Safe Harbour: “The story we were telling seemed complex and confusing”
Safe Harbour is a Canadian non-profit that gives homeless, addicted and mentally ill people a safe place to sleep, food, and a shower. The people they help are grateful. The problem was the rest of the town: citizens who felt threatened by Safe Harbour’s “misfits” and wished the problem would just "go away". Safe Harbour needed their acceptance – otherwise they would keep fighting on two fronts.
Four people in Canada, me in Denmark, one long Zoom call. They told me about the complaints. I listened and drew as we talked.
The first question: who is the hero of this story? Their website showed a homeless man who had found shelter at Safe Harbour. Nice portrait, nothing wrong with it – but he doesn’t need convincing. The town does.
We sorted the arguments into three kinds: money, humanity, and safety. And we made the shop owner the hero, standing in for the whole community.
The original sketch from the session. We moved the pieces around several times, and not every drawing made it onto the final storyboard. On the right, a rough website structure – once the story elements are found, a website, a video or a social media profile is a breeze. Almost.
Here is the finished storyboard, coloured in with Safe Harbour’s own brand colours:
The concerned community. The frustrated shop owner, the unnecessary expenses – a hospital bed costs far more than a bed at Safe Harbour – and the worried mother.
What Safe Harbour does for the town. An outreach team, a support “buddy”, a safe place to sleep, and the first steps towards recovery.
The ideal future. What Safe Harbour and the community are working towards, together.
“The story we were telling seemed complex and confusing. Not so for Ingrid Lill. On a group call, Ingrid listened intently to us, extracted key elements, and worked her magic into a fantastic, easy to understand storyboard the whole team can identify with. I highly recommend her to anyone looking to make a strong impact with their message!”
— Kath Hoffman, Captain at Safe Harbour
Your story fits on one page too. That’s what a Big Picture Session is for.
4160 Herlufmagle
Denmark
