Data Visualization

I designed a data visualization poster that makes the invisible problem of aviation food waste visible and personal. Displayed as an A1 poster at airport gates, it reaches curious travelers in that brief pre-flight moment when they're alert, engaged, and still able to change their in-flight behavior.

Design Approach

Visual Narrative Structure: The poster follows an hourglass flow, starting with your individual flight (personal), expanding to Europe-wide comparison (global context), then returning to actionable steps you can take (personal resolution).

Layered Information: Designed for multiple reading depths. From a distance, you see a runway with planes towing a banner (familiar, low cognitive stress). Moving closer reveals the central column of ascending planes, each representing waste quantities by flight duration (148kg for short-haul, 209kg for medium-haul, 301kg for long-haul). Up close, detailed statistics and the boarding pass call-to-action become readable.

Symbolic Design: Blue represents aviation and air. The upward-moving planes create visual rhythm while emphasizing the waste-duration correlation. The boarding pass at the bottom, a shape every passenger recognizes and carries, anchors practical recommendations in a familiar, trusted form.

Key Visualizations

• Flight Duration Column: Ascending bars showing how longer flights produce exponentially more waste, with plane icons making quantities instantly comparable
• Waste Breakdown: The stark 2,988,000 tonnes as focal point, split into food & beverages (65%), untouched meals (18%), and other waste (17%)
• European Comparison: Globe-centered visualization comparing aviation waste to restaurant waste across European countries, providing local relevance
• Action Ticket: Practical steps formatted as a boarding pass—pre-order meals, share snacks, inform crew

Design Principles

The poster works at three cognitive levels. Distance: central anchor point with familiar runway imagery keeps cognitive stress low. Mid-range: symbols (planes, food) and upward movement engage curiosity. Close-up: detailed text and specific numbers reward sustained attention. This graduated complexity respects both quick scanners and engaged readers.

Semantic ambiguity adds depth: "Sky-High" plays on location and quantity. "...back on the Ground" references both post-flight waste and comparing aviation to Earth-based restaurant waste. These double meanings create moments of realization that enhance memorability.