April 29, 2009

Vacant Property Now and Tomorrow earns NAGC Award

Michigan Sea Grant is the recipient of an Award of Excellence from the National Association of Government Communicators for graphic design. Judges awarded Vacant Property Now and Tomorrow a score of 65 out of a possible 70 points for the design, illustrations and overall impression of the publication.

“(It is an) excellent public information piece targeting a broad audience of stakeholders,” said Heather Geyer, judge for the National Association of Government Communicators.

The booklet outlines how the Genesee County Land Bank Authority turned vacant property into environmental and economic assets and how other communities can follow that lead. Full-color illustrations and real-life graphic examples complement the text to communicate what the land bank has done and how those principals could be applied elsewhere.

Michigan Sea Grant’s Senior Graphic Designer, Todd Marsee and Director of Communication and Education Services, Elizabeth LaPorte provided the page layout, printing coordination and creative direction for the publication. LaPorte and Marsee worked closely with Professor Joan Iverson Nassauer and graduate assistant Rebekah VanWieren on the content, design and overall tone of the publication.

“Since it was a relatively complex subject, we used negative space and clean lines to emphasize the visuals,” said Marsee. “Combining the graphic elements with the text, we made the information easily accessible to a wide audience.”

Iverson Nassauer and MLA/MS student Rebekah VanWieren co-authored the publication. Vacant Property is a summary of a research project of the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment and the Genesee County Land Bank Authority.

To order a copy of the free publication, see the Michigan Sea Grant Bookstore.

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