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This project reached the deadline without achieving its funding goal on September 7, 2009.
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20 page graphic mini-book outlining the primary issues of the Health Reform bill + DVD
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Video Licensing (30 or 60 sec spot) for your local broadcast television station
Project By
Connected as Ray Noland
Mr. CRO is a Chicago-based artist and designer who creates social & political satire. My work is simply about visually documenting and recording pop, social and political issues of my time. I embrace the hand of the artist and technology. In my work, I comment on the American dream and the subsequent gap between it and reality. My work addresses racial identity, pop culture, politics and at times alludes to underlying social behaviors historical and current which continue to shape American society. I’m trying to engage in social and political discourse in a humorous way. Often times these themes are combined into work reflecting heros and/or villains of our society. Like a vessel, I constantly receive stimuli from the environment which becomes part of my work. I present the viewer with a mirror reflection of the world. My social commentary weds graphic form with brazen content. The result is at times stark and brash and at others photographic and honest.
Thanks, Mr. Grue. See your point. We will address this as we move forward.
I've donated, and I'm posting this everywhere I can. I like it a lot.
One comment: The text and voice over at the beginning is a little confusing. It makes it sound like it's a myth that you get to choose your own doctor. I see what you're trying to do visually by putting "IS NOT" in the middle of the screen, but just read this without the visuals and think about how it sounds: "Myth number one: Health care reform is not government take over." That can really be misconstrued without the visuals.
Yes, the "public option" is a really polarizing part of the discussion right now. It's one facet that we will explore in the series. Thanks for your strong support. We def want to talk further with you as things progress.
Ehm, I just noticed the reward for the $20 pledge ("public option t-shirt"). Can you see why I would be confused by your premise?
CRO- I say this because I care: I think you have to work harder to get to that neutral point. Sentences like "We want health care in this country" sound very one-sided. We have health care in this country already. It's also disingenuous to say you want to take your opinions out of the equation --- you started off with one: "we want health care". I think it's quite all right to have opinions, but you have to be clear about how they fall.
Anyway, I'm happy to pledge. I can also try to hook you up with people that can help you work through the proposals.
Josh, we have tried to be clear regarding our agenda. We want health care in this country. But yes, we also have questions about how this can work. Our goal is to take our opinions out of the equation and express the information.
I am interested in contributing but am not sure what the premise is. Is it that the Democratic agenda is the right way to improve health care? Or is the goal to explore both sides? I would love to see the video take a stance THAT we need health reform but not in the end endorsing the Democratic (or any particular) agenda wholesale. (I run www.GovTrack.us which also does nonpartisan education about congressional legislation.)
I got here via information aesthetics. I've got my fingers crossed for your success - My family had to move from the US back to the old country partially because we lost health care insurance coverage.
"At the end of the day my agenda is that all American citizens have access to the best health care regardless of their income level." - *The best* for *all* citizens is not available even in the most optimistic scenario, but certainly a minimum level of *good, cost-effective* health care for everyone is a very attainable goal. This is about building a floor, not raising everyone to the ceiling.
Christopher, thanks! We agree with all your suggestions and take them to heart. We are very open to the idea of working with NPR and are aggressively pursuing this.
These graphics are truly spectacular, but the pedagogy is where you are going to find the biggest challenges. It's going to be really tough educating people who are on the fence on this.
One bit of advice is to think of your target user as someone who is <em>profoundly skeptical</em> of health care/health insurance reform. Not those lunatics screaming "socialism!!" (they're hopeless), but not a supporter, either. Don't even think about this video being educational or even entertaining for someone like me, Gong, Alex, or yourself. Who cares what we think? Screw us. Think about the skeptic. Think about the retiree who fears that, when we start paying for poor people to get health care, that money will come <i>directly out of their Medicare</i>. Respect that person and their perfectly legitimate fears. Don't assume that their fears exist just because some Fox person told them to, but rather because they've put a little thought into it and came to that fearful conclusion. Explain to them where the money will come from, don't just tell them they're wrong.
For example, your sample video counters the myth with a flat denial -- that's not a counter-argument, it's just a contradiction. No skeptic would accept that. You need to go deep into what exactly it is that they fear. You may be surprised to learn that their fears have a rational basis.
One more thing: I fear that for some information a visual explanation might backfire -- one of the anti-reform "arguments" is that only a fraction of a fraction of the people without health care today are people who actually need our help -- many of the the rest are people who can easily afford it but simply choose not to have it, or they're illegal immigrants, or they're whatever. There's a lot of bullshit in these arguments, but even with the BS removed, I can already picture a visualization which serves only to re-inforce an anti-reformist's position. A chart that shows 15% of the population suffering without health care also shows 85% enjoying it. For those 85%, that might look like a pretty happy infographic.
I am a complete information graphics fiend, but in this case I think that, ultimately, no matter what visuals you show, it's going to be the narration and the script that is most important. Imagine Al Gore without his slides, and then imagine the slides without Al Gore.
I wish I could help you with a recommended scriptwriter/pedagogue. A good start might be to try to form a partnership with NPR's Planet Money people, who really do tell a great story and have yet to really sink their teeth into health care. I'd love to see their words and your images together. Make it happen! http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/health_care/
good luck Mr CRO - the complexities are great, and distilling them down will be a challenge, but design is supposedly good at such matters. apropos another comment - make sure you get good sources and credit where appropriate. best, g
It's a valid concern, for sure. We've started to gather potential consultants (doctors, a medical health researcher, some high-profile whiz kids), but because you are seeing this in its pre-funded stage, it is all dependent on the support of Kickstarter backers.
Basically the WHOLE COUNTRY is trying to synthesize this dizzying thousand page bill into practical information. There is a remarkable amount of information out there, and as designers we feel like we do have a particular talent for translating it into a visual language. But part of our funds is specifically for hiring an expert on the details.
That being said, if anyone out there has a lead on a consultant that might fit the project, don't hesitate to contact us.
oh i didn't mean this in a nasty way at all...i'm sorry if my tone came off that way and not constructive. i think all sorts of expressions are useful, and i would be open to a graphic explanation. but i also think this is a difficult bill that even people with a lot of experience in the political arena are having trouble understanding, let alone explaining "the facts" of to the public. i was just pointing out that concern, which, you rightly point out, is a personal one to me (possibly others too), and suggesting ways audience members such as myself could be convinced to back you. seriously, best of luck with the project!
We are not here to 'compete' at who can explain Health Reform situation better. I believe we ALL have a voice to add to the conversation. Some folks are more receptive to Jon Stewart. Great, I watch him too. While others are more visual people. We don't all ingest information the same way. In the end this is about being proactive. If you felt this may help aid in your understanding of the subject, awesome. If you feel visual imagery is worthless at communicating ideas and concepts, Jon Stewart is still available.
i appreciate the motivation, but why would a team of graphic designers be able to explain the healthcare bill to me when jon stewart can barely do it? if you had some info on here about your process in finding out the facts, or people who'd be serving as advisers on the project, i'd be more interested...