YouTube Shorts
Graphic Design · Print Design · Data Visualisation · Interactive Presentation
An A3 print-format infographic and interactive Flourish presentation exploring the rise of YouTube Shorts through visual storytelling, chart selection, layout hierarchy, and data-led design.
This project combines research, visual design, infographic layout, and interactive presentation design. I created a static poster for print-style communication and a digital Flourish version to allow viewers to explore the data through animation, hover states, and interactive maps.
Note: This is an independent academic design project and is not affiliated with YouTube.
Project Snapshot
Project Type: Academic / self-directed graphic design project
Format: A3 print-format poster + interactive Flourish presentation
Focus: Data visualisation, print layout, visual hierarchy, infographic design
Tools: Flourish, Adobe Illustrator, Figma, data research, visual layout design
Typeface: Source Sans Pro
My Role: Research, visual design, chart selection, poster layout, annotation, interactive presentation design
The goal of this project was to transform YouTube Shorts data into a clear and visually engaging infographic. I focused on making the poster easy to scan from a distance while still giving viewers enough detail to understand the story behind the data.
The Design Challenge
The main challenge was organising several types of data into one clear A3 poster. The topic is fast, visual, and digital, so the design needed to feel bold and energetic without becoming messy.
I focused on three key design questions:
-
How can YouTube Shorts data be presented in a way that feels engaging and easy to understand?
-
Which chart types best communicate different kinds of information?
-
How can a static poster and an interactive presentation support the same story in different ways?
To solve this, I created a high-contrast layout using a limited black, red, and white visual system. This helped connect the design to the YouTube Shorts identity while keeping the data visually consistent.
Visual Direction
The visual direction was built around a bold black, red, and white colour system. I used this palette to create a strong connection with the subject while keeping the poster clean and readable.
The black background gives the poster a digital and cinematic feel, while the red elements highlight key data points and connect back to the YouTube Shorts visual identity. White typography and chart lines were used to maintain readability and contrast.
I also used large headings, grouped charts, spacing, and clear section divisions to guide the viewer through the poster.
Data Visualisation Decisions
I selected different chart types depending on the kind of information being shown.
-
The donut chart was used to compare video duration categories, making it easier to see which duration range appeared most often.
-
The line chart was used to show growth over time, because it clearly communicates change across years.
-
The bar charts were used to compare top-performing videos by year, making rankings and differences easier to understand.
-
The world map was used to support the global and language-based part of the story, giving the poster a wider geographical context.
Each visual decision was made to support the data, not just decorate the page. The aim was to make the information more understandable while still creating a strong visual composition.
Final A3 Poster
The final poster brings the key information together into one static A3 layout. It was designed to work as a print-format infographic that can be viewed quickly, while still offering enough detail for closer reading.
The poster includes an introduction to YouTube Shorts, a comparison between Shorts and long-form YouTube videos, duration data, language and country-related visuals, growth over time, and top-performing videos across different years.
This helped me practise print-style layout, visual hierarchy, information grouping, and data storytelling within a single large-format design.
Interactive Flourish Presentation
To support the static poster, I also created an interactive Flourish presentation. This version allows viewers to explore the data more directly through animation, hover states, popups, and map interaction.
The interactive version includes a bar chart race, animated growth chart, interactive duration chart, 3D map, and 2D map. These interactions help explain the data in ways that are harder to achieve through a static poster alone.
The static poster works as a strong visual summary, while the Flourish version gives viewers a more exploratory digital experience.
Process and Design Rationale
After creating the static poster, I documented the reasoning behind the chart choices and interaction decisions. This included explaining why certain chart types were used, how animation improves the digital version, and how interaction helps viewers explore the data in more detail.
For example, the interactive version uses a bar chart race to show changes over time, popups to reveal exact values, and map interaction to let viewers explore possible country and language patterns.
This process helped me think beyond the final visual output and explain why each design decision was made.
What I Learnt
This project helped me understand that strong graphic design is not only about making something visually appealing. It is also about organising information, choosing the right chart types, creating clear hierarchy, and helping the viewer understand the message quickly.
I also learnt the difference between designing for static print-style communication and interactive digital storytelling. The poster needed to communicate clearly through layout and composition, while the Flourish version allowed for more depth through animation, hover states, and user exploration.
If I continued improving this project, I would refine the print production setup further, simplify some of the smaller text areas, and create additional responsive versions for mobile and social media.
Skills Demonstrated:
Print layout design, Infographic design, Data visualisation, Visual hierarchy, Chart selection, Research and data sourcing, Interactive presentation design, Typography, Colour system, Information design, Annotation and design rationale, Flourish presentation design