Often, presenting all the data and research in the world can’t unseat the power of a good, concise narrative. The stories we tell ourselves – and others – have real power to influence decisionmaking.

Here’s a selection of some of my storytelling work.

‘From a New Shore’ (2015)

Film; Duration: 04:15

The year is 2023.

A changing global climate is no longer a debate, a question…a test of ‘belief’ – it is the field for/of operation.

The East Coast of the United States—once considered ‘threatened’ by sea level rise and increased coastal and riverine flooding—has become a frontline for re-engaging with the idea of ‘infrastructure.’

Leveraging momentum from intense public debates resulting from the droughts of 2017 and the 2021 Big Brownouts, the ______ presidential administration created a platform for challenging old conceptions of (and funding mechanisms for) infrastructure.

However, the election season draws near. In order to continue to engage the public and to galvanize support for what infrastructure might become in the 21st century – where it might operate, where it should operate, who will operate it, what and whom it will serve – a short video has been commissioned by the administration to tell a simple story.

Produced for the ‘Mapping: Geographic Representation and Speculation’ course by Bobby Pietrusko at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. 

Further reading

Use Storytelling to Explain Your Company’s Purpose, Harvard Business Review