1. Graphic design can make complex information more accessible by selectively framing data and structuring information to reveal patterns. 2. A Gapminder world map from 2010 visualizes health and income data across countries using bubble size to represent population and color to group countries by region. 3. The map allows viewers to easily compare health and wealth indicators between nations and see how factors like income and population are distributed globally.

1. The Visual Communication of
Ecological Literacy
Jody Joanna Boehnert
EcoLabs &
AHRC funded doctoral candidate
University of Brighton
November 2011
www.eco-labs.org

2. The Visual Communication of Ecological Literacy
Jody Joanna Boehnert - MPhil - School of Architecture and Design
Why? Context Levels of Learning & Engagement
Presently humanity’s ecological footprint exceeds its regenerative
capacity by 30%. This global overshoot is growing and ecosystems are 1st: Education ABOUT Sustainability
being run down as wastes (including greenhouse gases) accumulate in Content and/or skills emphasis. Easily accommodated
the air, land, and water. Climate change, resource depletion, pollution, into existing system. Learning ABOUT change.
loss of biodiversity, and other systemic environmental problems ACCOMMODATIVE RESPONSE - maintenance.
threaten to destroy the natural support systems on which we depend.
2nd: Education FOR Sustainability
What? Systems, Networks, Values
Additional values emphasis. Greening of institutions.
Problems cannot be understood in isolation but must be seen as
Deeper questioning and reform of purpose, policy and practice.
interconnected and interdependent. We must learn to engage with
Learning FOR change. REFORMATIVE RESPONSE - adaptive.
complexity and think in terms of systems to address current
ecological, social and economic problems. Images can be useful
tools to help with this learning process. 3rd: SUSTAINABLE Education
Capacity building and action emphasis.
How? Transformational Learning Experiential curriculum. Institutions as learning communities.
Learning AS change. TRANSFORMATIVE RESPONSE - enactment.
The value / action gap permeates education for sustainability and is
obvious in environmental coverage in the media. The gap between
Stephen Sterling, 2009
our ideas about what we value and what we are actually doing to
address the problem is the notorious value / action gap. This project
uses transformational learning to move from values to action. This
approach is integrated into cycles of action research and practice
based design work.
ECOLOGICAL
Actions
GOOD
DESIGN Ideas / Theories
ECONOMIC SOCIAL
Norms / Assumptions
Beliefs / Values
Paradigm / Worldview
Metaphysics / Cosmology
Transformational Learning
Values, Knowledge, Skills
A: SEEING (Perception )
An expanded ethical sensibility or consciousness
The world is a complex, interconnected, finite, ecological-social-
B: KNOWING (Conception) psychological-economic system. We treat it as if it were not, as
Ecological literacy - the understanding of the principles of organization A critical understanding of pattern, if it were divisible, separable, simple, and infinite. Our persistent,
that ecosystems have evolved to sustain the web of life - is the first consequence and connectivity intractable, global problems arise directly from this mismatch.
step on the road to sustainability. The second step is the move Donella Meadows, 1982
towards ecodesign. We need to apply our ecological knowledge to C: DOING (Action)
the fundamental redesign of our technologies and social institutions, The ability to design and act relationally,
so as to bridge the current gap between human design and the integratively and wisely. References
Fritjof Capra. The Hidden Connections. London: Flamingo. 2003
Stephen Sterling. Whole Systems Thinking as a Basis for Paradigm Change in Education. University of Bath. 2003
ecological sustainable systems of nature. Stephen Sterling. Transformational Learning. Researching Transformational Learning. University of Gloucestershire. 2009
Fritjof Capra, 2003 Stephen Sterling, 2009
www.eco-labs.org j.j.boehnert@brighton.ac.uk | jody@eco-labs.org
This poster can be downloaded on this website: www.eco-labs.org

3. Contents
1. Visualizing Ecosystems and Sustainability
2. Ecological Literacy in Theory and Practice
3. Visual Cultures, Visual Literacy, Visual Intelligence and Visual Language
4. Making the Invisible Visible:
Context, Connections, Complexity, Causality and Quantity
5. Aesthetics and Ecological Perception
www.eco-labs.org

4. 1
Visualizing
Ecosystems and
Sustainability
www.eco-labs.org

5. www.eco-labs.org

6. www.eco-labs.org

7. Recent temperature changes GLOBAL STEP 2
Temperature Choice
Models vs. Scenarios
Bars show the range in
year 2100 produced by
several scenarios.
6.0
5.5
5.0
A1FI - Rapid growth, fossil fuel intensive.
Temperature Rise, degrees Celsius
4.5
Temperature Rise, degrees Celsius.
A2 - High energy consumption, rapid population growth.
4.0
A1B - Rapid growth, balanced energy sources.
3.5
B2 - Environmental preservation and local solutions.
3.0
A1T - Rapid growth, new, non-carbon, technology.
2.5
IS92a - "Business as usual" IPCC.
2.0
B1 - Environmentally and socially conscious global approach.
1.5
1.0
0.5 Scenarios
A1B
0.0
A1T
A1FI
-0.5 A2
B1
-1.0 B2
IS92a
1700 1800 1900 2000 2100
Year
"The Game Plan" slideset release 1.0, March 13 2008 43
www.eco-labs.org

