Knowing nothing about the subject myself, I sat down with Joeva and listened as she walked me through the intricate relationships between the scientists, donors, and companies she has been researching. I started to see how this resembled a familiar network in nature that most people would instantly recognize. From there, mapping out the relationships onto the visual metaphor of a plant system was intuitive.
The relationships were categorized into three functions. “Project Funding” was the sunlight; “Implementation & Outreach” were the plant stems and leaves; and “Technical Collaboration” was the root system that interacts directly with the land. Icons for each entity visually communicate their role in the system. I used vector graphics for the majority of the infographics because they can be compressed into small file sizes without losing quality, making them ideal for both print and digital platforms. I chose colors that fit the agricultural theme while ensuring they were accessible for color blindness and for black & white printing in academic papers.
Joeva received positive feedback from her community when presenting her research alongside the infographic, and re-used the graphic across several platforms. Working on this project felt very fulfilling and affirmed my desire to design for educational and human service purposes.
