Design Can Change primarily functions as a website that presents the environmental challenges caused—and potentially mitigated—by graphic design. In crafting this presentation, we worked to organize the information in clear, logical, and highly visual parcels, in order to engage folks who rarely have much time to spare.

To help spread the word around Design Can Change, and sustainability issues in general, we visited designers throughout North and South America. At talks for audiences ranging from 100 to 6000 people, we presented the problem, talked about solutions, and asked them to commit to making positive change.

The first part of the Design Can Change website uses striking images, coupled with animated illustrations and information graphics to help visualize the problem. Site visitors can click through these like a simple slide show, or navigate directly to information they’re interested in.

Digital information booklets (for both designers and buyers of design) help articulate the situation alongside explaining why the Design Can Change initiative exists. These are offered to designers for free, in order to help them convey the key messages and facilitate engagement.

As users make their way through the website, they are presented with an increasing number of possibilities and resources. These range from a pledge for concerned designers, to a designer directory that helps buyers of design find these studios/individuals.

In order to make things easier for sustainability focused communication designers, a number of resources are made available for use. These include sustainable design checklists, paper guides, and a number of reading lists. While far from exhaustive, these serve as a means of getting designers started on their journeys.