Publications

A publication can be both serious and engaging, helping target audiences scan, read, and parse information. I spearheaded conceptual development, led the editing process, and managed the design for each of the following publications.

CLIMATE ACTION PLANS
The Michigan Suburbs Alliance completed climate action plans for three different cities based on community input, best practices, and months of analysis. In addition to creating promotional materials to engage residents in each city, I led the design process for the final plans. Working with the internal project team as well as our in-house designer, an outside firm, and professional photographers, I ensured that the lengthy, dense content was organized, digestible, and attractive in the final product.

You can view sample pages from the Ypsilanti Climate Action Plan below, or check out the full report here [PDF].

Bonus: Check out one of the videos we used to promote public engagement for the climate action planning process:

MILLENNIAL VISION FOR METRO DETROIT
The Millennial Mayors Congress was a partnership between dozens of metro Detroit communities that paired emerging leaders with elected officials to work on a new issue each year. To help the group prioritize, they conducted a survey of the region’s Millennials and published the illuminating results. I led the creative and content development and managed the project.

We had tons of data and even more background content, but our target audience wasn’t going to read a white paper. So we came up with a creative solution: instead of creating a traditional report, we created a unique brochure-type piece and associated handouts to go in-depth on each issue area. The print pieces made excellent take-alongs for conferences and meetings, and we repurposed many of the visuals for presentations and digital media.

Get a feel for the whole package below, click for a larger view, or check out the entire set of issue briefs here [PDF].

Millennial Vision and handouts — Left: Issue briefs on each individual policy area / Top Middle: Folded vision piece / Right: Extended vision piece

SAY THE G-WORD: GENTRIFICATION IN METRO DETROIT
Not all publications are meant for print. (And in the nonprofit world, not all publications are funded for print.) After working with a summer fellow to research displacement and the surrounding dialogue in metro Detroit, I wanted to present the information publicly but didn’t have time or resources to design and print a report.

Instead, I recommended that the fellow create a long-scroll website to organize the content elegantly and clearly. I oversaw the research, writing, and design of the site. With an accompanying op-ed I placed in Metromode, the site received rave reviews. In fact, we had potential partners and funders reach out to us as a result of the site—organizations who weren’t previously aware of our existence wanted to work with us based on this one project. Check out some screen shots below (click any image to enlarge).