Visualizing the Dutch Debt System
Dutch Government
July 2024
Project snapshot
Overview
The Netherlands has 730,000 households struggling with problematic debt. Many get trapped in what the Ombudsman calls "an obstacle course without a finish line." For the Interdepartmental Policy Research (IBO), we developed visualizations that capture this complex reality: both the system as a whole and its impact on individuals.
From System to Individual
The challenge was to summarize the complex system without losing the message that it urgently needs reform. We chose the metro map format for this purpose. Like an actual metro network, it shows different routes, transfer points, and unfortunately, many dead ends.
The metro map alone doesn't tell the complete story. We added bottlenecks and key statistics. But decision-makers need to not only understand how to change the system - they need to want to change it.
To bridge this gap and show the human impact, we developed "the web of debt." This visualization shows how debts accumulate and how small amounts can grow into insurmountable problems through fines and collection costs.
The combination of system overview and human perspective helped us communicate this complex issue clearly to Parliament.
By showing the system through a metro map and telling the human story through the web of debt, we make the urgency for improvements tangible.
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