Editorial design for Orvault Magazine:
Clarifying public action through illustration
illustration – information design – graphic design
Editorial design for
Orvault Magazine:
Clarifying public action
through illustration
Date
– 2022/23
Client
– Ville d’Orvault
Role
– artistic direction
– illustration
– information design
For the City of Orvault, I conceived and designed a recurring editorial format aimed at making local government services and policies more accessible. Featured in the municipal magazine, the illustrated page titled “Comment faire?” (“How to…”) offers clear, friendly answers to everyday questions from residents. The goal: to translate complex public actions into practical, readable, and visually engaging content.
Each issue highlights a new topic tied to everyday life in the city, be it understanding a civic initiative, navigating a change in local services, or discovering a new municipal program. For example, one feature explains how residents can apply for support through the Local Initiatives Committee to launch a neighborhood project. Another provides an illustrated walkthrough of how a second vegetarian menu was introduced in school cafeterias, detailing how meals are designed, prepared, and adapted for young residents.
These features act as “civic tutorials,” decoding municipal actions with pedagogical clarity while spotlighting the work of city staff. My role included structuring and adapting key messages, transforming technical or administrative information into an engaging narrative, and establishing a warm, inclusive tone in line with the publication’s editorial voice.
Illustration is not just decorative here, it leads the storytelling. I developed a custom flat design style that is clean, colorful, and expressive. Rounded shapes, soft tones, and stylized characters help convey friendliness and familiarity, inviting readers to recognize themselves in the scenarios depicted. This warm visual language supports comprehension and strengthens emotional proximity with the audience.
“Comment faire?” embodies a more direct, accessible, and empathetic approach to public communication. It’s a strong example of how editorial design can bring government closer to its people, making policy not just visible and understandable, but also meaningful and human.
