Building stakeholder engagement through elegant design
Challenge
The last time stakeholders in the development and maintenance of the Florida National Scenic Trail sat together to discuss goals was 1986 when collaborators created the original Comprehensive Plan. Twenty-six years later, when trail managers and local conservation groups reconvened to create a new 5-year strategic plan, the output was a landmark document.
Presenting a new partnership model that fully engages a diverse group of land managers who are connected to the trail, the strategic plan document needed to feel accessible and appeal to a wide variety of constituents. It needed to look less like a government white paper and more like a feature in an issue of National Geographic.
Solution
As creative director for Blue Marble Creative, Lisa emphasized beautiful photography and lots of white space to evoke the ambience of the trail and its open spaces. A variety of staff and trail-user photos throughout the publication give readers a sense of personal connection and ownership. The publication's landscape orientation connects with the impressive length of the trail and maximizes optimal readability on screen.
As a printed brochure, the Florida National Scenic Trail Strategic Plan feels tangible for stakeholders and inviting to read. Digital versions of the plan have been widely distributed making it easy to share the information with partner entities and keep the public engaged. Elements of the brochure have since been used as visual references when providing progress updates.
header image © Ed Selby
