Rising Waters is a mobile website that provides coastal residents and visitors with the essential facts of climate change.
I was motivated by the fact that there is a plethora of data about climate change online; however, most of it is hidden in lengthy documents, obscured by poorly designed graphics, and overall difficult to read and relate to.
I wanted to design something for the average person who has a limited knowledge of what's really happening to our planet.
The entry points are signs posted in coastal towns, indicating the mean sea level predicted for the year 2100. When the user holds their phone up to the sign posted, they will be launched into the site.
Upon entering, one encounters an interactive map, where they can see a visualisation of how their location could be affected by rising sea levels by toggling different levels. The blue area indicates land that will become submerged.
A nice pop-out menu aids navigation.
The site also includes:
- Basic information about carbon dioxide;
- How humans generate it and its effect on the planet
- Information about past and future sea level rise;
- Regional effects of climate change;
- "Take Five!" - five easy steps anyone can take to help the environment;
- Resources to learn more.
Full prototype of the entire site, made using Quartz Composer.
Some initial process sketches - thinking through the identity and the user flow.
