A project examining how coded digital language fosters belonging, protection and identity within vulnerable communities, focusing on the financial jargon used by the Chinese community in Spain
Off the Record
IED Barcelona - Student: Evelyn Yu
Academic year
2025/2026
Although the Spanish tax system is presented as neutral, different communities experience it in different ways. Private platforms such as WeChat and Telegram encourage more open conversations about financial matters, whereas public platforms lead to greater self-censorship, the development of more sophisticated linguistic strategies or, in some cases, participants choosing to remain silent.
These findings gave rise to “Off the Record”: a coded alphabet of 27 characters, a thesis publication that functions as a dictionary, a type catalogue, a type specimen and an interactive digital experience that brings to light a financial language that usually remains hidden.
Winner Best Thesis Award Visual Arts + Honourable Mention Best Thesis Award Graphic Design 2026
Evelyn Yu is a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design student
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