By Jane Sun on June, 2017

The source data was drawn from several decades ago, so the design began with updated research. According to the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, suicide accounts for approximately 14.7% of all deaths among young people — a figure that has worsened steadily over the decades. The infographic frames this trend rather than a single data point, giving the statistic historical weight.

A teddy bear was chosen as the central metaphor to signal youth and innocence — objects associated with childhood standing in for the lives the data represents. The bears scale proportionally with the rising rate, making the increase visible through size rather than numbers alone. The monochromatic blue palette carries the emotional weight of the subject: grief, distance, and quiet sorrow.