XPLANE Produces Illustrated Report for UNICEF   

Portland, OR, USA, July 22, 2008 (PRESSbooth.ORG) -- Designed by XPlane, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), has published 'A World Fit For Us', an illustrated report for young people that details the state of, and progress around, some of the world's most pressing issues through the personal stories of 19 youth. The report is UNICEF's promised follow up to the more than 400 children from over 150 countries who participated in the United Nations Special Session on Children held in New York in May 2002 and expressed their visions for the future. The report is hoped to be an educational and empowerment tool for years to come.

"Pictures are the universal language," said Aric Wood, chief executive officer, XPlane. "Understanding the importance of visual communication is the basis of our entire business, and we are proud to be working with an organization as important as UNICEF to create a powerful and unified voice for children around the world."

Twenty-four pages in length and printed in English, Spanish, French and Japanese, 'A World Fit For Us' shares true stories that range from addressing the issues of war, health care, HIV and AIDS, the environment, education and poverty. Aside from offering updates on key world conflicts five years following the Special Session, the book also provides ideas for action moving forward. The report was unveiled on Dec. 9 through UNICEF field offices in over 150 countries and UNICEF national committees in 35 industrialized countries.

"Following the Special Session in 2002 and hearing first-hand the hopes, concerns and dreams of our world's children, it was absolutely clear that we owed them an update as to what has been achieved, and what is still being strived for, five years later," said Patricia Moccia, section chief, division of communication, UNICEF. "This report is UNICEF's responsibility to the children of the Special Session as we acknowledge the importance of each of their voices and let them know their demands were heard and responded to. Making the report an illustrated production allowed us to offer the update in a way that could be understood around the world."

The report's visuals, created by a team of 10 illustrators, aim to add emotion and storytelling to otherwise complex quantitative data so that it can be more easily understood and embraced by children everywhere.

The UNICEF project represents just the latest in XPlane's work to promote conversation for change in regards to advancing the lives of children. Most recently, the company produced the "Did You Know? 2.0" presentation with educator Karl Fisch to advance discussion on how to better educate today's youth for a continually shifting world.

"Images are a powerful tool for communication and learning," said Wood. "XPlane is committed to applying that tool in all areas needed - from driving business results for our clients to discussing world issues we believe need to be shared."

About XPlane:
Founded in 1993, XPlane is a global consulting and information design firm that drives results for many of the world's leading corporations including Intel, Microsoft, U.S. Marine Corps, Department of National Intelligence, Autodesk and BP by using a visual-thinking methodology to achieve business alignment. Ranked by Inc. magazine as one of the country's fastest growing privately held companies, XPlane offers clients unique and personalized service through its employees' diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise, including journalism, consulting, technology, marketing, training, illustration, interaction, process improvement, information design and architecture. XPlane is based in Portland, OR with additional offices in St. Louis, MO and Madrid, Spain. For more information about XPlane, visit www.XPlane.com or call (866) 750-6467.

Contact:
Dave Lockman
XPlane
Portland, OR
(866) 750-6467
XPlane @ richcontent.tv
http://www.XPlane.com

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