Strategy / Elements / Collateral / Video / Web Design / Social Media
Proof Points
The Brief Can design inspire sustainability?
The Opportunity
In today’s business climate, John Deere’s customers demand proof points. Sustainability is a top-of-mind initiative for this multinational corporation and this report would bring to light the great work the company is doing on several fronts on behalf of customers, employees, dealers, suppliers, shareholders, and communities around the globe. Secondarily, it needed to demonstrate that Deere views Sustainability in many ways beyond Environmental.
Visual Strategy
For starters, FUEL got to work on the pagination and mood board development to begin solidifying the concept around the report in ways that demonstrated Deere’s impact on people around the world while bringing the company’s purpose to life.
Elements
The ornate detail of layered cut paper inspired the illustrations and iconography used throughout the report. We also introduced the use of a gradient – yellow to green – to communicate a sense of movement and energy through color.
Photography
For photography, FUEL art directed and captured lifestyle imagery in multiple locations. The catalog of images would emphasize humanity and reinforce the notion that while the company sells machines and technology, it’s done in service of people.
Collateral
In reality, this annual report design acts more like a four-piece collateral system. FUEL helped establish a distinctive visual approach for each of the four sections of the report: A high-level setup, Environmental, Social, and Governance.
Web Design
To bring key elements of the annual report online, FUEL helped John Deere add a Sustainability section to Deere.com. Looping video and motion graphics helped to accentuate custom illustrations and iconography. This energized the infographics and the overall UX.
FUEL helped the client develop a series of snackable content suited for social media. Leveraging attention-grabbing motion graphics, the series of posts taught key points about John Deere’s initiatives.
Video
Extensive storyboarding helped build the flow of the Sustainability Report video. Creatively, FUEL used a combination of motion, supers, and stills to tell the story. The video proved to be a successful complement to the printed report as the client leveraged it on web and social media.
Bill Bollman is FUEL’s Creative Director. Before co-founding FUEL in 2001, he worked for Horizon Communications, JW Morton and Basler Design Group. Bill studied Illustration at Hawkeye Tech in Waterloo, Iowa. An expert in the “old ways” of hands-on print production, these skills influence his work in the digital world to this day. His work throughout his career has been featured in international publications including Graphis, How International Design, Communication Arts, and The One Book as well as numerous design annuals and reference books.
Hometown: West Union, Iowa
Involved in Design and Marketing since 1988
Interests: Fitness, Travel, Movies