maternova
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what is the maternova storyboard?
A visualization of Maternova's role as an organization that supports international maternal health. The storyboard can be used as a digital slide show or "comic strip".
inspiration
Maternova was having difficulty clearly conveying its story and business model to clients and potential funders, so we came up with a simple visual translation to mediate that gap.
user
Clients and potental funding sources for Maternova.
the story
In 2013, I was on a small team that worked with a local nonprofit called Maternova via a RISD social entrepreneurship design course. Maternova provides life-saving medical supplies and devices to clinics and communities worldwide in an effort to provide options for safer births.
Maternova is a complex nonprofit and for-profit entity combined, so its founders face difficulty when it came to telling their story in a simplified manner that clients and potential investors could easily understand. That is where we came in. A group of 3 RISD students- David Eisenberg, Stephanie Roh, and myself - came together to learn from members of Maternova's team, tour their offices, explore their stock, understand their business model, and gain an overview of their past and potential future. Out of this period of research, a colorful storytelling document was born. We presented our work at the 2013 SEEED Summit (Social Enterprise Ecosystem Economic Development), a Social Enterprise Greenhouse event at Brown University, shown below.
Sometimes, telling a simple story in an accessible way can make a big difference. Now, Maternova has a basic tool that it can share with potential clients and investors who would like to an overview of what they have to offer, why they exist, and the difference they intend to make for women and children all over the world.
David Eisenberg speaking with a guest at the SEEED Summit, Brown University, 2013
project type
Collaborative, Academic, Social Entrepreneurship (RISD), Long Project Component
The drawings, text, concept, and story-line were primarily my domain. I drew each illustration by hand, scanned them in, and designed the story and its visual and written interpretation. I arranged meeting times, found helpful communication methods, and led the interview process with Maternova. Via much research, sketching, and intense process with my teammates David Eisenberg and Stephanie Roh, Maternova's complex business model gradually clarified itself. Stephanie and David, both RISD ID undergrads, took charge of the more technical latter phases, digitally refining the illustrations and applying fonts and color via Illustrator. They then transformed the final product into an InDesign document, a large physical storyboard, and a PDF. We then presented our work at the 2013 SEEED Summit, where Maternova presented its work and the story of its development.