Samariterbund Makes the Burden of Inflation Visible
With a creative idea that not only generates attention, but also enables direct support. Inflatiography doesn’t explain inflation – it makes rising costs tangible.
Inflation is not an abstract number hidden in economic reports – it is part of everyday life. It appears at the supermarket checkout and in monthly rent payments. In the silent question of whether there is still too much month left at the end of the money.
Together with Demner, Merlicek & Bergmann / DMB. and Media1, Samariterbund Austria is now transforming this burden into a visible, emotional experience. For this purpose, a dynamic web font called “Inflatiography” was specially developed. “A typeface that makes data tangible. Typography that shows how rising prices affect people – this idea is at the communicative heart of the campaign. We are proud to partner with Samariterbund on a project that makes the harsh reality faced by so many people visible,” explains Sebastian Kaufmann, Executive Creative Director at DMB.
On February 20, the World Day of Social Justice, headlines and texts on the websites of selected Austrian media outlets and cultural institutions will begin to change – depending on the regional financial burden. The higher the burden in a specific area, the harder the text becomes to read. “The letters become denser, their contours blur. Words gradually become harder to read – just as life becomes harder when incomes can no longer keep pace with rising costs. That is exactly what the campaign "The harder life becomes, the harder it is to read" aims to highlight,” explains Wolfgang Dihanits, Deputy Federal Secretary of Samariterbund Austria.
Participating media companies are supporting the initiative pro bono to make the effects of inflation immediately tangible for website visitors.
The project is based on publicly available datasets from Eurostat, Statistics Austria, and WKO. Regional household expenses are modeled in relation to regional net median income. Compared to the previous year, the additional financial burden for each region is calculated and displayed based on the user’s location. The result is a typeface that dynamically changes depending on where users are located — making individual living realities visible. When words become harder to read, we cannot afford to look away.
Through a dedicated landing page, the font can be used in exchange for a donation. The proceeds support Samariterbund’s social institutions and initiatives, reaching those who carry the heaviest burden: people who can barely keep up despite working full-time, families forced to stretch every euro, and pensioners who must choose between heating and food.