Microsite Launch

Tyranny Tracker Microsite Launch at One World Trade Center

03.05.26

2-3 min

Jacqui Lau

Seeing our work come to life on the 102nd floor of the One World Observatory at One World Trade Center, also known as the Freedom Tower, was one of those full circle moments.

Over the past few months, we’ve been working closely with the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) to build and brand the Tyranny Tracker, which officially launched Thursday, February 26, 2026.

The Human Rights Foundation’s Tyranny Tracker is a democracy index designed to document how authoritarian regimes consolidate power and where democratic resilience persists. According to HRF’s research, around 75% of the world’s population currently lives under authoritarian rule, making tools like this increasingly important for journalists, policymakers, and the public trying to understand the global state of freedom.

Our role at Plan of Record was to lead the brand identity and design the interactive Tyranny Tracker microsite, working alongside Eric Hurtgen. The challenge was translating complex political data and global political analysis into something people could actually engage with and understand.

This project holds a special place for us. It’s not consumer-facing work. It’s social impact.

One of the most powerful moments of the evening was hearing Yulia Navalnaya speak. She continues the work and legacy of her late husband, Alexei Navalny, in the fight against authoritarianism. The room was filled with activists, journalists, technologists, and people who have risked so much for freedom. It was humbling.

What stayed with me most were conversations with a few human rights activists afterward. They shared that making this information visually clear truly matters. It helps awareness. It helps fundraising. And it helps people grasp what’s at stake.