Ukraine Local Elections 2015: Report on Independent Observation Results
Year: 2016
Client: Civil Network OPORA, a Ukrainian non-governmental organization focused on monitoring elections, university admissions, and housing in Ukraine to combat corruption.
Design Problem: Civil Network OPORA monitored the 2015 local election across Ukraine. They compiled a report in multiple languages documenting their observations and suggestions, alongside an extensive quantity of raw data.
Key Challenges: the original manuscript contained hundreds of large spreadsheets and quantitative information. The charts and graphs I eventually incorporated into the design needed a visually appealing format that ensured the data were not distorted or misrepresented. This challenge was exacerbated by Ukraine’s multitude of major political parties (10+). In addition to the Ukrainian version, the book was also to be translated and published in English.
Design Solution: in creating the book, I focused on around one hundred charts and maps as the central framework. These visuals were crucial in helping readers better understand the information and illustrate the highlighted patterns and dynamics in the text. I also established a consistent color palette for over 10 political parties and additional information used in the book to ensure that the graphics were not misleading. The charts and graphs were designed with minimal, easily translatable text so that they could be used in both the Ukrainian and English versions of the book. Given the book’s emphasis on local elections, the maps provided more context for English speakers compared to tables using unfamiliar Ukrainian local names.
My Role: client acquisition, art direction, and all aspects of information design.
Other Roles: layout and preprint preparation (Sashko Sivchenko).
A Visual Interpretation of Ukraine's 2015 Local Elections
I wanted to create a visually appealing design for the Civil network OPORA's report on the 2015 Ukrainian Local elections. To emphasize the book's focus on Ukrainian local elections, I based the book's cover on an abstract icon inspired by the commonly used location symbol. I included approximately one hundred unique charts and maps created from raw tabular data to illustrate the dynamics of Ukraine's 2015 elections. These maps help make the extensive data, often organized by local jurisdictions that may be unfamiliar to a non-Ukrainian audience, easily understandable at a glance. Detailed flow diagrams display the complex changes in the political balance between Ukraine's 10+ major political parties, using a consistent color palette throughout the book. The same set of infographics seamlessly transitions between the Ukrainian and English versions of the book. Overall, the design enhances interpretability and style for this important but information-dense subject matter.
