For De Morgen, I translated the story into the visual language of a roller coaster, where each cart—represented by the currencies of different nations—symbolizes economic movement and stability. While the other carts steadily climb upward, Belgium’s dramatically plunges downward, turning financial performance into a striking visual metaphor.
The contrast between ascent and descent emphasizes the imbalance at the heart of the narrative, transforming economic data into a more immediate and engaging image.t
For this illustration, I developed the concept of a roller coaster as a metaphor for economic performance. The carts, represented by different national currencies, move upward in a stable climb while Belgium’s sharply dives downward, creating an immediate visual contrast that transforms complex financial dynamics into a clear and engaging narrative.
Alternative sketch ideas developed for the article, exploring different visual directions and narrative approaches:
1. An illustrated infographic translating market performance into a more data-driven visual language, using the rise and fall of financial trends as the central storytelling element.
2. The selected concept, built around the metaphor of a roller coaster where carts represented by different national currencies create an immediate contrast between stability and decline.
3. A more symbolic and dramatic direction featuring Brussels’ iconic monument as the main protagonist, collapsing with a heavy impact to visually emphasize the sudden downturn and sense of instability at the center of the story.
Client: De Morgen
Art Director: Katrijn Oelbrandt
Art Director: Katrijn Oelbrandt