University of Essex – Understanding Society [part 2]

Context
Understanding Society is the UK’s largest household longitudinal study, based at the Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex. The study provides critical evidence on social change and stability in everyday life, informing the work of UK Government departments, charities, think tanks, and businesses.

Brief
Following on from my work with the client in 2018, I was commissioned to create a new series of illustrations for a second Insights publication. Insights is Understanding Society’s annual publication presenting research of particular relevance to policymakers. This edition marked ten waves of data collection and coincided with a major conference.

Approach
The illustrations were developed as a cohesive series, designed to translate complex research themes into clear, engaging visual narratives. Topics explored included education and training, employment, family and connection, foodbanks, health, income and wealth, polling, and youth protest. Each illustration balanced conceptual clarity with accessibility, supporting both print and event-based contexts.

Outcome
The final illustrations formed a central visual component of the Insights publication and conference materials, helping to communicate policy-relevant research in a format that was both approachable and authoritative.

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