CLIENT:
Mid-America Regional Council Water Quality Program
Mid-America Regional Council Water Quality Program
DUTIES:
Design, copywriting, conceptual work
Design, copywriting, conceptual work
ABOUT:
Many residents don’t realize how their everyday habits impact our region’s water quality. Even small amounts of pollution can add up to big problems when it comes from an area the size of the Kansas City region.
Many residents don’t realize how their everyday habits impact our region’s water quality. Even small amounts of pollution can add up to big problems when it comes from an area the size of the Kansas City region.
Water that enters storm drains is not cleaned at wastewater treatment plants before it flows directly into streams, rivers and lakes. While storm drains were designed to divert water from streets, they can transport harmful substances from lawns and paved surfaces. Chemicals and bacteria from materials like fertilizer and pet waste are directly deposited into our region’s water, causing pollution and endangering public health.
As part of a regional effort to increase awareness of the connections between storm drains and healthy water, I developed these conceptual mockups for a "storm drain sentiments" campaign. The idea was to play upon the mouth-like design of the drains, giving them “voices” to talk about what sort of pollutants often are deposited inside them. The word bubbles and eyes would be weatherproof decals temporarily affixed to the top of drains located in high-traffic pedestrian areas throughout the region where passers-by could read the messages and gain a greater understanding of storm drains’ relationship with local waterways. The campaign was not implemented, largely due project funding issues; however the proposal was well received by members of the planning committee, which consisted of representatives from local municipal public works departments, environmental organizations, and water utilities.
