First shown at Hitachi’s exhibition in COP26 in Glasgow, in which Hitachi participated as a Principal Partner, ThreeTransitions.earth is an informative interactive web experience designed by Takram that provides a framework for thinking about global crises and a starting point for radical action.

Three Transitions for a Human-Nature Recovery

Since 2020 we have worked with the R&D division of Japanese multinational Hitachi to research and visualise the process of transition towards sustainable futures. As a way to build on the research conducted, the R&D division wanted to create an interactive experience which opens up the research and makes it accessible to the public.

Sustainable transformation within three inter-connected domains

Avoiding climate catastrophe and environmental destruction can seem like an unfathomably complex and insurmountable task. From governments and organisations down to individuals, most of us recognise that change is urgently needed, but many don’t know where to start. The experience we created with Hitachi focusses on the vital importance of initiating co-occurring transformation in how we act in relation to the climate, biodiversity, and human culture and life.

In the experience we visualise the current state of the world; we describe the disastrous consequences of the current carbon paradigm, acknowledge the destructiveness of the ongoing mass extinction, and interrogate the extractive dynamics created by the relentless pursuit of growth. Yet the experience also seeks to make tangible the potential for stabilising the climate through transformational re-orientations towards restoring natural environments and committing to justice and circularity.

Transition thinking – focus on the journey, as well as the destination

It’s impossible to accurately imagine transformational outcomes for the future when you’re completely embedded in the paradigms of the present. When creating ThreeTransitions.earth, we responded to this challenge by focussing on making tangible the process of change rather than focussing only on desirable outcome. This process made it possible for us to develop viable routes to positive futures.

Shifting paradigms through experience

We knew that the success of the experience was closely tied to being able to tell a different story of the relationship between humans and nature. We had to build something which is communicative, affirmative and constructive at it‘s core.

Therefore, illustration and world-building are used extensively in the experience to help describe and visualise every step along the transition towards sustainable futures. Used together with resources about the different actors, theories, and data behind obstacles and breakthroughs, the experience emphasises understanding of the present in order to step towards positive futures.

Credit

• Project Vision and Research Concept: Koji Sasaki (Hitachi)
• Creative Direction: Yosuke Ushigome
• Research, Web Design, Web Development: Yosuke Ushigome, Michael Pecirno, Jonathan Skjøtt
• Web Design (Japanese) & Copy Editing (Japanese): Yosuke Ushigome
• Art Direction & Illustration: Visun Le Duong
• Intro Animation: Julien Pilipczuk
• Copy Editing: Reed Words
• PR in UK: Zetteler
• PR in Japan: Yoshimi Irie