A traditional home, the hogan, grounds the vertical banner in a familiar setting. The horizontal banner instructs the requested action: bringing waste to a transfer station.
“The Way of Beautiful Land” is the campaign’s English representation of “Kéyahk’i Hózhóoni K’ehji.” The message connects responsible disposal with balance, well-being, and care across generations.
I loved this deeper story and wanted to explore it further.
Building from the messaging and themes of the original NNEPA assignment, I explored an alternate creative direction—drawing from documented Diné principles of balance, relationship to the land, and responsibility to protect Mother Earth. The elder figure introduces a human presence within the Diné landscape—evoking continuity, lived knowledge, and responsibility across generations.
Hózhó — Diné philosophy connecting balance, harmony, beauty, and well-being
T’áá hwó’ ají t’éego — familiar Diné teaching of individual initiative and responsibility; commonly expressed as “it is up to you.”
I translated these ideas into a personal, timely call to action in which an everyday disposal decision is reframed as a way of carrying enduring values forward under modern conditions.
The original project didn't have a budget for custom photography that could bring greater emotional resonance and cultural specificity. AI-assisted image compositing offered a way to explore that visual potential.
A memorable URL, navajoepa.org/doyourpart, could provide direct access to the disposal microsite while keeping NNEPA clearly established as the parent organization. The audience-centered approach needed a clear next step from outreach message to practical action.
Concept notes: This independent direction was not client-approved. Further development would require Diné linguistic and cultural guidance, community input, audience testing, and NNEPA approval of language and imagery. The proposed URL and QR code are non-live.