HoGent - Illustrations for map and cardgame

The WiSH research project (HoGent) examined the quality of housing and living environments in Flemish (Oostende & Gent) social housing estates. With this project we wanted to focus on the experiences of residents as end users and develop a practically usable model that can be used to integrate the quality of social housing neighbourhoods into design, construction and management issues. To make their findings more accessible, they approached us to develop a tool kit. A tool kit that would be distributed to the parties that have the power to make a positive impact. It was developed to visualise that not one party, but a shared effort between multiple parties with different responsibilities was needed to tackle the issues that the residents face.
We designed a map, the residents portrait illustration, created a cardgame, designed the book which published the research, tool kit and other bundles.

The entire tool kit is based on 10 portraits of residents with actual problems they endure day to day. One part of this tool kit is a large map. One which should be used in group, to be looked at together. It motivates to think out loud, to make notes and paste your thoughts on it - that’s why there’s room left on the sides of the illustration. The second part is a cardgame of 54 cards which each have, in brief, results of the research. These are categorised (Such as ‘Well-being’ or ‘Ownership') and illustrate how complex and multifaceted a single issue of an inhabitant can be.

Early on it was clear that this project was about rather depressing matter. So in looking for an illustration style we wanted to land somewhere that didn’t make everything look ‘fun’, but we still wanted it to look approachable. Not deterring viewers but inviting them to think along and be motivated by the tool kit.

As for approaching the map illustration, 'The neighborhood' is the main protagonist. As a viewer you get an impression of the ecosystem. This ecosystem is based on the 10 portraits of citizens that HoGent developed. This to add to the feeling of how intertwined all issues are. The main characters are marked separately with large numbers and a QR code which leads to an audio-recording of them explaining their personal situation and hardships. In addition to the main points of interest, you can also extract smaller situations from the map such as e.g. illegal dumping, unsafe playgrounds or the petanque-court that brings people together.

More info, tool kit, cardgame and full credit of the HoGent research can be found here;
https://www.hogent.be/projecte...

Our services

Illustration, Design map & cardgame, Graphic Design for the HoGent publication

Deliverables

A0 Main illustration
54 Cards to aid in brainstorming
Folder with portraits
Portrait illustration
Folder with determinants and residents' wishes
100-page publication of the research
Folder with a walking route along social housing