Bridging the gap between design, climate, and business
My name is Marc O’Brien and since 2016, I’ve been delivering wildly imaginative and effective work for climate-forward projects.
As a climate designer, I specialize in strategy & user experience.
That means, I collaborate with climate-focused organizations big and small to take ideas to market by developing new or existing products, services, experiences, or campaigns.
What I do
Strategy
Applying big-picture application of design principles and strategies to solve complex business challenges
+ Aligning design decisions with overall business goals
+ Focusing on long-term vision and company-wide impact
+ Driving innovation through design-led approaches
+ Considering broader market trends and competitive landscape
+ Shaping brand identity and positioning
+ Facilitating cross-functional collaboration
User Experience
Connecting business objectives with the needs of people to craft products and services that prioritize strategy and brand consistency
+ Focuses specifically on user experience across all touch points
+ Emphasizing usability, accessibility, and user satisfaction
+ Conducting research, journey mapping, and usability testing
+ Iterates on designs based on user feedback and data
How I do it
BRAND BUILDING
Developing, advising, and shaping distinctive brand touch points to achieve business goals
Align every creative decision based on the appropriate call-to-action
Implement strategic design design principles and strategies to solve complex business challenges
Question founders and executives, digging deeper to discover better approaches
Lead design teams to produce the most effective deliverables for the right audience
COLLECTIVE ACTION
Helping organizations rally their people to come together and build a shared vision
Create platforms and experiences that allow the community to share knowledge, skills, and resources
Design clear pathways to empower people to take action within their local communities, workplaces, or industries
Support organizers in translating industry progress, news, and opportunities to their communities
Build authentic relationships based on core values, shared goals, and purpose to drive effective engagement
CREATIVE FACILITATION
Facilitating events, experiences, and conversations that help people get unstuck
Translate complex climate issues into digestible communication for people to understand
Prototype and test ideas ASAP to keep the work going and avoid losing time and money
Take ideas off of Post-Its and start breaking down large goals into small bets with clear action plans
Think wrong to generate unique ideas that uncover potential challenges or new opportunities
NEW INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT
Laying the creative groundwork for nascent, emerging climate industries
Learn emerging solutions and approaches, unique policy proposals, and unconventional business models to design new climate categories
Work with founders who have a vision beyond what is being imagined today—visions that push boundaries to show what's possible to get more support for their work
LEARN MORE
I’m currently freelancing with a number of creative studios and climate orgs
Get in touch to discuss contract or full-time work.
In the meantime, learn more about me, check out my résumé, and connect with me on LinkedIn.
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My creative process
Since 2009, I’ve been using the Think Wrong process, which helps come up with fresh approaches to challenges and breaks through roadblocks to uncover new ideas.
I then bring in Prototype Thinking, which focuses on testing and iteration to quickly validate solutions.
It’s a great “one-two punch” of creative innovation.
