Honored to have been recognized
Made by Humans is thrilled to have received second place in the Design for Social Impact award from Print magazine. Design for Social Impact is a layered, complex, research-based practice to address a wide range of humanitarian, institutional, social, political and economic issues that negatively impact the lives of individuals. Our work with StoryCorps on the One Small Step Iniative spanned many of these diciplines.
We are thrilled that this work received acknowledgement, if only to further the reach of the message that Americans are much more united than we think.
We may not see eye to eye, but we can still talk heart to heart.
A divided country
According to a new poll by Pew Research Center, 215 million Americans are exhausted or angry about the tone of political discourse. As we approach a major election year in 2024, the stakes could not be higher for communities across the United States given that 65% of Americans do not feel hopeful about the current political climate. Over the course of 3 years, StoryCorps partnered with I/D.W on One Small Step, a nationwide initiative to bring Americans together around a simple but poignant question: When was the last time you sat down with a stranger with a different political view—not to debate politics, but to learn who they are as a person?
The One Small Step initiative stands as a testament to the power of design, authenticity, and humility to foster unity and understanding.
To date, One Small Step has been featured in earned media with over 50 million viewers, including 60 Minutes, The Wall St. Journal, The Today Show, and USA Today. Throughout a 5-city integrated campaign involving broadcast, paid digital, and community canvassing, One Small Step received over 20 million paid media impressions in 2023, resulting in approximately 5,000 hours of recorded human conversations that were edited for distribution and archived in the Library of Congress. I/D.W’s design strategy reflects a commitment to inclusivity, with a scalable design system tailored to each US city. This approach allows for effective localization and widespread adoption by teams of campaigners, art directors, and community members. The initiative's design not only communicates its core message but also inspires viewers to delve deeper and become active participants.
A fully Integrated campaign.
Beyond localized campaigns in Wichita, Richmond, Fresno, and Columbus, 2023 also marked a strategic focus on Washington DC. In June, I/D.W collaborated with One Small Step to produce an integrated campaign targeting US Congressional members and staffers, culminating with a 60-second spot at the US Congressional baseball game. Like US citizens, the Washington DC campaign directly invited members of Congress to join in the initiative and engage fellow Congresspeople in a 50-minute conversation to get to know one another as people—to listen. This effort resulted in the participation of 16 US Congresspeople in One Small Step conversations between opposing political parties. We are immensely proud of the shared results:
- Programmatic campaign (6 months): Wichita, KS; Fresno, CA; Richmond, VA; Columbus, GA
- Programmatic campaign (1 month): Washington DC
- 20M impressions (paid media)
- 50M impressions (earned media)
- Participation by 16 US Congress members
- Participation in 40 states using the new One Small Step Connect virtual platform
- 5,000 hours of recorded audio, one conversation at a time
- Increase of applications by 70%
As we navigate the complexities of an approaching election year, One Small Step provides a national example of how intentional design choices can contribute to healing societal rifts. The impact of this initiative extends beyond its recorded conversations, leaving an indelible mark on the collective consciousness and reminding us all of the transformative power of authentic human connection. Going into 2024, we hope that the work of StoryCorps brings a new tune to Americans about politics–one of hope and humanity.