Cover and Infographics: “Politics Without Violence?”
The London School of Economics (LSE) contacted us to collaborate with Professor and Researcher Jenny Pearce in the co-conceptualization and illustration of the cover for her book Politics Without Violence? Towards a Post-Weberian Enlightenment.
This book explores how violence is present in everyday life, how it escalates due to precariousness and inequality, and how it is used and legitimized by states. The graphic concept, designed by Jenny Pearce and developed by our team, is a homage/parody of the iconic cover of Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes, where the all-powerful state is represented as a benevolent and androgynous figure composed of the people.
Later, we were contacted again to conceptualize and illustrate a series of four infographics in English and Spanish, designed to summarize the book’s key concepts and adapt them into a visually engaging format for social media.
These infographics are based on real photographs of people who have experienced violence in different parts of the world, serving both as a tribute and a visual representation of their realities.
Below, we share an edited excerpt from the London School of Economics (LSE) website:
Using Infographics to Analyze "Politics Without Violence" Knowledge Exchange and Impact (KEI) Project – London School of Economics
(Adapted from https://www.lse.ac.uk/)
"The infographics created by Maneki-Neko Casa de Diseño take a complex theoretical discussion on the Weberian state (the ideal modern bureaucratic state) and connect it to essential aspects of our private and social lives."
Academic theory can often feel disconnected from everyday life. The language, formats, and spaces in which it circulates can make it difficult to access and understand, sometimes making it intimidating for non-specialist audiences.
The Knowledge Exchange and Impact (KEI) projects at LSE support initiatives that make academic research more accessible and engaging for a wider audience.
Through this program, we gave an innovative approach to Jenny Pearce’s book, which rethinks the relationship between politics, the state, and violence through both theory and practice.
Our collaboration with Colombian designers Karen Chimilla and Juan La Rotta from Maneki-Neko Casa de Diseño successfully transformed this complex discussion into a series of visually compelling infographics. These illustrations not only simplify theoretical concepts but also highlight their deep connection to everyday life and society.