case pollution).
Going back to the youtube video above, I believe that we have to consider how designs such as the original EPA logo and the NOAA Fisheries can transform our environment as a whole. The link below is another example of good graphics working on a major program.
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/podcast/dive-in-with-noaa-fisheries
The fact is that simple items with a strong visual narrative have the potential to create more marketing items, such as shirts, stickers and hats. Designs that either lack visual narrative, are too complex or are simply ugly will not spread to our environment as well and thus create a more forgettable image of these important organizations. Just remember, an entire car or building can be built around a logo!
The fact of the matter is that creating something that viewers can develop an attachment to can lead a long way towards them taking action.
In this generation, designers are making a commitment to emphasize the importance of the practice in helping businesses to create an effective professional image of themselves.
Where Am I Coming From and How is this Effective?
Well, it starts at a young age. I once had a fascination with looking at the most mundane things, such as the art on the side of a cereal box. Believe it or not, that curiosity and memory is still with me to this very day and it isn’t going anywhere. If we can emphasize the importance of good art and graphics, we could impact future generations to come.