‘Housing and Living Well with Dementia’ Overview Influencing government policy is one of the hardest outcomes design can help achieve. Working with the Healthy Ageing Research Group at the University of Manchester, we designed a highly accessible, illustration-led policy publication that was supported by an executive summary and short animation, to help decision-makers understand why dementia-friendly housing must become the benchmark for all new builds. The work was presented virtually to Government Ministers and directly contributed to changes in policy and practice across Greater Manchester and nationally. The challenge The team needed to communicate complex, sensitive research in a way that would cut through for multiple audiences — from specialists and stakeholders to senior decision-makers. The report had to be visually engaging, easy to navigate and compelling enough to support real-world change. The timescales were tight: the project had a six-week delivery window, and the animation partner pulled out late in the process — requiring an end-to-end creative solution under pressure. The design approach We produced engaging illustrations from scratch to bring the subject matter to life and make the content more human, memorable and shareable. The outputs were designed as a coherent communication suite: - a 92-page illustrated report for depth and credibility - a 24-page executive summary as an accessible brochure-style version for faster reading and wider dissemination - a 3 min 23 sec animation, created end-to-end at pace — including voiceover sourcing, storyboarding, illustration and production Across the brochure formats, we prioritised clarity and accessibility — building a structure that allows readers to scan key themes quickly, while providing depth for those who need detail. This approach enabled individual spreads and key messages to be lifted cleanly into poster-style assets for stakeholder engagement and presentation environments, without losing coherence. Results and impact Presented virtually to Government Ministers, the work contributed to a change in legislation requiring all new builds to be accessible. As the University of Manchester team noted, ‘the accessibility and design of the report alongside the animation have been key to its dissemination and impact success’ — helping drive direct changes in policy and practice both regionally and nationally. Why this is design for social change This project demonstrates how graphic design can translate research into action. By making complex evidence clearer, more accessible and more widely shareable, the report and executive summary supported better understanding and helped accelerate policy change that improves housing outcomes for people living with dementia.