Mission Graduates’ "Theory of Change"

PROJECT TYPE
Infographic

CLIENT:
Mission Graduates

INDUSTRY:
Education Advocacy

Have you heard the phrase "theory of change?" I've become very familiar with it through my work with nonprofits, government, and social change organizations.

The short definition is that it's an illustration of how and why a desired change is expected to happen in a particularly context—usually the connection between what a program or change initiative does, and how those initiatives lead to desired goals being achieved.

Making sure a theory of change is as clear as possible is important for many of the groups I work with—after all, it's one thing to have a particular program, and it's another to actually see the outcomes you're hoping for.

That's why I loved working on this new theory of change illustration for Mission Graduates. Instead of focusing on the journey in a linear way, we designed it in a radial way. The Mission Grads' five pillars are in the outer portion of the circle, and everything else is focused inward toward the organization's mission: the activities that support their pillars as well as the short-term and long-term outcomes.

I love this approach, because it takes something theoretical what could be incredibly complicated to explain and turns it into something that easily recognizable for their internal team, their donors, and the people who benefit from their programs. A great example of how design can (and should) make things easier for your audience to understand.