Image Credit : Armando Nava, Axiom of Purpose
Project Overview
The year 2023 brought extremes—from droughts to floods—testing the Zone 7 Water Agency and the Tri-Valley region of California. Zone 7 met these challenges with the spirit and resilience that defines the Tri-Valley community. In showcasing this dedication, Axiom raised the bar in design, transparency and accessibility with the 2023 annual report—a fully interactive online experience. Featuring dynamic visuals, clickable data points and intuitive navigation, the report makes Zone 7’s accomplishments in water quality, reliability and flood protection engaging and easy to explore for the Tri-Valley community.
Tailored for clarity and inclusivity, each element—from water-inspired colour schemes to simplified technical explanations—connects residents to Zone 7’s impact. This digital format also champions sustainability by reducing paper use and enhancing accessibility, reinforcing the transparency central to Zone 7’s mission. Visit zone7water.report/2023 to experience the difference yourself.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Zone 7 Water Agency (Zone 7) is a wholesale water district nestled in the Tri-Valley, just east of the Bay Area in Northern California, responsible for delivering clean, reliable water and flood protection services to over a quarter of a million people. They work with Axiom of Purpose (Axiom), as their agency of record, to deliver tailored marketing and communications solutions. As a full-service agency committed to the greater good, the agency specializes in connecting people, purpose and brands to make a positive impact in the world.
For Zone 7’s 2023 annual report, Axiom’s team played pivotal roles in crafting an interactive report that reflects the agency’s brand, vision and values. Armando Nava, Axiom's multimedia design creative, transformed complex data into accessible, visually engaging graphics for the Tri-Valley community. Revekka Balancier, Axiom’s founder and marketing strategist, shaped the project’s narrative to highlight Zone 7’s accomplishments and commitment to community engagement and sustainability. Together, Nava and Balancier aligned the report with the vision set by Zone 7 President Sarah Palmer and the Board of Directors, creating a compelling publication that communicates Zone 7’s dedication to quality water service, reliability and flood protection for the Tri-Valley region.
As Zone 7 Water Agency’s Communications Specialist and lead liaison to Axiom, Alexandra Bradley was instrumental in aligning the agency’s strategic service goals—water quality, reliability and flood protection, along with administrative priorities of financial responsibility and community engagement with the report's development. Her collaborative leadership enabled Axiom to gather essential data from key departments—including water production, engineering, water resource planning and finance—synthesizing diverse insights into a report reinforcing Zone 7’s commitment to quality service, safety and sustainable planning for the Tri-Valley community.
The online format of the 2023 report underscores Zone 7’s commitment to transparency and accessibility, offering an enhanced user experience. We made the report visually appealing and easy to navigate with an improved interactive design. Community members can explore accomplishments, key initiatives and essential data dynamically, fostering deeper engagement and understanding. This format encourages readers to delve into the content, enriching their understanding of Zone 7's essential work and community impact.
In her message to the community, President Palmer emphasized transparency and accessibility, highlighting key initiatives. Notable achievements included the community’s success in meeting a 15% water conservation goal, collaborations for flood response and ongoing projects to enhance water reliability, such as the Delta Conveyance, Los Vaqueros Reservoir Expansion and Stoneridge Well PFAS Treatment System. Palmer’s insights underscore Zone 7's dedication to sustainable water management amidst climate challenges.
Axiom’s design not only showcased Zone 7’s achievements but also told a story of resilience and commitment to the Tri-Valley community. This annual report stands as a testament to the essential work of Zone 7 and Axiom's ability to deliver impactful communication solutions that strengthen community connections, taking complex information and delivering it in a way that the community can understand.
Project Brief
The transition of the Zone 7 annual report to an interactive online format is a strategic move that enhances transparency, accessibility and engagement with the Tri-Valley community. As the primary publication that communicates Zone 7’s mission, accomplishments and challenges, the online report leverages design elements that go beyond traditional formats to offer a user-friendly experience, inviting community members to explore essential information.
