You’ve probably heard this before: client relationships should be fueled by trust and filled with two-sided admiration. It’s reassuring when you watch this ideology come to fruition.
At Brunet-García, we know we’ve officially made the transition to trusted partner when we are comfortable making recommendations to take requested projects to the next level as was recently the case with the USDA Food and Nutrition’s Office of Community Food Systems (OCFS).
After hiring a few new employees, OCFS had a series of internal meetings where they discussed and determined their office values—emotionally charged words and phrases they hope to work and live by.
We were asked to use these values to design an “inspirational poster” that could hang in their office as a daily reminder. When we began concepting how that poster would take shape, it became clear to us that this warranted additional materials. We wanted to establish a memorable, meaningful experience that went beyond simply delivering another poster.
We thought providing employees something that they could display in their personal space would serve as an even greater reminder of not only the values they established but also the friendly office environment OCFS hoped to cultivate.
Because the OCFS values are meant to nurture growth and success for employees and the division, we wanted everyone to have an engaging and interactive reminder close at hand. We brainstormed multiple concepts before landing on the idea of a personal plant that each individual could keep on their desk along with their poster.
We imprinted OCFS values on plantable paper—biodegradable eco-paper that is embedded with seeds—so that the team could literally watch their values grow.
The plants were delivered to the client in the form of a kit, in which each element represents a part of the team. The pot—the environment or “place of possibility” – represents a sturdy foundation with room to grow and take risks. The soil—the team or “people who make it possible”—depicts the unique qualities of each team member, who come together to nurture ideas. The plantable paper—the work or “where potential meets purpose”—portrays the work of OCFS, which allows the team’s values to flourish.
An instruction sheet matching the original poster design was included so team members would understand the concept and be encouraged to plant the paper in the pot on their desks.
Our hope is that the poster and the plant will work hand-in-hand to reinforce the office values in a way that is personal and gratifying and that allows each team member to be more invested in their growth as a team.
Check out some of our additional work for USDA here.
