97% of wildflower meadows have been lost.
The Meadow is a joint enterprise of the Village Hall Management Committee and Colton Local Nature Reserve to transform a rural field into a Wildflower meadow. Wild flower meadows are not just for wild fl owers. The flowers and the associated grasses support a range of insect and other species which attract birds and animals making a complete eco system.
The Meadow is intended to be not just a nature reserve but also an educational facility for the village school and an amenity for the local area.
Many wild flower seeds have already been sown and young plants planted by volunteers to improve what was already there. The Meadow will take many years to reach its full potential.
Deliverables
Crayfish Design were asked to develop a single interpretation board for Colton Local Nature Reserve. The design was to support conservation and transformation of a grass field into a rich and colourful wildflower meadow – to be used seasonally for grazing sheep and now for the first time to be enjoyed by the public.
Skillsets
- Infographic design
- Photo manipulation and compositing
- Project management of deliverables
Solution
Our approach was to create a single interpretation board with several fixed and interchangeable panels, together with a colourful design theme that reflected the vibrancy and colour variation of the wildflowers. A flexible design format was used to communicate a wide range of information across two principle panels, along with a set of extra panels to reflect the change in wildlife and fauna across the seasons.
To achieve this we enriched a background photograph of a wildflower meadow with additional elements to tell a story and to support the cycle of the seasons. We also wanted to engage with visitors to visually take a closer look, employing a simple magnifying glass representation to inspect each of the species and things to watch out for.
Furthermore, with the ongoing transformation of the site we also sought to provide longevity and an ongoing plan for the interpretation panel, by providing an easy-to-use template for the client to display additional information or events in the same style.
The theme and subsequent designs incorporated:
- Main interpretation panels
- Seasonal posters and wildlife focus charts
- Document template for self populating
What the client said:
“Colton Local Nature Reserve commissioned Crayfish Design to produce an interpretation board that would introduce the native wildflower meadow to visitors. Funded from the Tesco Bags of Help scheme grant we received, we worked with Crayfish Design to translate and enhance our ideas into artwork. The service received was great and always responsive and the final product is on display in the meadow for our visitors. We would have no hesitation in recommending Crayfish Design to others.”