Darjan Hil is a European information designer, data visualization educator, and book author based in Basel, Switzerland. He co-founded Superdot with Nicole Lachenmeier and co-authored Visualizing Complexity: the Modular Information Design Handbook. Darjan is the initiator of the well known international event series called On Data And Design and is acclaimed for his expertise in making complex issues accessible and understandable through his innovative diagram types. His work spans a diverse range of domains including data visualization, data storytelling, knowledge mapping, information architecture, and digitalization strategies. Focused on developing both physical and digital experiences, he enhances human understanding and engagement with data.

Book

As co-editor of the book Visualizing Complexity: Modular Information Design Handbook, Darjan explores new ways with multidimensional visualisation through a modular system of 80 elements, always looking for best practices to find out what might help us better communicate complexity in the future. Published in 2022 following a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised $50,000, the book has made a significant impact in the field of information design. It has been honored with the prestigious Austrian Joseph Binder Award, the Art Directors Club Award, the Indigo Design Award, the ICMA Award, and the Deutsche Presse Agentur Award. Additionally, 'Visualizing Complexity' has been longlisted for the European Design Award, the Schönsten Deutschen Bücher Award and the Information is Beautiful Award, and was nominated for the Swiss Design Awards, marking its influence and critical acclaim.

Early Career

Darjan grew up in Vienna, where he earned a Master of Science in Business Informatics from the University of Vienna. In his early professional life, working in information technology at IBM and later Credit Suisse, he experienced a great deal of inefficiency arising from digital tools, remote work, and countless problems deriving from miscommunication. Witnessing a colleague explaining complexity, using a pen and a flipchart, inspired Darjan research more on the old masters like Otto Neurath, Fritz Kahn, and to rekindle his studies, eventually graduating in 2011 with a Master of Arts in Visual Communication and Iconic Research from the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland.

Career

In 2011 Darjan co-founded Superdot (formerly YAAY) while working as a researcher at the University of Applied Sciences, Northwestern Switzerland. Together with Nicole Lachenmeier and the Superdot Team, their work has been among others awarded with the Information is Beautiful award for the work for Swiss Post, The Out of Balance Award from Stiftung Bauhaus for the depiction of the income gap and the Deutsche Presse Agentur Award for the visualisation of the concept of Sufficiency, the Swiss Viz Award for the visualization of the Swiss Egg Market and the Luxembourg Viz Award for the new visualization of Hans Rosling. Their designs have been exhibited at the Vienna Design Week, the UN World Data Forum, the Swiss Design Awards and the Zurich Design Weeks. Their collaborations include clients ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies, international organizations, museums, foundations, and universities. A selection of their customers are UNICEF, Swiss Federal Statistical Office, Roche Pharma AG, United Nations UNECE, Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture FOAG of Agriculture, City of Basel, Swiss Post and various Swiss Universities of Applied Sciences.

Teaching and Lectures

Darjan teaches Modular Information Design at various organisations, Swiss and international Universities including BA Data Design at Art at HSLU, BA Digital Ideation at HSLU, MA Design at HSLU, BA MultiMediaArt in Salzburg, CAS Data Visualization at HKB and Science Communication at the University of Basel. He has served as speaker at several conferences such as EDCH Munich, On Data And Design, ISVIS Tel Aviv, Keynote at 2co Sardinia, Information Design Conference, Data Visualization Zürich Meetup, 2co Barcelona. There are podcasts interviews with Darjan Hil at This is HCD, Nodes of Design and PolicyViz Podcast. Part of jury SDGviz Awards and IIID Award 2023. The last published articles are Grafikmagazin: Komplexität Attraktiv machen and Organisator Magazin: Auf den ersten Blick klar! The latest talk was on the power of data and is available at BaselTech online.

On Data And Design

Aside from his career in academia and design, Darjan initiated a event series called On Data And Design in 2018. Starting with a first lecture series in Vienna on the topics between data and design the format grew bigger expanding to Basel and Berlin. Today the events are hosting world known speakers and streamed over youtube to a big community of information design lovers. Darjan continues to strengthen and enable the understanding of a growing discipline of information designers.

Social Media

You can find Darjan on Linkedin and on Instagram.