In this project, I explored how to translate complex geopolitical and energy data into a clear, engaging visual experience modeled after The Economist’s editorial style. The goal was to create a data-driven poster that could realistically live within the publication, both in terms of visual language and content structure.

The challenge was to organize and present multi-layered information—ranging from electricity prices and gas imports to renewable energy and EU funding—in a way that remained accessible and easy to navigate. I applied key principles such as hierarchy, consistency, and visual clarity to guide the user through the narrative. This included iterative prototyping of charts, layout refinement, and thoughtful use of typography and color to mirror The Economist’s branding.

This project strengthened my ability to work with real-world datasets, make design decisions based on user readability, and balance aesthetics with function.

This was a solo project where I took on all responsibilities myself.

  • Graphic Designer
  • Data Visualizer
  • Researcher

Roles

  • Concept sketches and layout iterations
  • Custom charts and infographics
  • Combined choropleth and symbology map design
  • Process documentation and design rationale

Deliverables

Tools

  • Illustrator

Process and Data

Europe’s energy landscape has undergone a rapid transformation in response to shifting geopolitical conditions. This project addresses the challenges of communicating complex data through clear, compelling visuals in a single editorial poster. Key design hurdles included Information Overload, Visual Clutter, and Layout Inconsistency. To solve these, I focused on refining data structure, creating clean and readable visualizations, and applying editorial design principles inspired by The Economist—resulting in a polished, informative, and visually cohesive final product.
  • Visual Clutter in Multi-Line Charts – Early attempts to show multiple countries’ electricity prices on one graph resulted in a crowded and unreadable design that overwhelmed the viewer.
  • Inconsistent Visual Hierarchy – Varying chart types and layout decisions disrupted the flow of information, making it harder to establish a cohesive narrative and visual rhythm.
  • Fragmented Map Communication – Using separate maps for gas dependency and LNG infrastructure made the overall composition feel disjointed and visually inefficient.

Problems

  • Used Small Multiples for Clarity – Replaced a complex multi-line chart with a set of clean, individually scaled line graphs arranged by value. This enhanced comparison and reduced visual noise.
  • Established a Consistent Visual System – Reworked all charts to share consistent typography, color usage, and structure inspired by The Economist’s visual identity—strengthening the overall design cohesion.
  • Combined Maps into One Integrated Graphic – Merged data layers into a single, editorial-style map that used both choropleth shading and iconography—streamlining communication and saving layout space.

Proposed Solution

Most of the data that I was working with came from the European commission sources and news. When working with the data, I had to do a lot of cleaning on my part in order to sum up data into categories, and put it into an alphabetical order on Excel, from which I later generated the charts. 
Graph 1 – Electricity Price Trends (2021–2022)
To visualize how average household electricity prices changed across seven European countries, I initially explored a multi-line time series chart. However, the overlapping data made the design visually cluttered and difficult to read. After testing a stacked line approach—which still lacked clarity—I pivoted to a more effective solution: a grid of small multiple line graphs, sorted by price range.

This approach allowed each country's data to stand on its own while supporting quick visual comparison across the set. I refined the design with minimalist tick marks, consistent axis labels, and subtle grey grid lines to align with The Economist’s editorial aesthetic, enhancing both clarity and cohesion.
Graph 2 – Gas Dependency & Infrastructure
I combined two originally separate maps—gas dependency and infrastructure—into a single, cohesive visual. This streamlined the layout, improved spatial continuity, and created a more efficient and unified design.

To enhance clarity and align with The Economist’s editorial style, I employed two visualization techniques:
  • Choropleth shading to depict the varying degrees of gas dependency across countries, using a color gradient from light to dark, consistent with the publication’s palette.
  • Symbolic mapping to highlight existing and planned LNG terminals and pipelines across Europe, using clean lines and icons to pinpoint key infrastructure.
    
This integrated design provided a clear, compact overview of Europe’s energy challenges while maintaining visual cohesion and impact.
Graph 3 – EU Energy Relief Funding by GDP
To visualize each country’s energy relief funding as a percentage of GDP, I explored several formats. A scatter plot lacked clarity, so I transitioned to a stacked vertical bar chart for better legibility. To maintain visual consistency with the final chart in the series, I refined the layout into a horizontal bar format, improving readability and aligning with the overall design system.
Graph 4 – EU Electricity Generation Sources (2020)
To illustrate the EU’s energy mix, I designed a stacked bar chart to effectively show part-to-whole relationships. Initially overloaded with too many data points, I streamlined the visualization by grouping sources into three clear categories—fossil fuels, nuclear, and renewables—enhancing clarity and visual impact.