In an ongoing collaboration with Keep Fish Wet, I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate on grassroots conservation campaigns around species-specific best practices guided by fish wellbeing, ultimately aimed to reduce harm we as anglers inflict through fishing activities. The latest iteration on this partnership is now launched: Steelhead In Our Hands translates science on the challenges the species face — including through human interaction — and provides accessible information on how to make small changes with big impact as a community.
The logo for the Steelhead In Our Hands campaign was created in the style of a woodcut or linocut with blocky imagery and handmade feel. With the focus of the campaign being to empower individual anglers to improve the outlook of the fishery, centering human interaction with fish in the central imagery was a priority.
In this collaboration, the Wild Steelhead Coalition came together with Keep Fish Wet to synthesize scientific research and create generalized guidance for larger steelheading angling community. The campaign is one intended to focus on empowerment rather than shame as tips telling people what to do typically evoke emotional response and perpetuate problematic power dynamics.
The opportunity to work alongside science community in crafting copy, tweaking language, and supporting it all with clear visuals is one I don’t take lightly; art has the capacity to communicate complication and movement in ways language can struggle, and involves an audience in different ways. I’m hopeful these visual elements allow anglers to see themselves in each best practice, and recognize with familiarity what we are talking about. Since I haven’t personally fished for steelhead before, it was important for me to do extensive research on the morphology of the species depending on gender, life stage, location, and every other contributing factor that shapes the fish we interact with. Learning from involved parties on seasonal shifts as well, such as how these fish move from chrome colors fresh from the ocean and slowly shift to more rainbow trout palette once in the river system, was especially interesting for me and hopefully informs design clearly for this summer season campaign release.
Steelhead parr are featured in the campaign in branded palette. These juvenile fish can have distinct differentiations in appearance from freshwater-bound local rainbow trout species.
Access to information is a big personal connection between myself and partners at Keep Fish Wet; with so many pieces of research and findings stuck behind paywalls, the general public has incredibly limited access. Keep Fish Wet and Confluence Collective share a mission in shifting access, knowing more informed anglers make better decisions when they are personally empowered. For this reason, the campaign’s infographic is free with public access to print and display. Campaign pointers are shared through social media for more exposure, and community voices are encouraged to contextualize what this campaign means for them locally by sharing themselves. Recognizing the strength of appeal for those who are in relationship with a community, it makes sense for this campaign to ultimately be owned by community.
This design was particularly fun to construct, continuing a sense of place and thread of branded aesthetic approach while communicating key pressures to the fishery.
More information on the campaign can be found here (as well as all over social media) and will continue to expand throughout the summer and winter fishing seasons. I look forward to seeing community events organized, merchandise offered, and other touch points for the campaign.