A visually-driven, narrative-led slide deck to make anti-racist and decolonial practice in policy and advocacy which is actionable.

The development sector has no shortage of statements on anti-racism and decolonisation. But how does a practitioner actually integrate those values into day-to-day policy and advocacy work? This Is the Work set out to answer that not with theory, but with grounded reflection, cross-sectoral insight, and practical pathways for implementation.


Bond and Peace Direct asked us to design a deck that could serve as both a mirror and a roadmap. One that speaks across power, identity, and institutional discomfort. One that supports deep internal work without losing sight of collective change.

We stepped in to bring shape, clarity, and emotional depth to the final output—designing an engaging and readable slide deck that weaves together data, interviews, survey analysis, and practical tools. This included:

• Illustrations that held space for reflection and complexity without overwhelming the content
  
• Infographics that distilled nuanced findings from surveys and interviews into accessible visual formats
  
• Layout and publication design that guided the reader gently through difficult and sometimes confronting material
  
• Sensemaking of dense raw text and inputs across teams, helping bring coherence and flow to the final structure

The visual system for this deck was intentionally soft yet assertive. We avoided harsh contrasts and leaned into neutral, earthy palettes to keep the tone grounded. Layouts shifted rhythmically from focused one-idea spreads to layered, data-dense slides to help readers alternate between reflection and analysis.


We designed icons and visual metaphors that quietly disrupted dominant frameworks. Instead of polished corporate motifs, we leaned into organic forms interwoven strands, fractured grids to represent power dynamics, discomfort, repair, and realignment.
Infographics were designed with reuse in mind: shareable in workshops, screenshare sessions, and presentations. From frameworks that walk teams through equity audits to timelines for internal culture shifts, every visual element was built for practical utility.

• Synthesised feedback from diaspora and Global South advocates alongside UK policy professionals visually representing where perception gaps lie
  
• Mapped barriers such as internal resistance, political fear, and language struggles without flattening the nuances into checkboxes
  
• Framed policy recommendations through equity-infused infographics designed to support real-time reflection and team dialogue
  
• Created visual summaries for what implementation looks like whether it’s redesigning MEL frameworks, rethinking who speaks to power, or holding sector-wide conversations around repair

This Is the Work is more than a slide deck. It’s a bold invitation to take responsibility, to stay with discomfort, and to translate values into structures. It’s already being used by INGOs, researchers, and advocacy teams to spark dialogue, build internal accountability, and rethink how power shows up in their work.


Our role was to shape this material into something that didn’t just inform but moved people.