Visualising Public Health: Insights & Advocacy Through Infographics
Showcasing Infographic Collaborations with ADPH on Public Health and Covid-19 Impacts
The client
The Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH) is a professional association in the UK. The ADPH provides a platform for its members, who are Directors of Public Health, to collaborate on health-related matters, policy making, and strategy development at a local and national level.
The project
We produced a series of infographics demonstrating the speed at which big policy decisions had been made during the March 2020 lockdown and the public health implications that this had across a number of different areas. These graphics were made based on the information available at the point in time they were produced and have not been updated. Therefore the predictions relating to future policies may now be out of date.
We worked with Campbell Findlay and Rulan Vasani who at the time worked for the ADPH comms team. They briefed us verbally on their vision for the infographics, sharing a wealth of knowledge and insight which they wanted to translate into a series of infographics. We spoke with them on the phone, taking notes and collaboratively devising ideas for the graphics.
Active Travel
We crafted a compelling graphic to spotlight the successful implementation of a cycle scheme in Greater Manchester, emphasizing the rapid shift in citizens' travel behaviors during the Covid-19 lockdown. The visual narrative also draws attention to the significance of the Transport for Greater Manchester's (TfGM) bus priority initiative.
Starting with explaining the importance of bikelanes for public health, we then illustrated the Manchester bus/cycle route case study, finishing on how traveling behaviors significantly changed in lockdown 2020.
ADPH holds a particular interest in this matter, as reduced traffic volume is closely linked with improved public health outcomes. The timeline infographic shows how active travel strategies can lead to substantial health and environmental improvements, such as enhanced air quality and decreased emissions.
By visualising how swiftly travel behaviors can adapt to new circumstances—as evidenced during the lockdown—our graphic illustrates the potential for similar future shifts. With the right infrastructure and incentives, more sustainable travel patterns that benefit public health and the environment can be encouraged.
The case study underscores the importance of initiatives like the cycle scheme and bus priority route in facilitating these changes.
Categorising the public health effects of the Covid-19 lockdowns
Our approach to illustrating the varied effects of the lockdown involved a nuanced strategy. We chose a decision tree, enriched with color codes, as our means of effectively conveying the multiplicity of factors shaping individual experiences during the pandemic. The decision tree evaluates an individual's situation through a series of questions, placing each person's circumstances within a broader societal context to recognize the influence of various contributing factors.
We revealed how a range of health-related and societal aspects, accelerated by lockdown measures, contributed significantly to heightened stress and anxiety levels. This, in turn, had a sweeping effect on public health, impacting areas such as housing, health behaviors, and financial circumstances.
These hypothetical situations used to form the diagram were created to illustrate real-life scenarios that demonstrated the decisions, challenges, and consequences people were facing during this time.
Homelessness & COVID-19
The central theme of this graphic was to demonstrate the swift policy modifications made to house homeless individuals in emergency, settled, or supported accommodation during the March 2020 lockdown. It contrasts the pre-lockdown and post-lockdown situations, emphasising the remarkable change post-lockdown initiatives brought about. Not only does it portray the potential to promptly provide housing for the homeless population, but it also predicts the implications of government decisions post-June 2021 concerning a likely surge in evictions.
While it underscores the possibility of swiftly offering shelter to the homeless population, it also makes clear that the issue of homelessness is far more complex than merely providing housing. Additionally, it foresees the ramifications of post-June 2021 governmental actions, which could result in an anticipated increase in evictions, adding further layers of complexity to this social challenge.
Overall, the graphic highlights both the potential for government action to promptly house the homeless, as demonstrated in the early pandemic, as well as the risks of rising homelessness once pandemic protections ended. Our challenge was to produce a timeline-based design that communicated both tones of information and consequences.
Explaining the benefits of investing in public health
This graphic uses the metaphor of ‘the dog that doesn’t bark’ to communicate the benefits of investing in public health. It visually outlines intervention categorisations and highlights specific categorisations.
We also demonstrate the savings that can be made by investing in public health, using square sizes to show the significance in returns.
