the challenge: getting people to talk about business and human rights can be a challenge. Sometimes, UN handbooks aren’t visually appealing and written in legal language, or seem alien to working journalists and communicators who formed the target audience for this project.
The solution?
Get so deep into the subject matter that you can explain it down the pub, in language everyone can understand: interview Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists to get their stories behind the story. Develop realistic scenarios, instead of bullet point lists. And work with a designer on the brief from the outset; allow space, so pages can breathe, to give it the look and feel of a classic Sunday newspaper magazine instead of an annual review or legal document. Deliver follow-up training to the right people, and make a podcast version. Use it as a springboard for training activity years down the line.
Feedback and impact
“I started reading this evening and couldn’t stop – it’s midnight. The handbook is comprehensive, simple, easy to read, understand and follow, and, more importantly – interesting and engaging. The visuals are great too. Congratulations for putting this together, really, really happy with the handbook.”
Harpreet Kaur, Business and Human Rights Specialist, Project Manager, UNDP Asia
Nick Raistrick 