Shades

Shades is a data viz project looking at the ways in which data can be used to tell a story, explain a process and simplify a multilayered topic. Each topic is a topic I wanted to learn more about, but I have tried to design it in a way that others may be able to learn from it too. It was to appeal to people who love to take in new information and learn more about the world, but who also appreciate interesting design. In the world of “Twitter facts”, opinion pieces and political bias quite literally left, right and centre, I designed Shades to appeal to those that value researched information. The more I researched, the more I realised how superficial my understanding of each topic was, therefore I want to disclaim each series is not supposed to provide a deep understanding of the issue. but rather, provide enough of a wide overview to further research any of the layers detailed in the series. All information required rigorous research and I designed each infographic to mathematical proportions. I also considered carefully how best to present the data, whether it was comparing two sets of different data or showing a trend over time. All copy was written and researched by me, with all sources credited. Inspired by such publications as Market Cafe Magazine, MIT technology Review, Delayed Gratification and Information is Beautiful, I kept the look and feel of the design clean, vibrant and restrained. I used one font, stuck to strict spacing and grid rules and assigned shades of one colour to each series. The colours were deliberately crafted to remain vibrant and rich, for screen viewing, and to provide enough contrast against the grey background. It was challenging trying to differentiate data with just one colour, but I made use of the tints available from the colour guide tool in Adobe Illustrator. The name and logo came from my decision to assign one colour to each series. This kept the palette restrained but pushed me creatively to distinguish data in ways other than colour. Using shades of each colour felt like a good visual translation to depict the nuances of each issue. The name also felt obvious and simple, in keeping with the style. I designed a logo for the whole visual concept, tweaking the shape inside the letter ‘a’, to make a droplet shape, to suggest a drop of ink - a reference to the name.