Every year tobacco takes millions of lives and costs trillions of dollars globally. In an effort to raise awareness and influence public policy, every few years The American Cancer Society (ACS) publishes the Tobacco Atlas. This report outlines the effects of tobacco on everything from health to politics and corporate behavior.
While the previous editions of the Tobacco Atlas have been well received, at times, the data in the book could be excessively dense and overwhelming for readers.
The ACS trusted us to design a new companion website along with the print edition, with the objective of providing a more accessible and engaging experience for their readers.
Through collaboration with the ACS and their partner, Vital Strategies, we transformed complex data into a captivating story.
We commissioned Daniel Stolle to create illustrations in a beautiful visual language that speaks to the seriousness of the subject matter, while also serving as a guide for users through key issues and solutions regarding tobacco.
The print edition illustrates the most poignant data, while the companion website offers supplemental research, as well as graphs and data that are kept up-to-date by the ACS team.
With an online platform, ACS can now deliver their message to more audiences, in a way that involves the reader.
The same narrative structure and powerful illustrations used in the print edition were carried over to the digital version, and the addition of interactive elements drives user engagement. Users can navigate easily through the site’s intuitive hierarchy to find out more.
Anyone can understand the message. Not just industry professionals.
The old static maps are now dynamic so users can easily interact with them. We built a tool and trained ACS staff to create these dynamic visuals without our assistance.
Navigation is not only intuitive, but compelling. Carefully placed CTAs draw action while intentional UX guides users through key data points and encourages thoughtful engagement with the message.
The site was implemented in six languages to expand beyond the English-speaking market.
We continue to tweak the website, optimize the pages for search, and iron out small glitches for the ACS. We made a tool to create dynamic data visualizations. Staff were trained on how to use this tool and upload new languages to the website.
