Illustrating Diabetes For Children

Client

Steno diabetes center

Project type

Graphic design

Role

Illustrator and
graphic designer

TOOLS

Adobe Creative Suite

Project year

2020

The project spanned a few months and involved making the illustration for Steno Diabetes Center's informational packet 'Information about type-1 diabetes' with kids as a target audience. The illustrations therefor had to be designed in a way that children would find them interesting and engaging, but also easy to understand.

The project involved making everything from infographics, faces showing the different side effects of diabetes, illustrations of 'the 10 dietary tips', and various other icons and illustrations for the informational packet.

Food Where you count

Fore people suffering from diabetes, counting the amount of carbohydrates in their food is a necessary part of their everyday lives. In order to maintain a stable blood sugar level, insulin and the amount of carbohydrates have to be balanced. Especially for children, suffering from diabetes, it can be demanding and stressful to remember all the foods, where they need to count the amount of carbohydrates

The illustration to the right, is meant to help children and their parents, gain an overview of the different foods where they need to count the amount of carbohydrates.

Food where you do NOT count

Fat and protein are important components in the food we eat.
Even though diabetes suffers, do need to be extra attentive to what they eat, and take insulin when needed, there are some general rules that applies to us all (whether suffering from diabetes or not)

Generally diabetes suffers should avoid foods that are high i saturated fat (yellow area) and eat more food that are high in unsaturated fat (green area).

Low blood sugar

For people suffering from diabetes, it is important to be aware of their blood sugar level in order to maintain a stable blood sugar. Diabetes suffers have to be able to identify the different side effects of a low blood sugar level, in order to act accordingly. A low blood sugar level is often a sign of too much insulin or having had too little food. It can also be a due to being physically active or alcohol. The illustrations to the right represents symptoms of a low blod sugar level.
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From top left: Visual disturbances, moody, tired, sweaty

High blood sugar

Similarly, it is important for diabetes suffers to be able to recognize symptoms of a high blood sugar level. A high blood sugar level is a sign of having taken too little insulin. In these situations suffers have to take extra insulin. The illustrations to the left represents side effects, seen in people suffering from a high blood sugar level.

From top right: Sleepy, Thirsty, Dry mouth, Needing to pee

High blood sugar side effects

From top right: Sleepy, Thirsty, Dry mouth, Needing to pee

The 10 dietary tips

People suffering from diabetes need, like the rest of us, to be aware of what they eat. Generally it is a good idea to follow the official dietary tips, as stated by 'the National Board of Health (Sundhedsstyrelsen).

To present the dietary advice, I decided to illustrate them on plates (a fun gimmick). Also it was important to use the same illustrations, that was used in the carb counting illustrations, as Steno pointed out that the relation between the dietary tips, and what you can eat, should be clear.

The plate model

It is recomended to plate your meals, based on the y-plate model, in order to balance the amount of carbohydrates, fat and protein in the meal. You can plate your meal according to the t-plate, if you f.eks. need to gain weight.

Y-Plate

T-PLATE