Illustrated History of Scouse by Anna Simmons

Opening page of the historical illustrated story, introducing the narrative through colour, layout and hand-lettered titles.

One of my favourite activities is finding ways to explain things. When someone stops me, to ask for directions I (secretly) love it! It's really about switching perspectives—stepping into the other person's shoes and considering what they know or don't know. It’s a sort of problem solving.

An Invitation to Explore

So, when I was invited to contribute to the U.S. indie magazine Kitchen Table and given complete creative freedom, I saw it as the perfect chance to tune into the viewpoint of their readership in telling a story: an illustrated history from a British perspective. Given the magazine's themes of food and community, along with my own links to (and obsession with) Liverpool, I decided I would tell the tale of how the name for a dish, evolved into a word meaning… ‘of Liverpool’.

This was also a lovely opportunity to have fun exploiting my unique illustration skillset: expertise in lettering, design and visual problem solving partnered with a love of imaginative and evocative visual storytelling.

Visual Storytelling: A Journey Through Time

So, how to explain the various meanings and histories of a colloquial term to someone who has heard of the city, but maybe not ‘scousers’? And how to span 300 years- in 3 pages?! I got to work, crafting an illustrated and hand lettered story: the Illustrated History of Scouse by Anna Simmons.

Full 3-page visual essay at a glance -storytelling through sequence,drawing and layout.

I knew I needed to be as visually economical as possible- because who wants to invest in reading pages of dense text? Instead, I edited the information using a visual hierarchy so that key moments stand out, with changing colour schemes differentiating the phases and chapters. This allowed readers to absorb the essence of the story in an instant or skim through and let the highlights leap out. A no pressure invitation to explore and understand history in a way that's engaging as well as enlightening.

Servings of Lettering, Pictograms and Visual Storytelling

I chose storyboard storytelling to bring the story to life through a sequence of frames. This way, I could improvise the most effective graphic device for each concept, switching illustration approaches for each window, or sequence of windows. Thereby solving every twist and turn in the story with a different illustration skill.

Bold hand lettering used to visualise the mix of influences behind the Liverpool accent. A standalone example from a visual essay, highlighting expressive lettering design.

A mini-map element helped convey geographical information in the blink of an eye and I used visual storytelling and pictographic approaches to present complex information fast and clearly. When it’s illustrated, hand lettered and infused with vintage textures, history is never boring!

Visual Analogies and Poetic Expressions

In contrast, some moments in the story required me to switch to an entirely imaginative and poetic approach. Allowing for the expression empathy, and connection, even when the subjects themselves might be elusive, sensitive or so big that they are hard to visualise.

A still, pared-back moment that sits between fact and feeling. The map and figure are drawn simply, allowing the subject’s weight to emerge without explanation.

With other scenes, I used visual analogy or wove information through storytelling illustrations; adding hand lettering designed to jump out.

My love of colour also took centre stage as I employed limited palettes to shift the mood and segment the narrative into distinct chapters. Occasionally I used my understanding of colour theory to help organise information in a way that guides the viewer's eye and enriches the visual experience.

Crystallising complex history in a small space—this sequence distils emotional weight and historical clarity through striking lettering and impactful composition.

Looking Back

Through this project, I explored new approaches and refined my skills, blending colour, texture, and design to bring a complex history vividly to life. I really enjoy crafting visuals that not only tell a story but also guide the viewer to discover extra layers of meaning.

If The Illustrated History of Scouse sparked any ideas, take a look around. This project is also featured on a page where I share more about how I handle narrative-led illustration for informative content here. If you’ve got a story that might lend itself to this kind of visual storytelling, I’d love to hear from you.