8. www.eco-labs.org

9. Springer-Verlag. The New Scientist.
www.eco-labs.org

10. Earth’s Natural Wealth: an Audit. The New Scientist
www.eco-labs.org

11. The Oil Age. Information design by Dave Menninger. 2006
www.eco-labs.org

12. www.eco-labs.org

13. Living Planet Report 2006. WWF
www.eco-labs.org

14. www.eco-labs.org

15. 2
Ecological Literacy
in Theory and Practice
www.eco-labs.org

16. ecological literacy
“All education is environmental education. By what is included
or excluded, emphasized or ignored, students learn that they
are part of or apart from the natural world. Through education
we inculcate the ideas of careful stewardship or carelessness”
(Orr 1992, 90).
An understanding of the ‘principles of organization’ of
ecological systems. (Capra 2002, 201).
Critical eco-literacy is linked to cultural literacy for a more robust
analysis of the connections between social and ecological systems
(Kahn 2010, 66).
www.eco-labs.org

17. ECOLOGICAL
GOOD
DESIGN
ECONOMIC SOCIAL
www.eco-labs.org

18. www.eco-labs.org

19. www.eco-labs.org

20. We need to apply our ecological knowledge to the
fundamental redesign of our technologies and social
institutions, so as to bridge the current gap between
human design and the ecological sustainable systems of
nature.
Fritjof Capra, 2002
www.eco-labs.org

21. http://teach-in.ning.com
www.eco-labs.org

22. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
RESEARCH DESIGN
Epistemology
Theoretical position
Methodology
Method
Design Design Research Action Research
Science
Extended
Epistemology
Wicked
Problems
Visuali- Systems
sation Pragmatism Thinking
Design
Thinking
Transformation Eco- Critical
Systems Design - 4.0 Inquiry
pedagogy
Thinking
www.eco-labs.org

23. 1. problem 2. strategy
identification 2 design
1
3
The Teach-in
PhD poster
2 3
EL graphics
10 Phases of TL for EL
1 4
4
REFLECTION ACTION
8 5
1. Identify problem condition
2. Identify communication goals
8
3. Write the brief 7
6
4. Design graphics
5. Design processes
6. Do it! Disseminate 5
7. Solicit feedback
8. Reflection and revision
7
4. reflection and 3. design and
re-interpreation 6 dissemination
www.eco-labs.org

24. How? Transformational Learning
The value / action gap permeates education for sustainability and is
obvious in environmental coverage in the media. The gap between
our ideas about what we value and what we are actually doing to
address the problem is the notorious value / action gap. This project
uses transformational learning to move from values to action. This
approach is integrated into cycles of action research and practice
based design work.
www.eco-labs.org

25. Actions
Ideas / Theories
Norms / Assumptions
Beliefs / Values
Paradigm / Worldview
Metaphysics / Cosmology
Transformational Learning
Values, Knowledge, Skills
A: SEEING (Perc eption )
An expanded ethical sensibility or consciousness
B: KNOWING (Conception)
A critical understanding of pattern,
consequence and connectivity
C: DOING (Action)
The ability to design and act relationally,
integratively and wisely.
Stephen Sterling, 2009
www.eco-labs.org

26. Levels of Learning & Engagement
1st: Education ABOUT Sustainability
Content and/or skills emphasis. Easily accommodated
into existing system. Learning ABOUT change.
ACCOMMODATIVE RESPONSE - maintenance.
2nd: Education FOR Sustainability
Additional values emphasis. Greening of institutions.
Deeper questioning and reform of purpose, policy and practice.
Learning FOR change. REFORMATIVE RESPONSE - adaptive.
3rd: SUSTAINABLE Education
Capacity building and action emphasis.
Experiential curriculum. Institutions as learning communities.
Learning AS change. TRANSFORMATIVE RESPONSE - enactment.
Stephen Sterling, 2009
www.eco-labs.org

27. 3
Visual Cultures,
Visual Literacy,
Visual Intelligence
& Visual Language
www.eco-labs.org

28. Visual Culture
‘The effects of technology do not occur at the level of opinions or concepts, but alter sense
ratios or patterns of perception steadily and without any resistance’ McLuhan 2001[1964]:290.
www.eco-labs.org

