In the wake of the conflict in Ukraine, the world faced a looming crisis — the threat to global grain supplies.
Understanding and translating data
The foundation of this project was the data — detailed agricultural figures provided by the Ukrainian government. The data came in Ukrainian, a language barrier that posed our first challenge. Accuracy in translation was paramount, as the integrity of the entire project hinged on the reliability of this data.
Designing the interactive experience
With accurate data in hand, the next hurdle was design iteration. How could we make a sophisticated data set not just understandable but engaging?
We developed a series of prototypes riffing on an interface that allowed users to manipulate the data themselves, adjusting the output of grain from each Ukrainian oblast to see the potential impact on exports.
To provide affordances for experts and novices alike, we introduced "shortcut" buttons, enabling scenarios like reducing all Eastern oblasts to a certain percentage with a single click. These shortcuts served as an educational tool, allowing users to quickly understand how varying degrees of conflict could affect global grain distribution.
Downstream effects
We wanted to show what happens beyond Ukraine's borders. By connecting the Ukrainian agricultural data with COMTRADE information on global grain consumption, users could see in real time how changes in Ukrainian output would ripple through to different countries.
Working with The Plotline
The Plotline's editorial team was writing the narrative around climate change and global agriculture. We worked closely with them to make sure the interactive tool supported their storytelling rather than competing with it — lots of back and forth to get that balance right.