PORTFOLIO / TRANSLATING QUALITATIVE INSIGHTS ON LONELINESS

Translating Qualitative Insights on Loneliness

CONTEXT

The project involved translating Taraki Wellbeing’s research report, Exploring the Experience of Loneliness in South Asian Punjabi British Communities with Lived Experiences of Mental Health Challenges: A Qualitative Study, into a series of visualisations. The study, based on semi-structured interviews with 18 participants, identified four key themes surrounding loneliness in the Punjabi community. These included internal and external factors contributing to loneliness, the relationship between loneliness and mental health, and the ways participants coped with their loneliness.

The study findings were narrative rather than numerical, so the challenge was to visually communicate complex emotional and social themes. The outcome was a series of 7 visualisations designed to summarise the research in an engaging, accessible way.

Figure 1.

I designed this figure, along with Figure 2, to introduce the study and highlight the significance of researching the Punjabi community. Punjabis make up the largest ethnic group within the British Asian population and form a major sub-group of both British Indian and British Pakistani communities.

Figure 2. View on Instagram→

This visual illustrates the factors contributing to loneliness in the general UK population while highlighting that the Punjabi community faces additional, culturally specific risks. Research shows that immigrant populations often experience unique challenges, including mental health struggles, limited access to support, and social isolation. To inform this figure, I conducted a literature review to identify and group these risk factors.

ABOUT TARAKI

Taraki works with Punjabi communities to reshape approaches to mental health through awareness, education, application, and research. Its research strand, Taraki Thinks, combines data and lived experience to produce evidence-based insights into the mental health of Punjabi communities. Through surveys, focus groups, and partnerships, Taraki centres community voices to ensure mental health work is grounded in real experiences and shared knowledge.

Figure 3.

I adapted one of Taraki’s signature graphic styles to illustrate the demographic characteristics of the study participants.

Figure 4. View on Instagram→

I aimed to visually communicate the key findings of the first two themes in the study: “How I understand and experience loneliness” and “How loneliness entered my life.” The study identified subthemes and contributing factors within these themes. I conducted a text-based analysis of the report to classify the frequency of these factors and subthemes, then visualised them in a force-directed graph.

Figure 5. View on Instagram→

The third theme explored how participants connected their experiences of loneliness with mental health. Within this theme, I identified three layers in the conversations: the vicious cycle of loneliness and mental health reinforcing each other, the negative outcomes that arise from this cycle, and the factors that make the cycle difficult to break.

Figure 6. View on Instagram→

APPROACH

I created the visuals primarily in Illustrator, with some exploratory analysis in Python. I intentionally designed the graphics to appear hand-drawn, giving them a warm and relatable feel that aligns with Taraki’s brand. Guided by Taraki’s clear brand book, I adhered closely to their colour palette and typography to ensure visual continuity. Loneliness was represented in purple, a deep, reflective hue, while elements representing the Punjabi community used Taraki’s signature yellow. I kept the overall palette minimal to reflect the brand’s clean aesthetic.

Figure 7.

Each visualisation was formatted for social media to support Taraki’s outreach and community engagement.