29. Visual Literacy and Visual Intelligence
Donis Dondis first articulated the need for critical reading of images in A
Primer of Visual Literacy (1973).
The concept of visual thinking was developed by Ann Marie Barry in the
seminal book Visual Intelligence: Perception, image and the manipulation of
the visual in communications (1997).
Visual intelligence extends beyond visual literacy, necessary not only to
resist the influence of messages absorbed uncritically, but to develop the
capacity to think in abstract and perceptually oriented ways (Barry 1997:7).
www.eco-labs.org

30. Visual Language
In Visual Language (1998) Robert Horn claims that the current proliferation
of visual communication indicates that we are witnessing the emergence
of a new visual language that integrates words, shapes and images. Horn
describes visual language as a potential antidote to the fragmentation and
reductionism of current ways of communicating and thinking:
‘visual language has the potential for increasing human “bandwidth”,
the capacity to take in, comprehend, and more efficiently synthesize
large amounts of new information. It has this capacity on the
individual, group, and organizational levels’ (Horn 2001a:1).
www.eco-labs.org

31. 4
Making the Invisible Visible:
Context, Connections,
Complexity, Causality
and Quantity
www.eco-labs.org

32. 1. COMPLEXITY
Graphic design makes complex information accessible through the
selective framing of data and structuring of information to reveal patterns
Low–income countries Middle–income countries High–income countries
85
Japan France
Gapminder World Map 2010
Sweden
Germany Hong Kong
Andorra
Italy Iceland
Switzerland
Spain Australia Singa-
Israel Canada pore Norway
1
New Zealand Finland Liechten-
80 Puerto Malta Netherlands stein
Healthy 3 2
Cuba Costa Chile Rico South UK Bel- Ireland Lux-
embourg
Rica Korea Greece gium Austria
USA
China
Portugal Slovenia Denmark
Albania
Mexico Barbados Taiwan
UAE
Kuwait
Belize Uruguay Croatia Czech Rep. Brunei
Argen-
Grenada Panama Oman
Vietnam Bosnia & H. Dominica tina Poland Bahrain Qatar
75 Poor Rich Kosovo Syria Venezuela
Ecuador Macedonia4 Serbia
Slovakia
Malaysia Antigua & Barbuda
Sri Lanka Tunisia Colo-5 Libya Bahamas
Armenia Bulgaria Hungary
Nicaragua Palestine Algeria Peru mbia
Romania Latvia Estonia
St Kitts & N.
Honduras Jordan Brazil Seychelles
Saudi Arabia
Micronesia Philippines Paraguay DR Leba-
Cape Tonga 1. San Marino
El Jamaica 6 Mauritiusnon Lithuania
Maldives
Verde Georgia Samoa
Sick Marshall Isl. Morocco Salvador Palau
Iran Turkey
2. Monaco
Indonesia Guate-
Vanuatu 3. Cyprus
70 mala
Egypt
Azerbaijan Trinidad & 4. Montenegro
Tuvalu
Fiji Suriname Belarus Tobago
5. Saint Lucia
Moldova
Kyrgyzstan Ukraine 6. St Vincent &
Uzbe- Iraq ailand
Nepal North kistan Grenadines
Korea Guyana
Health Life expectancy at birth (years)
Paki- Solo-Isl. Mongolia
Russia
Comoros
Tajikistan
Laos
stan mon Bolivia
Bhutan
Bangladesh
India
São Tomé
65 & P. Turkmenistan Kazakhstan
Nauru
Yemen Kiribati
Togo Colour by region:
Myanmar Benin Cambodia
Namibia
Timor-
Madagascar Haiti Papua Leste Gabon
60 Eritrea New
Guinea
Liberia Sudan
Guinea
Côte d'Ivoire
Ghana Mauritania
Tanzania Gam- Size by population:
Ethiopia bia Senegal Djibouti
55 Kenya Botswana
Malawi
Uganda
Burkina Faso
Congo, Rep.
3
100 1000
or less
10
millions
Gapminder World Chart 2010 Version May 2010b
Niger South Africa
Burundi Rwanda Cameroon
Equatorial Guinea
50 Somalia Data are for 2009 for all 192 UN member states and the other
5 countries and territories with more than 1 million people
Mozambique Mali Chad (Hong Kong, Taiwan, Palestine, Puerto Rico and Kosovo).
Congo, DR Sierra Leone Guinea-Bissau
Nigeria Angola
Free to copy, share and remix but attribute Gapminder.
For sources see:
Central African Rep. www.gapminder.org
Zambia Swaziland http://www.gapminder.org/worldmap
Zimbabwe Afghanistan Lesotho
45
500 1 000 2 000 5 000 10 000 20 000 50 000
Money GDP per person in US dollars (purchasing power adjusted) (log scale)
www.eco-labs.org

33. 2. CONTEXT
Maps are useful devices in the development
of context and situated knowledge.
www.eco-labs.org