The main objective in setting up this site was to provide a means to connect the business community with the Canadian mental health research community. Social media provide a variety of ways of connecting people to people and so this blog, with its comments and links to other resources is our launch pad. As I previously mentioned, people in the workplace usually go to their peers when they need help. Another factor in getting people’s attention is that logic and good information aren’t enough.
I came across an excellent resource that shows how to get your message across – Visualizing Information for Advocacy:
Advocacy organizations tend to collect a lot of information.
They often package this information into detailed written reports. While these reports support policy recommendations and are valuable reference tools, they may not be the most effective way to make an impact within a campaign.
We live in an information-rich environment and in our daily lives constantly receive messages conveyed through design. Many of these messages seek to influence as well as inform, serving a variety of commercial and non-commercial interests. How do you make your message heard?
It’s packed with good examples of information design, as shown by the cover, using visuals from a campaign that developed an analogy between federal land grants and use of the airwaves (read the booklet for more information):
The message from this resource is that all the information in the world won’t help if it’s not received, which is what the marketing and advertising industry has known for a long time. For those in non-profits, or in training, this is something that should be considered in all of our work. It’s especially important when people have the option of paying attention. As the authors say:
You’ve got data, now what to do with it?
How do you tell your story more effectively?
How can you move your audience?
That’s our challenge and I’m always looking for help and advice, especially from anyone with more design skills that I have 
Filed under: Tools
While the content was originally developed for a book, the advice provided by the Heath brothers, authors of: Made to Stick, does apply no matter what media an organization chooses to use to get their message across. The keys are: Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional and use Stories (the acronym the Heath’s use is SUCCESS).
As you point out, many advocacy groups have a hard time keeping the message Simple. While visuals can help, messaging strategy comes first. For ideas here see http://www.madetostick.com/
I actually read Made to Stick about a year ago…I still remember that gruesome story about the kidneys and the bathtub of ice! *shivers*
I wonder if I might shoot a bit of an odd question your way?
I am writing to query about what the recovery-movement for mental health in Canada is like? In America it is starting to become quite a force, and I am curious as to how different groups (advocates, consumers, practitioners, family members, etc.) in America are recieiving it.
I have recently begun doing some cross-cultural research, right now I’ve only been able to make bridges into the U.K. and New Zealand. I wonder if I might be able to get your opinion the recovery movement in Canada?
Also I would love to quote you should you have time to respond in my own blog, The Mental Health Recovery Blog if you are at all comfortable with that! I will of course reference back to you site, but if you would rather I not no worries at all!
If the recovery movement hasn’t yet hit there and you don’t quite know what I’m talking about, there are some good articles published about the Mental Health Center of Denver, a big recovery leader, that can be reached at lthese links:
1) Mental Health Recovery Principles
2) MHCD and Mental Health Recovery
3) Measuring Recovery In Mental Health
There are also some more academic articles about it that are in the queue to be published at EzineArticles that I could shoot your way or would love to get your opinion on as well!
But I’d love to hear anything you could spare about the recovery-movement from your perspective!
I look forward to talking to you more about this in the future!
Warm Regards,
Lex Douvasa
MHCD Research and Evaluations
Thanks for the information, Lex and I’ll take a look at your blog. I don’t know anything about the recovery movement here, but I’ve passed this on and perhaps someone else can comment. We’re still in Beta here, so there is not a wide readership yet.