SEI (The Sustainable Endowments Institute) wanted to take their sustainability report card to the web in order to extend its usefulness and reach. In doing so they needed to offer a clear and concise tool that would welcome users with easily accessible information. They also felt that they had to be increasingly transparent with regards to how their grading system works in order to cement the credibility of their data.

smashLAB worked closely with SEI to accurately translate their report card to the web. An iterative design process informed the navigation and function of the site. As such, the massive amount of data is made easier to browse, examine and compare. Throughout the site a great deal of weight is lent to educating visitors on the methods SEI uses to compute the grades. We also relied on the reputation of SEI's key backing organizations on the in order to underscore the organization's credibility.

SEI has successfully transitioned their printed resource to the web, and the first responses have been overwhelmingly positive. A powerful filtering system along with enhanced interactivity facilitates better ways of "slicing and dicing" the research findings while a comparison tool allows visitors to see how selected schools stack up against one another. Additionally, the carefully executed information design leaves the website's users with a clear understanding of how grading system works. Contributors also benefit from the new tools, which allow them to easily enter data while they are on-the-road. The mainstream media is paying attention to the Green Report Card and the site has an opportunity to truly impact positive change.