Case study

Visualizing the Dutch Debt System

The Netherlands has 730,000 households struggling with problematic debt. Many get trapped in what the Ombudsman calls "an obstacle course without a finish line." For the Interdepartmental Policy Research (IBO), we developed visualizations that capture this complex reality: both the system as a whole and its impact on individuals.

From System to Individual

The challenge was to summarize the complex system without losing the message that it urgently needs reform. We chose the metro map format for this purpose. Like an actual metro network, it shows different routes, transfer points, and unfortunately, many dead ends.

The metro map alone doesn't tell the complete story. We added bottlenecks and key statistics. But decision-makers need to not only understand how to change the system - they need to want to change it.

To bridge this gap and show the human impact, we developed "the web of debt." This visualization shows how debts accumulate and how small amounts can grow into insurmountable problems through fines and collection costs.

Escalting debt.
Minister Schouten (Poverty Policy, Participation and Pensions) sent Parliament the final report of the Interdepartmental Policy Research (IBO) on Problematic Debt, 'Towards a Better Working Debt Chain'.
More than 700,000 people have problematic debts.
The IBO report describes the societal context of the debt problem.
The report contains numerous infographics explaining the complex subject matter.
The complex subject matter is made relatable through concrete personal stories.
A opinion piece in newspaper De Volkskrant by Ernst van Koesveld.
The combination of system overview and human perspective helped us communicate this complex issue clearly to Parliament.
Project Leader

Ministry of Social Affairs

By showing the system through a metro map and telling the human story through the web of debt, we make the urgency for improvements tangible.
Maurits Fornier

Design lead

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Maurits Fornier - Co-founder

Maurits Fornier

Co-founder