{"id":828,"date":"2020-10-26T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-10-26T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/iap2-conference-presentation\/"},"modified":"2022-12-03T11:30:38","modified_gmt":"2022-12-03T16:30:38","slug":"iap2-conference-presentation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/iap2-conference-presentation\/","title":{"rendered":"PWD presents at global IAP2 North American Conference"},"content":{"rendered":"

At the Philadelphia Water Department Public Affairs Division<\/strong>, our work often boils down to an overarching objective: transforming technical concepts into digestible language and visuals<\/strong> that help the people we serve get the most out of our services<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

As our team experiments with ways to disseminate clear, accurate, and compelling<\/strong> information, we tap\u00a0<\/em>into a vital resource\u2014the public<\/strong>\u2014and our public-first communications and engagement practices are making impacts beyond Philadelphia communities.<\/p>\n

Last month, Senior Graphic Designer Herbie Hickmott<\/strong> and Community Outreach Specialists Hailey Stern<\/strong> and Maura Jarvis<\/strong> presented at the virtual International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) North American Conference<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\"Herbie<\/p>\n

Senior Graphic Designer Herbie Hickmott<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"Hailey's<\/p>\n

Community Outreach Specialist Hailey Stern<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"Maura<\/p>\n

Community Outreach Specialist Maura Jarvis<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

IAP2<\/strong> fosters a worldwide network of professionals convening to \u201cadvance and extend the practice of public participation<\/em><\/strong>\u201d \u2014 a topic we know pretty well.<\/p>\n

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\u201cSo much of our teams\u2019 strategies are often to get what you could call \u2018public participation\u2019 or investing in feedback from stakeholders and getting their feedback along the way,\u201d says Hickmott.<\/cite> \u201cWe\u2019re not designing our communications content in a vacuum. We\u2019re working with the people of Philadelphia.<\/strong> So, the conference closely aligns with what our Communications and Public Engagement teams do.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The trio titled the comprehensive and captivating presentation, \u201cRe-inventing Communication Approaches through Art, Design, and Superheroes<\/strong><\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

From postcards to murals, the presentation explored our myriad of visual messaging<\/strong>\u2014and all of the sketches from along the way.<\/p>\n

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\"colorful<\/p>\n

PWD-designed postcards distributed at Water Bar events.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Penrose Rec\u00a0Center's Drink More Tap<\/em> mural.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWe have this element of telling people about how we\u2019re using art and design to communicate scientific concepts,\u201d Jarvis says.<\/cite> \u201cWe\u2019re just trying to highlight how valuable it can be to have a staff of creative people and graphic designers who can give us materials to help people interpret what we\u2019re saying to them<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Opening with our recent customer survey research, the presentation demonstrated how we conveyed these findings through creativity, <\/strong>explaining experiences that led to our engaging projects, such as the Philly Water Bar<\/a>, Drink Philly Tap<\/a>, and Drink More Tap<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

PWD's Creative Team designed branding for both the Philly Water Bar and Drink Philly Tap campaigns in 2019.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Ultimately, all of these communication endeavours were established to strengthen our partnerships with the public<\/strong>, particularly those communities who were least likely to consume top-quality Philly tap<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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\u201cInterventions<\/strong> like the Water Bar and surveys all sprung out of what our customers have to say,\u201d Stern says.<\/cite> \u201cAll of our work around tap water started because our customers said they want to learn more, or because the data shows some people still choose bottled water<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The bulk of the presentation focused on Drink Philly Tap and the Water Bar, discussing its inspiration from the Water Bar & Public Studio<\/a> in Minneapolis<\/strong> to its weekly takeover at City Hall during spring and summer of 2019<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While the Water Bar employed Drink Philly Tap Ambassadors<\/a> and guest “bartenders” to educate the public about Philly tap as a safe, affordable, and sustainable option<\/strong>, our in-house Creative Team spent weeks perfecting Philly Water Bar\u2019s colors and visuals. The challenge was crafting a brand that felt both enticing and trustworthy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"sketched<\/p>\n

In early 2019, we spent weeks perfecting the Philly Water Bar logo.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The final designs not only impressed our Water Bar patrons, but also the IAP2 participants last month.<\/p>\n

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\u201cTo see someone latch onto a color palette underscores and confirms our suspicions about having an effect on people,\u201d Hickmott says.<\/cite> \u201cOur team will always root for each other. To receive a compliment from coworkers is great, but to receive positive feedback from peers across the county and throughout the world \u2014that\u2019s special<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Along with the Water Bar, the presentation highlighted some of our other non-traditional approaches to communications<\/strong>, including the retro-inspired game wheel \u201cFlush Your Luck,\u201d the spectacular Drink More Tap murals<\/a>, our partnership with Saint Benjamin Brewing Company<\/a>, and of course, the marvelous Water Woman<\/strong> (plus her sidekick, Spokesdog!).<\/p>\n

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How much do you value water? Philly's fabulous Water Woman and @TheValueofWater<\/a> want you to think about how much our daily lives depend on reliable access to top-quality water. Tell us how you #ValueWater<\/a> and read about how we make safe, clean water here\u27a1\ufe0fhttps:\/\/t.co\/uc69e3LUIE<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/XqTmjmlWCX<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Philadelphia Water (@PhillyH2O) October 21, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n