Designing Out Economic Abuse in the UK Banking Industry – Northumbria University, City University London

A series of four research illustrations and comics created for the UKFin+ feasibility study “Designing Out Economic Abuse in the UK Banking Industry“, led by Dr Clare Wiper (Northumbria University) and Dr Belén Barros Peña (City, University of London). The study examines how UK banks can redesign everyday service features such as joint accounts, payment references, and transaction visibility to prevent perpetrators from using financial systems as tools of abuse.

The visuals served as participatory tools within focus groups, helping victim-survivors and participants articulate experiences that can be difficult to put into words, and also as part of practical guidance for UK banking institutions.

Co-designing research illustration with participants means the images are shaped by the people whose experiences they represent, not imposed on them. Working iteratively with the research team and informed directly by victim-survivors, I developed comics that make a hidden form of abuse clear enough for industry audiences to act on, while preserving the trust of those who shared their stories. If you’re a researcher looking to translate your findings into illustration, comics or animation for participatory research, public engagement or impact, I’d love to hear from you — get in touch here.