As a part of the Sunday Times' award-winning redesign, I developed and implemented a new style guide and design system for the publication's in-house Graphics department

The system combines a structured typographic heirachy with a considered use of colour and a set of consistent design principles to establish a clear visual language for telling stories through data

The main objective was to focus on clearly communicating information. Taking cues from the wider redesign project, I designed a fleixble, modular framework for data visualisations and information graphics that has formed the basis for all graphics created by the department since 2017

The new design system minimises visual clutter and puts data front and centre

A loose illustrative approach, inspired by old instruction manuals and technical diagrams, was introduced for graphics that require drawn elements to help explain events and tell stories. A consistently strong use of typography also helps to guide readers through narratives and signpost themes

Although the wider redesign project focused solely on the printed edition of the newspaper, the graphics design system needed to work for the requirements of the publication's tablet and web editions too

The modular nature of the framework means any print edition graphic can easily be broken down in to smaller, self-contained components that are suitable for the rigid templates with which the digital editions are created