Comics make change communication sexy (well, almost)
Are you involved in a change communication project? Or are you doing training? Maybe you are facing the classic “employees are still doing x the old way – how can I help them do x in the new new way?” dilemma.
Comics can be an excellent medium for change communication as they are usually considered less formal and threatening than announcements, videos, brochures etc. And with humour you can also tackle negative feelings and attitudes that you couldn’t touch with official sounding communication.
How we can work with you:
- Collect anecdotes from staff and turn those into short comic strips (for example: anecdotes from employees doing something the desired way -perhaps with real characters from the company!)
- Brainstorm with staff (for example contrasting old and new ways of doing things)
- Interview you/your colleagues about what the most common issues are and turn those into short comic strips
Examples of work
Below is a selection of comic strips produced by the Business Illustrator gang. The topics range from business and finance to general observations about human nature. Unfortunately we can’t share our corporate comics online, but feel free to contact us and we can send you a private link to work we can share.
Laakio & Pettersson
Laakio & Pettersson was a comic strip about two serial entrepreneurs with more ideas and enthusiasm than talent. The comic strip appeared in business magazine Bisnes.fi. Topics included outsourcing projects in faraway lands, implementing moronic knowledge management strategies, clumsy greenwashing and disastrous sports and arts management. Original language: Finnish. Concept, art and copy: Virpi Oinonen.
Laakio and Pettersson invest in promising young soccer stars:
Two Accountants
A comic strip for an accounting firm featured two accountants whose different world views and ways of doing things clash in almost every strip. The strip appeared as part of an internal change management initiative over a one year period. Original language: English. Concept, art and copy: Virpi Oinonen.
Supercrash
Supercrash is a comic book that explains the causes and consequences of the 2008 economic crash. It will look at how the market in derivatives, and especially credit swop derivatives, caused the crash in the financial markets. Concept, research, art and copy: Darryl Cunningham.
Excerpt:
Zero Frequency
Nollataajuus (Zero frequency) was a comic strip about a socially awkward engineer who fixes people problems with (completely absurd) technical solutions. It appeared in Ylioppilaslehti newspaper. Original language: Finnish. Concept, art and copy: Virpi Oinonen.
(Comic strip missing)
Cruel Nature
Karu luonto (Cruel Nature) was a comic strip about wild animals wrestling with existential questions and other problems. It appeared in Suomen Kuvalehti current affairs magazine and in Ilta-Sanomat newspaper. Original language: Finnish. Concept, art and copy: Virpi Oinonen.
Lucy the Octopus
Lucy the Octopus is a web comic strip about a staggeringly unpopular octopus. Armed with a guitar, a pufferfish and the occasional Chunky Muffin shake the heroine soldiers on. Concept, art and copy: Richy K Chandler.
Interested in commissioning a series of comic strips? Drop us an email at info(at)businessillustrator.com
Thank you thank you thank you! I presented my Prezi today to the senior leadership team – and they’re on board to start a pilot program. I LOVE the graphics, they are so amazingly helpful! They really loved the new one you provided – that was the ticket to get them to agree to do it.
Communication with Business illustrator was very straightforward and flexible. After our first initial conversation I was able to give Virpi the full responsibility to lead the project. The best part was that the service did not just include the illustrations, but also the story and the copy. Discussions with Virpi also clarified our own communication about our company. The end product was more inventive that we could have ever done on our own. We will be using Business illustrator services also in the future.