Working RQ: How do state interfaces signal class and power through visual language.

What you’ll analyse (qualitative)

Palette & contrast • Typography & weight • Density/whitespace • Iconography & photography • Motion & flourish • Microcopy tone • Status/authority signals (crests, seals) • CTA styling • Form “ornament” vs clarity • Accessibility cues (labels, focus order).

Week 4 (now)

• Pick EU comparator (NL Toeslagen or FR CAF).
• Capture full-page screenshots of all three sites (home + one key “apply/benefit” page).
• Make a Visual Rhetoric Audit (1 page per site with annotated callouts)

Week 5 — Proposal (800–1000 words)

• Write: context, RQ, method (comparative visual analysis), early observations, intended outcome (prototype), ethics.
• Include 4–6 annotated visuals (side-by-side). Submit.

Week 6

• Build style tiles:
  1. “Luxury-coded” (black/gold, display serif, minimal copy)
  2. “Civic plain” (plain language, high legibility)
  3. “De-excess” (ultra-stripped)
• Decide which EU flow you’ll restyle (e.g., “Apply for housing benefit”). Belastingdienst

Week 7

• Wireframe the chosen EU flow (3–5 key screens) in neutral styling.
• Map where “excess signals” appear (ornament, tone, flourish).

Autumn break

• Collect user impressions informally (5–7 quick A/B screenshot reactions). Keep it anecdotal.

Week 8