Wasafiri

The project

Wasafiri Consulting works with organisations across Africa, Europe and the USA to address complex challenges including poverty, insecurity and inequality.

I worked with the Wasafiri team to turn its SystemCraft content from a series of PowerPoint slides into a professionally designed publication, creating a flexible editorial style supported by custom graphics, diagrams and carefully selected imagery.

Creating a stronger publication style

Wasafiri had an established brand and a basic PowerPoint toolkit, but limited visual direction for longer reports and publications.

The project provided an opportunity to develop a more distinctive editorial approach that still felt connected to the existing identity and could be adapted for future documents.

Turning presentation content into a publication

The original SystemCraft material had been developed primarily as presentation slides.

I worked with the team to restructure the content into a more considered long-form format, creating clearer pacing, hierarchy and progression throughout the document.

Rather than simply transferring the slides into pages, the content was reworked into a magazine-style layout designed to support both focused reading and quick scanning.

Designing for complex information

SystemCraft explores complex ideas and strategic approaches, so the design needed to make a substantial amount of information feel manageable.

I introduced a clear typographic hierarchy, structured page layouts and consistent visual cues to help readers understand the relationship between sections, key messages and supporting detail.

Pull quotes, highlighted statements and varied content treatments created pauses within the heavier sections and helped important ideas stand out.

Developing custom diagrams and graphics

The publication required supporting visuals that could explain systems, processes and relationships more clearly than text alone.

I designed custom diagrams, charts and graphic elements that worked within the wider visual language of the report. These helped break down complex subjects while giving the publication a stronger and more recognisable identity.

Using imagery to support the story

Wasafiri had access to a broad image library connected to its international work.

I reviewed and selected imagery that supported the content and added a more human dimension to the report. The photographs were integrated into the layouts using varied scales and crops, helping balance the strategic material with real-world context.

Creating an editorial rhythm

The document was designed with a varied visual rhythm rather than relying on one repeated page template.

Full-page imagery, text-led spreads, diagrams, section dividers and more detailed editorial layouts were combined throughout the publication. This made a long and information-heavy document feel more engaging while maintaining consistency from beginning to end.

Designing for print and digital use

The final publication needed to work both as a printed report and as a document viewed online.

Layouts, typography and graphics were developed with both uses in mind, ensuring the content remained legible on screen while retaining the quality and impact expected from a professionally printed publication.

Building a foundation for future reports

The visual direction created for SystemCraft was designed to extend beyond a single document.

The layout principles, typographic hierarchy and graphic treatments gave Wasafiri a stronger foundation for future reports and publications, helping the organisation communicate complex ideas more consistently.

The result

The completed report transformed the original presentation content into a polished and accessible publication.

The combination of editorial design, custom information graphics and carefully selected imagery made the SystemCraft framework easier to navigate and more engaging to read, while giving Wasafiri a clear visual direction for future communications.

Client feedback

“We worked with Sofi on the design of a high-stakes publication and were delighted with the end result. She was professional and responsive throughout the entire process.”

Hamish Wilson, Wasafiri

Services

• Report design
• Editorial design
• Publication layout
• Information design
• Diagram and graphic design
• Typography and hierarchy
• Image selection and art direction
• Print-ready artwork
• Digital publication design

Need to turn a complex report into something people will actually want to read?

I design clear, engaging publications that organise detailed information, strengthen key messages and work confidently across print and digital formats.