May
13
The art of telling a story with the design of an infographic

For the recent landmark report “Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine” issued by The National Academies of Science, LeAnn Locher & Associates was charged with how best to visually tell the report’s complex definitions of sexual coercion, sexual harassment, and gender harassment. This aspect of the study is crucial to understand, with gender harassment being much more pervasive and deeper reaching, yet mostly running under the radar of what we normally think of when we think of sexual coercion.

An iceberg is a useful analogy in thinking through this story, with only a bit of it visible above water, and its massiveness and danger lurking for miles, deep underneath the water’s surface. In addition, unwanted sexual attention runs across both above and beneath the waterline. Underlining all of this, is gender harassment: the root base for sexual harassment.

Infographic designed by LeAnn Locher & Associates

Examples of these specifics were not suitable for personification or illustration, but concise content makes clear the actions and words that make up sexual coercion: obscene gestures, nude images posted at work, sabotage of women’s equipment, etc.

In addition, the design analogy lends support to storytelling and educating about sexual harassment, with phrases such as “the tip of the iceberg”, “freezing women out,” and “above and below the waterline” lending support to the narrative.

The infographic has been shared and published broadly, including in The Washington Post and many leading scientific publications. Read more about our work on this project here.

Apr
29
Creative campaign for LGBTQ workplace equity

In 28 states, you can be fired from work based on sexual orientation or gender identity. But last week, the Supreme Court announced they will consider if the 1964 Civil Rights Act “on the basis of sex” includes sexual orientation and gender identity. Title VII prohibits employers from discriminating on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. The court is scheduled to hear three cases for the term beginning in October, with a decision expected early next year.


Recently, LeAnn Locher & Associates designed messages and visuals for a public awareness campaign led by Conway Strategic, on behalf of Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, the world’s leading organization dedicated to achieving LGBTQ workplace equality. The theme, language and visuals we designed were to both celebrate Out & Equal in their 20th year, and to lay the support for a 6 month campaign of raising awareness of their work. Our designs focused on the split lives employees live when they cannot bring their whole selves to work. This duality of home & work, then & now, today & tomorrow, you & I, were built in mirroring the ampersand in Out & Equal while emphasizing the need to do this work together. With twenty years of incredible, hard fought wins, there is still so much to do.

As Selisse Berry, CEO and Founder of Out & Equal says, “Currently, there is no federal law barring employment discrimination on the basis of the sexual orientation or gender identity, and it’s clear that state laws are inadequate. In 28 states, you can get married on Saturday and fired on Monday just for being lesbian or gay – in 30 states you can be fired just for being transgender.”