Design system for visualizing data and maps
The Norwegian Railway Directorate has national coordination responsibility and is professionally responsible for coordinating the railway sector. A key challenge has been the lack of a comprehensive visual representation of data and information in their presentations and documentation.
The challenge
The Norwegian Railway Directorate must present varied and/or complex messages both internally and externally. Not only must the data be published, it must be communicated in an understandable way, to create interest and insight.
This, combined with the fact that they are a large organization, requires a high degree of standardization for people with all levels of technical and visual expertise to be able to produce good visualizations. The work was simply to equip employees to be able to work strategically with storytelling.
The insight phase
We began by formulating the goal for the customer across departments and creating a shared understanding of the task. The phase consisted of analyzing existing materials and interviewing employees to map opportunities and challenges.
The design phase
The key was to find the right balance between abstraction and detail. We did this by addressing (and solving) real complex problems, which informed and challenged the design choices along the way.
Design Award
Visual Diploma 2025
Category: design system
This design system elegantly balances detail and abstraction. It provides a coherent visual identity for maps, line maps, icons and diagrams, making it easier for the directorate to communicate insights to both professionals and the public. A solid delivery that not only enhances the visual experience, but also facilitates the presentation of complex messages in an understandable way.
Comment from the jury, Visual
Implementation
The most important thing during the implementation of the system was regular dialogue with resource persons at the Norwegian Railway Directorate to confirm/deny choices along the way. The phase also included training in the design tool Figma, so that the delivery could be used from day one.
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