This digital platform allows Zone 7 to share the complexities of water management—such as navigating droughts, emergency flood responses, and projects like groundwater storage and PFAS treatment—through clear and interactive formats. Each section, from Water Reliability to Flood Protection, employs intuitive navigation, interactive charts and concise summaries, making technical data easy for the general public to understand. The digital format also aligns with Zone 7’s commitment to sustainability and adaptability in a climate-challenged world. By providing information in various formats, such as videos, timelines and infographics, the report meets the evolving needs of the digital audience, enabling community members to quickly access and comprehend key points.
This online experience builds trust by demonstrating Zone 7’s transparency in sharing progress, celebrating the community’s conservation efforts, and showcasing proactive measures to secure water reliability and flood safety. It positions Zone 7 as a reliable, forward-thinking partner in safeguarding the water resources crucial to Tri-Valley’s well-being.
Project Innovation/Need
Axiom redefined the annual report experience for Zone 7 by transforming it into a fully interactive online platform with animation, video, interactive features, infographics, maps, and other engaging creative. This novel approach brings water education to the forefront, translating technical language into engaging, community-centred content. Through dynamic visuals, intuitive navigation, and interactive charts, the report simplifies complex information on water reliability, quality and flood protection—critical topics for the Tri-Valley.
The report’s design isn’t just visually appealing; it’s crafted to educate the community, making essential data accessible and actionable. By merging transparency with powerful storytelling, Axiom helps Zone 7 reinforce trust, highlight its proactive water management, and foster a deeper community connection around the importance of safe, reliable water. This sets a new benchmark for engaging, purpose-driven reporting in the water sector.
Design Challenge
The primary design challenge for Zone 7 Water Agency’s 2023 Annual Report was to build on the agency’s shift from print to a fully interactive online experience that embodies both aesthetic appeal and accessibility. While previous reports were accessible through a simplified dropdown menu, this newest version goes further, transforming the user experience with an interactive format that is engaging, community-centred and adaptable for future needs.
To meet this vision, our team studied best practices from leaders like Girls Who Code and The Legal Aid Society, integrating Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 to ensure compatibility for screen readers and users with disabilities. This rigorous approach allowed us to craft a report that reaches a broad audience, breaking down barriers to accessibility and making essential information on water quality, reliability, and community initiatives easy to explore.
Equally important was understanding Zone 7’s community and its needs. Through collaboration with agency experts, we gathered accurate updates and data, presenting complex, technical information in a visually engaging, user-friendly way. This interactive report reflects Zone 7’s commitment to transparency and strengthens the agency’s connection to the Tri-Valley community, setting a new standard in public engagement and digital reporting.
Effectiveness
Published in January 2024, the effectiveness of the new 2023 report design has been evident throughout the year, with a 250% increase in users, a 188% rise in sessions, and a 130% jump in page views compared to the previous year. This growth reflects heightened community interest in water quality and drought resilience, driven by the interactive digital format. The user base, now 1,693 strong—mostly new users—demonstrates expanded reach and sustained engagement.
Zone 7 has evolved from printed reports and PDFs to web pages, and most recently, to an interactive online format, broadening its reach significantly. The report is now available through the agency’s website and social media, providing deeper insights into readership and engagement with specific content. The online format delivers valuable analytics to track and optimize engagement.
The new design, highlighting Zone 7’s focus areas—water quality, drought resilience, and flood protection—enabled Axiom to increase engagement through a digital ad campaign using geotargeting and keyword marketing. This strategy kept content relevant throughout the year, extending its visibility beyond the initial launch. Proactive outreach targeted key report sections at strategic times, deepening audience engagement.
The responsive design contributed to a 51% increase in mobile access, up from 31% in 2023. This shift underscores how the mobile-optimized design has broadened the audience reach and fostered deeper, ongoing engagement across devices.The success of the 2023 report reflects Zone 7’s unwavering commitment to accessibility and transparency, ensuring that critical information is effectively shared and engaged with by the community.
Graphic Design - Publication
This award celebrates creative and innovative design in the traditional or digital visual representation of ideas and messages. Consideration given to clarity of communication and the matching of information style to audience register.
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