Well-Being in Latin America
& the Caribbean
Information Design
This project involved designing a data visualization that transforms heavy, somber data into a more accessible
and visually engaging experience. It included exploring layout options, implementing data filters by section and year, and adding a dark mode to improve accessibility for a broad audience.

Project Visually depicting a data visualization that transforms heavy, somber data into a more accessible and visually engaging experience.

Role
Interaction Designer and Researcher
Timeline3 Months

Tools
Illustrator
Size1728 W x 1191 H

Project Overview:
This project explores the state of well-being in Latin America and the Caribbean by examining the intersection of mental health, economic conditions, and government intervention. Using key SDG indicators,such as poverty rates, unemployment, suicide rates, government spending on health and social protection, and homicide rates,the project visualizes the region’s social and economic landscape in comparison to global figures.

Goal:

The goal was to present this often grim data in a brighter, more accessible way. Through a clean, filterable interface with both section and year-based navigation, users can track progress and disparities over time. A dark mode option was added to enhance accessibility for a broader audience.

Overall, the design offers a compelling, user-friendly visualization that highlights key regional challenges and the potential impact of policy and investment in improving well-being.

Key Features:

Focus on Well-Being Metrics:Highlights the intersection of mental health, economic conditions, and government intervention across Latin America and the Caribbean using SDG-aligned indicators.

Data Filtering by Section and Year:Users can explore data by thematic sections (e.g., poverty, health, crime) and observe changes over time for deeper insight into trends and progression.

Clean, Visually Engaging Design:A bright and approachable visual style was chosen to contrast the heavy subject matter and maintain viewer engagement.

Dark Mode Option:Added to improve accessibility and user comfort for a diverse audience.

Global and Regional Comparisons:Provides contextual insight by comparing regional statistics with global averages to highlight disparities or progress.

User-Centric Evolution:The design evolved through critique and testing, moving from a single dense graph to a more readable, segmented structure that improves clarity and user experience.

Solution:

The solution is an interactive data visualization that simplifies key social and economic indicators in Latin America and the Caribbean. By filtering data by section and year, users can easily explore trends in poverty, mental health, crime, and more, with a bright interface and optional dark mode for accessibility. This design makes complex data clearer and more engaging, while aligning with relevant SDGs.

Data Outcome:

The data suggests that Latin America and the Caribbean's social and economic landscape is shaped by crime rates, unemployment, poverty, and government spending, which influence overall well-being and development. High crime and unemployment could hinder economic growth and social stability, while increased government spending may help alleviate poverty but could also strain national budgets. Compared to global averages, these factors might highlight disparities or progress in the region, shaping future policies aimed at improving economic opportunities and social welfare.

MoodBoard:

Through my mood board I looked for different ways to combine multiple types of data in a single half circle graph.

Process:

Version 1:

My original idea was to filter the data by indicator and possibly by year as all the other sections of data fade out while making the other data. more visible.

Critique Notes

Colors are too close together
Needs a focal point,
Try filtering data by year as well,
Try colors from the countries
Add a dark mode option maybe

Version 2:

Staying with my original idea I changed the colours to better align with accessability compliance to allow all users to experience the data. After noticing that some users preferred the data shown in an almost darkmode, I created a dark mode version to give users the option

Critique Notes

Adjust the colors in the center (some of them get lost)

Design Challenges:

Throughout the design of the graph, the main challenge was grouping and visually organizing the information in an interesting and aesthetically pleasing way. However, while prototyping in Figma, I found it extremely difficult due to the software being slow and uncooperative.

Typography & Colours

Title Text: IBM Plex Sans
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Body Text: Source Sans Pro
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ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz!@#$%^&*(){}[]:;”’?

Subheader Text 1: Josefin Sans
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Subheader Text 2:
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ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz!@#$%^&*(){}[]:;”’?

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