Overview
Investing in a Better Massachusetts is a set of two reports that explore the benefits of green investments for communities in the Commonwealth. In the first report, An Analysis of Job Creation and Community Benefits from Green Investments, Climate XChange researchers calculated the economic, public health, and environmental benefits of green investments. For the second report, Conversations with Frontline Organizations on Connecting Climate and Community Priorities, Climate XChange partnered with Fairmount-Indigo CDC Collaborative to survey frontline organizations on their priorities for investments in their communities. Collectively, the reports bring together the data and stories of Massachusetts communities to inform policy decisions surrounding future government investments.
In designing the layout for these reports, my goal was to create a cohesive identity tying the two together while creating a flexible page structure that allowed the different research focuses to shine. Lawmakers are often juggling countless pressing issues, so each report needed to also present its findings in a clear and actionable format.
Objectives
Create a cohesive identity for two reports covering two approaches to the topic of green investments. With the numbers-heavy focus of the first report, my objective was to make economic analyses easily and quickly understood by lawmakers so the findings could be used to inform policy decisions.
In the second report, with the focus on interviews about investments that would be the most beneficial to frontline communities, my objective was to highlight the stories of communities impacted by the climate crisis in Massachusetts.
Process
Working with the Climate XChange research team from the project’s onset, I set out to understand the main components and findings of each report. This allowed me to begin sourcing relevant images, drawing an icon set, and finalizing a color palette to best showcase and organize the information presented in the report.
Beginning with the technical report, I wanted to make findings on 18 programs easily understood and shareable. Typically with large research reports, the Executive Summary becomes the primary section shared with legislators and advocates due to its brevity. In order to make more of the report easily understood and shared, I turned the analysis of benefits for each potential investment into a one-pager that could be individually given to public officials. Investment areas were distinguished through colors and icons and icons were also made for benefits, adding a visual element to make them more easily understood.
Working with the same color palette and layout as the technical report, my next task was to create a report that showcased the ideas of local organizations. I used color to differentiate investment areas and large quotes and images to highlight the voices of advocates working in frontline communities.
Impact
In 2021, the reports received 3,000+ views on the Climate XChange website. Handouts on potential green investment programs have been utilized by advocates in meetings with legislative leaders on pending bills and budget decisions.