Designers have incredible agency and influence over how we make the world.  If your work focus is on messaging and communications, there are ample opportunities to leverage positive change via storytelling and culture shifting media. If you are interested in taking climate action through your work, these resources will help you begin your journey.

Also be sure to check out our Getting Started Guides starting with What is Climate Design?

Introduction

As a communication designer, your work is about using brand and messaging to influence an audience.  This is incredibly powerful, as it has the potential to shift culture and impact behavior.  While marketing has been used throughout time to support consumerism, so too can it be used for climate positive influence.

Here are some questions to consider:

• How does your work influence the behavior of your audience? Can you leverage behavioral tools to create measurable positive change?
• Fear and hope driven messaging both have their place, but do you know if your campaigns are inspiring action or creating paralysis?
• If you’re client facing, what clients do you support who are deeply harming the planet like fossil fuel companies? What opportunities are there to be an activist within your company?

Getting Started

• Why we need new stories on climate - Wonderful article by Rebecca Solnit on our current storytelling crisis, and on the stories we need to win the popular imagination.
• 8 Principles for Effective and Inviting Climate Communication - Easy to digest list of principles for improving the effectiveness of our communications.
• Overcoming the Value-Action Gap - On why there is often a gap between beliefs and actions, and what to do about it.

Learn More