TOPP Impact Report: Clear Thinking, Tight Timelines, And A National Story That Landed
A fast, collaborative print and digital execution balancing human stories, data, and accessibility.
The Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) needed a clear, credible way to demonstrate the nationwide impact of its work — quickly. This wasn’t a “nice to have” report. It played a direct role in securing future funding and sustaining the program’s reach.
TOPP contributors and partner organizations supplying content were spread across the country, and the final output needed to resonate with funders, policymakers, and regional teams alike. The report had to feel human and approachable, while still being defensible, evidence-based, and easy to navigate — all under difficult real-world time constraints.
Assembling the “Dream Team.”
Projects like this are a reminder of why I love doing this work, and why I love high-level collaborations.
From Gage Mitchell with Modern Species keeping the entire project aligned and expectations clearly defined, to copywriters Jennifer Crain and Tom Burkett distilling complex stories into clear, human language, to Jessica Lennard and myself translating it all into a cohesive, accessible design system — this was collaboration at its best.
Not just because the work was strong, but because everyone involved — agency-side and client-side — genuinely cared. About the outcome. About the integrity of the work. And about the broader world the work was helping support.
PROJECT MGMT / ART DIRECTION
Gage Mitchell / Modern Species
ART DIRECTION / GRAPHIC DESIGN
Jason Robinson
Jessica Lennard
PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT
Jason Robinson
COPYWRITING
Jennifer Crain
Tom Burkett
Keeping things clear while moving really, really quickly.
Project management kept expectations defined and momentum moving, copy was distilled from dozens of interviews, and design focused on turning dense information into something people could actually absorb.
Once the overall visual direction and structure were established, my role centered on executing the full print design and page layout of the 36-page brochure.
In parallel to page layout design, I incorporated the ADA-compliant backend work, ensuring the digital version was properly structured and tagged so it functioned properly for screen-reader users without compromising design integrity.
The Impact.
The finished impact report became The Transition to Organic Partnership Program leadership’s primary narrative and visual tool — used to clearly communicate outcomes, reinforce credibility, and support funding conversations at a national level.
Most importantly, the work directly contributed to TOPP securing full funding for subsequent years, extending the program’s reach and reinforcing confidence in its long-term impact across the U.S.
We received the official word from the USDA that the TOPP program (and the Organic Market Development Grant program) are safe.
I am confident that the work that the Modern Species team did to bring together stories from TOPP made the difference to our efforts.
THANK YOU so much for your work, vision, speed, and – for the high-functioning TEAM effort.
— TOPP CLIENT, AFTER SECURING FUNDING
