Elevating Research for Nature-Based Climate Solutions
Graphicacy’s data visualization experts help The World Bank increase accessibility of vital information
Communities around the world share the common struggle of withstanding climate change impacts that are wreaking havoc on the planet. Yet the best solutions for resilience may come from the earth itself in the form of natural systems that counter effects like flooding, pollution, and resource insecurity.
Restoring mangrove swamps and marshes, for example, protects coastlines from rising sea levels while enhancing fisheries, restoring biodiversity, and increasing carbon sequestration. Wetlands and green roofs reduce heat-island effects and flood damage in urban areas. And restoring watersheds can regulate water flows and improve water quality.
The World Bank developed the Global Program on Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) for Climate Resilience to increase investments in natural systems like these. As part of their work, World Bank asked Graphicacy to help improve the user experience around their existing NBS website and develop an interactive knowledge hub to make NBS research more accessible.
Tapping into the fountain of knowledge
The World Bank engaged Graphicacy, a data visualization leader, with a key asset already in place: a map of NBS projects around the globe. While useful, the map lacked any additional context or resources that would allow users to dive deeper and uncover the full picture.
Graphicacy and design and engineering partner Penguin Labs developed the Knowledge Hub to serve as a repository for the growing library of research into NBS. Within the hub, users can filter resources by region, NBS type, (e.g., watershed management), sector (e.g., agriculture), or document type to find all the information related to their area of interest. These filters mimic those on the global map to create a consistent flow throughout the website.
With an eye on future expandability, Graphicacy designed the Knowledge Hub in Drupal to give the World Bank teams more control over how they augment and display the NBS content. The World Bank’s autonomy includes the ability to expand filter categories, create new categories, and manage resources without the need for developer intervention.
“Beyond being a team of data visualization experts, our team prides itself on telling stories with data and research,” Graphicacy Director of Operations Josh Nerpel said. “As in past projects with the World Bank, this NBS initiative allowed our team to do what we do best: take a depth of research and elevate it through savvy UX design and innovative engineering solutions to make it more accessible.”
Developing a new website flow
To accompany the new and improved substance of the NBS Knowledge Hub, Graphicacy refreshed the World Bank’s broader NBS web presence to tie all of the elements together into a coherent, consistent, and appealing experience.
A new NBS landing page guides users through the program’s mission and vision while spotlighting featured projects. Graphicacy built a new homepage on a CMS platform, which provided the World Bank autonomy to revise content without having to go through a developer.
Contributing to important solutions
The NBS project reflects Graphicacy’s long business relationship with the World Bank and a deep commitment to helping address the world’s most important issues through data visualization.
Previously, Graphicacy performed similar work for the World Bank’s Global Facility for Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) to elevate research and make it more accessible for wide audiences. Graphicacy is also currently rebuilding the World Bank’s gender portal, set to launch in October 2021.
Graphicacy has also collaborated with partners such as the Union of Concerned Scientists, USAID, and CGIAR’s Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security to highlight global issues pertaining to climate change and help find long-term solutions to complex, deep-seated problems.
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Graphicacy partners with clients to tell engaging stories with data. Graphicacy’s team combines storytelling, thoughtful human-centered design and deep technical capabilities to build and deploy strategic, data-rich digital projects. Graphicacy’s team has created data visualizations and infographics for top-tier organizations and companies, domestically and internationally, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, the Center for American Progress, the Anti-Defamation League and many others.
