Solutions: custom applications, design/identity
Vertical: non-profit

The World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent nonprofit organization with a staff of more than 100 scientists, economists, policy experts, business analysts, statistical analysts, map-makers and communicators working to protect the Earth and improve people's lives. Each year, WRI publishes a wealth of information and statistics on various environmental concerns including population, water resources, energy and agriculture and food. Until 2000, that information was only available to researchers in printed form. In addition to being rather unwieldy and heavy, the thick annual publication was costly to produce in both time and printing costs. WRI needed a Web-based repository for researchers, students and media to access this data. The plan was to create a simple set of HTML forms to allow users to query the database.

During Fig Leaf’s initial discussions with WRI, the teams envisioned a solution that, when implemented, would far surpass WRI’s expectations as well as garner several prestigious awards and recognitions. The team saw the power of a huge database mated with an elegant, multi-tool, wizard interface to help researchers and visitors quickly drill-down to specific data sets, maps and utilities. The entire site is one large database application.

Fig Leaf designed and programmed a database to collect disparate information from multiple sources and collate it into a search-optimized data repository. Since the speed of the users’ searches was a paramount consideration, an optimized data structure was a key step in building the application.

Fig Leaf developed a graphical interface to the database that provides an intuitive topic/tool selection metaphor while presenting the user with graphical cues to the page’s location within the site. An easy-to-use wizard approach guides users through the steps to selecting specific data sets. Once users reach their desired data set or map, they can easily export the data to a file for use in spreadsheet or statistical analysis programs.

Perhaps the greatest indicator of success for the site is that Kofi Annan, secretary-general of the United Nations, chose EarthTrends as one of his favorite Web sites. In the May 2002 issue of Foreign Policy, Mr. Annan recommends ten sites that best fulfill his belief that "Information and communications technologies are enormously powerful tools for development [and that] one of the most pressing challenges is to harness this extraordinary force, spread it through the world, and make its benefits accessible and meaningful for all humanity, in particular the poor." The application has been a hit with users and critics alike.