Part of a Pattern is my response to ISTD 2022 Brief #2: Agenda for Sustainability. Because all of the Sustainable Development Goals are so closely intertwined, Part of a Pattern explores two goals through systems thinking — SDG 10 Reduced Inequality and SDG 13 Climate Action.

Research shows that despite widespread awareness, climate anxiety and inequality are continuing to rise. Individuals feel a responsibility to act but are often paralyzed due to the scale and enormity of the problems. Part of a Pattern suggests a change in the way we view our role in solving these problems. Rather than suggesting direct actions that can add up to saving the world, it suggests we look at the systems that are driving inequality and the climate crisis and explores how individual members contribute to a system and where the leverage points are for systemic change.

The audience for this project is quite broad, but specifically targets individuals who are already aware of the climate crisis and rise in inequality. It addresses individuals who are aware of the lack of progress toward sustainable development goals. By suggesting a new perspective and approach to addressing these problems, Part of a Pattern hopes to reenergize and galvanize the groups seeking to
make change.

Through this lens, Part of a Pattern has been developed as a webpage for its low cost of production and ease of accessibility by its target audience. Because this project aims to suggest a paradigm shift, it requires an incredibly broad reach to be effective. Strategically, production costs and friction of distribution must be kept to a minimum.

It ties together quotes and texts from various sources to suggest a change in perspective towards addressing the systems that contribute to inequality and the climate crisis.

The web page itself is made up of randomized modules from a set graphic language. Every time the page is refreshed, a different version of the webpage is delivered. Even though each page view is unique, the content, structure, and message remain the same. This pulls the concept of the project through to its execution at a macro scale and speaks to the difference between the individual unit and the
system itself.

At a lower level, the webpage features interactive elements and animating modules and letterforms within text. This continues to demonstrate the differences between individual nodes and larger systems. It questions how many elements must change before the system as a whole becomes something new.

Type MVB Fantabular by Akemi Aoki was chosen as the family of typefaces for this project. Using a monospaced font was important to suggest the interchangeability of units in a larger structure. Because it takes inspiration from old typewriter fonts, it maintains a humanist appearance that aligns with the messaging of the content.

All units are specified in rem, which has been set to 18px. This allows for grids, layouts, and line heights to work in units of 9px using whole and half rems.