Calgary Foundation Quality of Life Report

Multiple Award Winner – Print & Social Good

Daughter

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Calgary Foundation annually releases its Quality of Life Report, a city-wide study examining the experiences and perceptions of Calgarians. For the 2025 edition, the goal was to move beyond presenting survey data and create a report that captured the emotional and social realities behind the numbers. The report needed to resonate with civic leaders, nonprofit organizations, media and the broader public. The concept, “Through a Different Lens,” emerged from the insight that Calgarians experience the city differently depending on income, race, gender, age and housing stability. The creative approach focused on revealing contrasts between perception and reality, optimism and hardship, and visibility and invisibility.

The design system used layering, concealment and reveal as core visual devices. Typography and layout were structured so that certain statistics or messages unfolded gradually, encouraging readers to uncover the fuller context behind headline numbers. Content and pacing were organized around disparity and lived experience, with each section examining a different dimension of life in the city. The final report transformed complex civic data into a visually engaging and emotionally resonant publication. Launched at the Foundation’s Vital City event, the report generated significant public conversation and received widespread attention from civic organizations, nonprofit leaders and national media.