Fire & Flood Recovery Handbook
Project Overview
Client:
Arkansas River Watershed Collaborative
Partners:
River Science
Colorado Water Conservation Board
Location:
Salida, Colorado, USA
Project:
Hayden Pass Fire & Flood Recovery Handbook Document Design
Client URL:
Arkansas River Watershed Collaborative
Distribution:
Primarily used for digital distribution
Project Details
Background:
Arkansas River Watershed Collaborative (ARWC) serves Colorado's Arkansas River Basin communities by addressing locally-identified watershed issues for economic, ecological & social benefit. Together with River Science and the Colorado Water Conservation Board, the Hayden Pass Fire & Flood Recovery Case Study Document was developed as an educational piece outlining Community-Based Recovery Response.
Challenge:
There was a lot of research, data and information that needed to be condensed and presented in a way that could be easily understood by the general population. Certain concepts – like how wildfires can make areas more prone to flooding – are easy for a scientist or researcher to understand but requires a simple, straightforward explanation to help community members make a connection to the issue at a glance.
Solution:
I developed highly visual maps, timelines and diagrams to make the content more high level and easy to read and understand at a glance. I worked with ARWC to simplify the document copy to make the topics easier to digest. I used color-coded section markers that correlate with the table of contents to help readers better understand the flow of the document.
Design Process:
After thoroughly studying the content, I found areas where the text could be broken out into smaller sections or developed into visuals or infographics. I worked closely with the client to find places where the content could be simplified and omitted content that was redundant or potentially too complex for the general audience.
Impact:
The post-fire recovery case study document will bring critical education to communities and policymakers preparing for and dealing with the aftermath of wildfire. This design makes the document significantly more readable, credible and engaging, extending its impact.
How this helps the planet:
Fire and floods have a big impact on communities, its resources and the environment. By helping communities and the government be better prepared for these events, it’s possible to minimize the impacts and better protect the land, water and people in these areas.
Seeing how Margo's creative ideas for layout and visual representation brought the document to life was inspiring. She took our plain document and photos and completely transformed it. Her creativity and understanding of the content and purpose of the document was right on, saving us an enormous amount of time and effort which as a nonprofit, is priceless.
— Kate Spinelli, Recovery Coordinator, Arkansas River Watershed Collaborative