MARINE PLASTIC CONTAMINATION
Turning complex environmental data into a clear visual story.
Marine plastic pollution involves a lot of numbers, sources, impacts, and future projections. For this project, I wanted to bring that information together into
one infographic that could be understood quickly without losing the seriousness of the subject. The challenge was not simply fitting information onto a poster.
It was deciding what people should notice first, what they should understand next, and how the information could become one connected visual story.
Information Design | Graphic Design | Data Visualization | Visual Storytelling
Role: Graphic/Multimedia Designer
Deliverable: Awareness Poster
THE CHALLENGE
A lot of information. One visual.
The subject included different types of information, plastic entering the ocean, its effect on marine life, future projections, and possible actions. Putting everything
at the same visual level would make the poster difficult to understand. My challenge was to create a clear hierarchy that could guide the viewer through the information
while still communicating the urgency of the issue.
I focused on three things
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What should the viewer notice first?
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How can different statistics feel like parts of the same story?
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How can the design communicate seriousness without becoming difficult to read?
THE IDEA
Don’t make people read the data. Help them see the story inside it.
Instead of treating every statistic as a separate piece of information, I organized the poster as a visual journey. The viewer first understands the main problem, then sees
where the pollution comes from, how it affects marine life, where the situation could
be heading, and finally what actions can be taken.
INFORMATION FLOW
THE PROBLEM
↓
WHERE IT COMES FROM
↓
IMPACT ON MARINE LIFE
↓
WHERE WE ARE HEADING
↓
WHAT CAN BE DONE
BUILDING THE HIERARCHY
Not every number should compete for attention.
One of the main design decisions was deciding which information needed the
strongest visual emphasis. Important statistics were given more scale, while
supporting information was kept smaller. Icons, typography, spacing, and sections helped separate different levels of information and allowed the viewer to scan the poster instead of reading everything from top to bottom.
VISUAL LANGUAGE
The subject influenced the design.
I wanted the poster to feel serious and slightly uncomfortable without making the information difficult to understand. A deep ocean-blue background establishes the marine environment, while distressed textures and typography bring
CONTRAST: Large statistics against smaller supporting information create clear entry points.
TYPOGRAPHY: Expressive typography creates emotion, while simpler typography handles the information.
ICONOGRAPHY: Marine animals, plastic objects, and other simple symbols help communicate information faster than text alone
COLOUR: The darker palette supports the environmental subject while allowing important information to stand out.
