Human Rights Foundation—Tyranny Tracker
Human Rights & Policy
Working closely with the Human Rights Foundation, we developed the brand identity alongside designer Eric Hurtgen and designed the Tyranny Tracker—an interactive democracy index that maps how authoritarian regimes consolidate power and where democratic resilience persists.
The challenge was translating complex global political data into a clear, engaging experience. Built as an interactive microsite, the platform makes critical information more accessible to journalists, policymakers, and the public.
Launched at the One World Observatory in New York, the project reflects our belief in design as a tool for clarity, awareness, and impact. Read more about the launch event here.
Explore the site at tyrannytracker.org
Credits
Video by Tenzin Dorjee, Photography by Cultivator
Services
Interactive Map
Motion Design
Logo Design
Digital Assets
Social Templates
Art Direction
Year
2020
Human Rights Foundation—Tyranny Tracker
Human Rights & Policy
Details
Working closely with the Human Rights Foundation, we developed the brand identity alongside designer Eric Hurtgen and designed the Tyranny Tracker—an interactive democracy index that maps how authoritarian regimes consolidate power and where democratic resilience persists.
The challenge was translating complex global political data into a clear, engaging experience. Built as an interactive microsite, the platform makes critical information more accessible to journalists, policymakers, and the public.
Launched at the One World Observatory in New York, the project reflects our belief in design as a tool for clarity, awareness, and impact. Read more about the launch event here.
Explore the site at tyrannytracker.org
Credits
Video by Tenzin Dorjee, Photography by Cultivator
Services
Interactive Map
Logo Design
Motion Design
Digital Assets
Social Templates
Year
2020
Human Rights Foundation—Tyranny Tracker
Human Rights & Policy
Details
Working closely with the Human Rights Foundation, we developed the brand identity alongside designer Eric Hurtgen and designed the Tyranny Tracker—an interactive democracy index that maps how authoritarian regimes consolidate power and where democratic resilience persists.
The challenge was translating complex global political data into a clear, engaging experience. Built as an interactive microsite, the platform makes critical information more accessible to journalists, policymakers, and the public.
Launched at the One World Observatory in New York, the project reflects our belief in design as a tool for clarity, awareness, and impact. Read more about the launch event here.
Explore the site at tyrannytracker.org
Credits
Video by Tenzin Dorjee, Photography by Cultivator
Services
Interactive Map
Motion Design
Logo Design
Year
2026
Process
Process
Working closely with the Human Rights Foundation, the project began by unpacking an existing map that, while rich in data, lacked clarity and usability. Together, we defined what the Tyranny Tracker needed to communicate and how users should engage with it.
At its core is a global map categorizing countries across three conditions—authoritarian, hybrid, and democratic. The color system of red, yellow, and blue was retained for its symbolic weight, becoming a key anchor for both the interface and the broader identity.
From there, we focused on interaction. We explored how users navigate, hover, and uncover information—developing moments like responsive map states and card interactions that reveal deeper insights without overwhelming the experience.
The visual identity evolved directly from the system itself. The map informed the logo, motion, and supporting language, resulting in a cohesive, minimal framework that could scale across the microsite and launch event.
Working with the Human Rights Foundation, we refined an existing data-rich map into a clearer, more usable experience—defining what the Tyranny Tracker needed to communicate and how users engage with it.
The map categorizes countries as authoritarian, hybrid, or democratic, with the red, yellow, and blue system anchoring both interface and identity.
We focused on interaction—shaping navigation, hover states, and card reveals—while the visual identity evolved from the system itself, extending across the microsite and launch event.
OUTCOME
Working with the Human Rights Foundation, we refined an existing data-rich map into a clearer, more usable experience—defining what the Tyranny Tracker needed to communicate and how users engage with it.
The map categorizes countries as authoritarian, hybrid, or democratic, with the red, yellow, and blue system anchoring both interface and identity.
We focused on interaction—shaping navigation, hover states, and card reveals—while the visual identity evolved from the system itself, extending across the microsite and launch event.
outcome
outcome
The Tyranny Tracker creates a more accessible way to understand the global state of freedom—turning complex political data into something people can quickly grasp and engage with.
By making this information clearer and more navigable, the platform supports journalists, policymakers, and researchers in communicating and acting on these insights more effectively.
What resonated most were the conversations with those working in human rights. The clarity of the tool helps drive awareness, support, and a deeper understanding of what’s at stake.
A reminder of the role design can play in shaping how critical information is seen, understood, and shared.
Next Project
January Media
Arts & Culture
Next Project
January Media
Arts & Culture
Next Project
January Media
Arts & Culture