Elefint Designs joins The Communications Network for this webinar on why strategic design is critical for the social sector.

1. STRATEGIC DESIGN
FOR THE SOCIAL SECTOR
M A T T H E W S C H A R P N I C K @ e l e f i n t

2. OUR CLIENTS

3. WHAT DO WE MEAN BY DESIGN?
Intentionally crafting products or experiences to meet certain goals
Not just graphic design: web, information, ux, industrial, service
Not about decoration and appearance but about creating an interaction

4. WHY DESIGN MATTERS
Design captures your traits and values in something tangible
It creates alignment among all your constituents
Storytelling engages people with content in meaningful ways
Strong brands build trust - giving you authority and credibility

5. WHAT DO WE MEAN BY STRATEGIC DESIGN?
Understanding the audience
Understanding the organization’s goals
Aligning specific communications to the overlap between these two

6. WHAT DO WE MEAN BY A BRAND?
The sum of all feelings about an organization
Much more than its logo or visual identity
A strong brand opens up new possibilities
• Employees
• Customers
• Partners

7. PROCESS: LEARN + SYNTHESIZE

8. CONSIDERATIONS: STRATEGY
“The solution lies simply in posing a single question, which I believe is the
most important question in strategy.
Rather than have [people] talk about what they thought was true, ask them
to specify what would have to be true for the option on the
table to be a fantastic choice. It was magic.
Clashing views turned into collaboration on really understanding the logic
of the options.”
Roger Martin, “My Eureka Moment With Strategy,” HBR

9. SPOTLIGHT: HOMEBRIDGE

10. CONSIDERATIONS: STRATEGY
Creating a framework

11. DEFINITION: UX + INTERACTION DESIGN
User Experience and Interaction design are a discipline of design focused
on making things intuitive to use.
The philosophy of UX design is captured well by one of the best books on
the subject titled “Don’t make me think,” by Steve Krug.

12. QUESTIONS: UX + INTERACTION DESIGN
How do the strategic insights we identified earlier show up?
What are the most efficient and engaging ways to get multiple audiences
with different goals where they want to go?
How do we make sure they meet our objectives?

13. PROCESS: UX + INTERACTION DESIGN
Wireframes

14. PROCESS: UX + INTERACTION DESIGN
Wireframes

15. PROCESS: VISUAL DESIGN

16. INSIGHTS: VISUAL DESIGN
Good visual design demonstrates quality and builds trust
Effective visual design makes things easier to use
Form and function cannot be separated in storytelling - how you show
things is integral to the message itself

17. SPOTLIGHT: VISUAL DESIGN
ATM Study

18. SPOTLIGHT: VISUAL DESIGN
ATM Study: Attractive things work better
“…when we are relaxed, our brains are more flexible and more likely to find
workarounds for difficult problems.”
Not only do aesthetics affect perceived usability, they also influence actual
performance.

19. PROCESS: ITERATION + ANALYTICS
Check your assumptions
Through deep personal interactions and quantitative testing, make sure
your designs are achieving their goals
Iterate

20. SPOTLIGHT: DATA VISUALIZATION
Data often commands an undeserved respect
Lying and manipulation are easy
Important questions must be asked about how data is visualized
Data should be visualized in an efficient + engaging way

21. SPOTLIGHT: DATA VISUALIZATION
Minard, Napoleon, Tufte

22. CASE STUDY: DATA VISUALIZATION
US debt

23. CASE STUDY: DATA VISUALIZATION

24. CASE STUDY: DATA VISUALIZATION

25. CASE STUDY: DATA VISUALIZATION

26. CASE STUDY: DATA VISUALIZATION

27. CASE STUDY: DATA VISUALIZATION

28. SPOTLIGHT: JAPAN DEBT DATA VIZ

29. SPOTLIGHT: THE COMMUNICATIONS
NETWORK

30. SPOTLIGHT: THE COMMUNICATIONS
NETWORK

31. SPOTLIGHT: THE COMMUNICATIONS
NETWORK

32. SPOTLIGHT: THE COMMUNICATIONS
NETWORK

33. SPOTLIGHT: THE COMMUNICATIONS
NETWORK
The Communications Network envisions…
We believe…
The Network is…who share the belief…
What We Do: Community + Learning + Leadership
We deliver timely access to knowledge, expertise…

34. SPOTLIGHT: MORE INFOGRAPHICS

35. SPOTLIGHT: MORE INFOGRAPHICS

36. SPOTLIGHT: DALY TO IMPACT

37. SPOTLIGHT: DALY TO IMPACT

38. KEY TAKEAWAYS
The most effective design grows out of clear strategic understanding
Brands are about fit and consistency and can open new possibilities for an
organization
Design now covers many disciplines beyond visual design, each with a
specific and rich knowledge base

39. THANK YOU!
@mattscharp @elefint