What is a wetland?
The Wetlands Initiative Infographic and Social SeriesFor the Wetlands Initiative, What is a Wetland? breaks down a complex ecosystem into an intuitive, visually driven guide.
I integrated the organization's existing brand language, carefully adapting each component so every element felt cohesive and consistent with their established identity.
The composition is built around a cross-sectional wetland landscape, where each layered stratum reveals the critical physical features, plant communities, and ecological processes that sustain these habitats and the diverse wildlife communities they support.
The piece then expands to compare the major wetland varieties, briefly spotlighting the distinct characteristics and ecological roles of each.
The final infographic blends scientific insight with whimsy, making the material feel inviting and easily accessible to a wide range of audiences.
What began as a single infographic quickly evolved into something much larger. After the social media reimagining of What is a Wetland? exceeded engagement benchmarks across social platforms, the Wetlands Initiative and I expanded the concept into a full series that would give each wetland type its own dedicated moment in the spotlight.
I took the original cross-sectional framework and reimagined it as a suite of panoramic wetland landscapes, each designed to be modular. Every panoramic could be split into five 4:5 vertical tiles perfectly suited for Instagram carousels , but flexible enough to adapt across other channels.
Within each of the wetland worlds, I populated the scenes with hand-drawn species illustrations which could be individually labeled and featured as highlighted native residents.
The series transformed a single educational tool into an ongoing, immersive visual journey unlike anything else that was available. We turned complex ecology into scroll-stopping content that invited audiences to explore, learn, and connect with each ecosystem on a deeper level.