T H E _ L A B
CounterForce Lab, the brainchild of Rebeca Méndez, is an initiative that seeks to establish and execute designers’ role in the conversation around ecological impacts of anthropogenic climate change.
O B J E C T I V E
As phase one members of the lab, explore ways in which designers can effectively contribute to the climate change conversation.
C O N C E P T
Leverage the approachable medium of storybook to create a story for readers of all ages that can promote intergenerational conversation about anthropogenic climate change. This particular book features Clemens, a California red-legged frog, who journeys through LA’s Sepulveda Dam to find unsightly scenes (photographed as found) and wise creatures.
Through his adventure, he learns of “the people,” he witnesses hope, and he understands that the earth is home to all creatures and that we all share the responsibility to tend to it.
Clemens is one of a potential series of similarly-structured books featuring varying creatures in different extant locales. Each book will feature a different colored spine, the 23.5 degree edge that represents the angular tilt of Earth’s axis, and critically-selected vocabulary words.
F U N _ F A C T
Clemens is named for Mark Twain, formally Samuel Langhorne Clemens, whose career took off when he wrote a short story entitled “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” which features a California red-legged frog!
T H E _ T E A M