SOCIAL IMPACT | EDITORIAL STRATEGY | PURPOSE-LED COMMUNICATION
Executive Snapshot
Empathy was a 2016 coffee-table book conceived by photographer Debbie Yazbek. It combined portrait photography and interviews to share the names and stories of people experiencing homelessness across South Africa.
The book formed part of the Sun International CEO SleepOut programme but had a distinct purpose. The event created one night of attention. Empathy created a lasting record of the people behind the cause.
How could the project communicate homelessness without reducing people to statistics, stereotypes or anonymous images?
The Communication Challenge
The subject required dignity and restraint. The book needed to present difficult stories honestly while giving each participant recognition.
It also had to support public engagement and fundraising. The publication needed visual presence without turning hardship into spectacle.
My Role
The project began when Debbie approached me to develop the publication. This later led to my wider role as Fractional Creative Director and Brand Strategist for The CEO SleepOut South Africa.
For Empathy, I served as Creative Director and Designer. I led the visual direction, page structure, typography, paper selection, printing and finishing. I worked with Debbie and freelance writers to combine photography, interviews and supporting material.
The Communication Response
The design gave each portrait and personal account room to breathe. Restrained typography and careful pacing kept the subjects central, while the structure guided readers through different lives without imposing one narrative on homelessness.
A custom sleeve carried the names of everyone interviewed and photographed. The packaging became an act of recognition. Those featured were acknowledged as individuals, not an unnamed social problem.
The book launched on 23 June 2016 at Arbour Square in Braamfontein. The transformed alleyway event included branded apparel, merchandise and limited-edition portrait prints. Sales extended the story beyond the launch, with proceeds supporting The Salvation Army.
Social and Communication Value
Empathy gave the CEO SleepOut cause a lasting storytelling asset. It connected photography, editorial design, partnership visibility, public engagement and fundraising within one communication system.
The publication showed that social-impact communication can be powerful while protecting the dignity of the people whose stories it tells.
What This Project Demonstrates
Purpose-led communication, editorial strategy, creative direction, sensitive storytelling, stakeholder collaboration, publication design and production leadership.
View the Publication
The project shows how a carefully designed book can turn awareness into recognition, memory and action.
View the Empathy Book Project
A purpose-led publication designed to create dignity, visibility and emotional connection.
Portrait-led storytelling designed to foreground the person, not the stereotype.
A disciplined editorial approach allowed each story to land with clarity, weight and humanity.
Typography and layout were used strategically to support emotion without overpowering the content.
Supporting collateral helped bridge the publication with the live audience experience.
The visual system extended into launch communications, helping create a cohesive campaign experience.
The project came to life through a site-specific Braamfontein launch designed to deepen engagement and support fundraising.