When It Rains, It Pours

Pleased to announce a new research publication, a foundational research project on the sesame ecosystem in Myanmar—When It Rains, It Pours, commissioned by our friends at Proximity Designs.

The hardback report is the result of ten researchers/designers/subject matter experts (seven Proximity + three Studio D) working pretty much flat out for seven weeks, followed by a week of concepting in Yangon, with a Studio D team of six producing the book, with a dialled in design by director Tom Manning.

It takes a team with the right attitude, and a refined process.

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At some stage on every field work project we like to rise at dawn, hop on motorcycles and catch the beginning of the working day. There’s a window of ~thirty minutes where the light is just perfect. On one of those brisk mornings, just before the window closed, I captured this gent in a field, literally hacking out ~40cm of nutrient-rich topsoil, to drop it on a truck and transport it to another field, such was the relatively low cost of labour.

A number of these made it into the report, posted a broader selection here.

Field work photos: Jan Chipchase on a Leica Q. Related: Thoughts on working in a large team, by Sarah Fathallah; Day in the field-work life, by Proximity Designs; plus photos from the report launch in Yangon.

It takes a team. Research & synthesis: Jan, Jooyoung, Sarah , (Studio D), Grace, Hsu Mon, Nway Nway, Nay, Nilar, Hninn, Theint (Proximity). Print design: Chris, Jan, Jooyoung, Nils, Olam, Patrick and Tom (Studio D).