The best way to simplify a complex concept is to tell a story.
Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities and Rotary Charities asked us to help illustrate the story of a 15-year journey of progress to move Farm to School initiatives forward in Northern Michigan, and throughout the state.
We engaged Groundwork in a Systems Practice study to get a sense for the scope and scale of the progress they’ve made. Once we understood this, we proposed a process to conceptualize, script, design, edit, animate and produce a video that tells the story in a child-like (but not childish) way.
When you watch the video below, you’ll see we created three fictional characters and tell their story using colorful graphics and a fun narrative. This 6-minute video has been used in multiple presentations on Farm to School initiatives throughout the region, state of Michigan and national conventions.
"The Connect_CX team’s insight proved invaluable throughout this project. We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to visualize over a decade of work in such a clear, compelling, visual way. This would not have been possible without their skill and attention to detail. Thank you for all you do to help bring clarity and focus to complex work!"
— Meghan McDermott, Groundwork Programs Director
Groundwork Farm To School Systems Story
Stakeholders:
Groundwork leadership and Farm to School staff; Rotary Charities; Storylicious
Human-Centered Design Services:
Research, Facilitate,
Map, Communicate, Conceptualize, Prototype, Implement
“Groundwork is a non-profit that has used Systems Thinking to help partners solve these kinds of problems for decades. And frankly, sometimes that’s how long it takes.”
Looking back across those 15 years, Groundwork and their multiple partners have built a system that’s become a model for other communities across the country: building healthier economies and healthier communities. If you’d like to learn more about Groundwork’s efforts in this area, check out an additional video that our friends at Storylicious created: Celebrating 15 years of Farm to School in Michigan