About the company
Stadtwerke Radolfzell GmbH is a regional utility company based in Radolfzell on Lake Constance. It reliably supplies the region’s population and businesses with electricity, gas, water and heat, and is also a major provider of fibre-optic internet for fast, modern surfing. In addition, Stadtwerke Radolfzell operates the city bus service, is heavily involved in the field of electromobility, is consistently expanding its charging infrastructure and offers e-car sharing for flexible, environmentally friendly mobility.
With around 130 employees, Stadtwerke Radolfzell is one of the most important employers in the region. The company regards itself as a driving force for a sustainable infrastructure and makes an active contribution to a modern and liveable Radolfzell – with a clear focus on sustainability, security of supply and the continuous development of the city.
The task – making transformation visible, communicating complexity in an understandable way
Radolfzell Municipal Utilities was facing a comprehensive organisational change. A transformation of the organisation was necessary in order to meet future challenges. The task was to prepare a wide range of complex content and interrelationships in such a way that they could be presented in a visually simplified form that was understandable for different target groups. Both internal stakeholders and external interest groups should be able to understand the change without being overwhelmed by its complexity
The project briefing made it clear that reducing complexity and providing orientation were key objectives. The planned Big Picture was intended to break down complex changes into their essential components and convey clear structures to viewers at a glance. It was also decided that the resulting visualisation would be used both internally and externally – for example, for employees and managers as well as for customers and partner companies.
The creative process – collaborative and iterative to achieve the finished Big Picture
Big Pictury took a collaborative approach to implementing the project. In joint workshops with Radolfzell Municipal Utilities, all relevant content, objectives and messages were first developed. Building on this, the Big Pictury team used an iterative visual process to develop a big picture that depicts all the key aspects of the transformation process. During the design phase, there were continuous rounds of consultation with the client to ensure that the image was accurate in terms of content, visually appealing and understandable for all target groups.
The result – a tailor-made big picture as a communication tool
The finalised Big Picture visualises the future strategy of Stadtwerke Radolfzell in a lively landscape graphic. Different topics – from energy supply and infrastructure to mobility and digitalisation – are illustrated and linked together. This makes complex dependencies and projects understandable at a glance, creating transparency and giving all viewers a common orientation. This visual overview has led to noticeable successes within the company. Employees now identify much more strongly with the corporate strategy because they can clearly see its elements. At the same time, there has been very positive feedback from customers and trade fair visitors, who find the Big Picture a helpful and impressive explanation of the changes. The external perception of Stadtwerke Radolfzell has improved significantly thanks to consistent visual communication. In addition, the versatile use of the graphic – whether in onboarding, at trade fairs or in publications – ensures increased reach for the messages and a high recognition value.
The final big picture is used in a variety of ways and integrated across different channels:
- Webseite – externally as an interactive click image or graphic that provides interested parties with a clear overview of the strategic direction of Stadtwerke Radolfzell online.
- Onboarding new employees – as a visual orientation aid to familiarise newcomers with the company strategy and upcoming changes.
- Trade fairs and exhibitions – as an eye-catching feature at the exhibition stand that quickly informs visitors about services and future plans.
- Customer magazine – to illustrate articles and present complex topics in an appealing way for Stadtwerke readers.
- Intranet – internally as a digital chart that gives employees a constant overview of the goals and progress of the transformation.
Click here for the Click Picture.
CLIENT: Stadtwerke Radolfzell GmbH
SCOPE OF SERVICES: Development of a big picture for use in print and digital media, as well as an interactive clickable version
PROJECT DURATION: 6 months
BUDGET: Five-figure sum
“Thanks to the Big Picture, we were able to make complex changes tangible and understandable in a single image – for employees and customers alike. The Big Picture not only created transparency, but also enabled a strong common orientation. It helps us to communicate the transformation clearly, promote identification and make our strategy visible in the long term – both internally and externally.”
Tobias Hagenmeyer, Managing Director, Stadtwerke Radolfzell GmbH