Data project

When I was given this title I was a bit unsure of how to tackle the task as it could be said that the outcome for this project required a more digital approach, an area that I am not too comfortable with. What made it increasingly difficult to justify working by hand instead of on a computer was that often when working with data one has to be very precise as it involves exact figures. However researching the topic, I started to think of ways around this problem and how relative representation of figures can be just as effective as exact and calculated forms.

They above image documents my initial idea exploration. I thought about working with genetics and how the DNA of someone might be represented through and image that compliments the subject, such as righting a person's physical characteristics along the lines in an image of a fingerprint.

I also liked the idea of working with a map and different countries, experimenting ideas such as the different countries an airline would fly to or the demographics of a curtain country.

The second day of this week was a self directed study day so I took the opportunity to go and see the recommend "Big Bang Data" exhibition and Somerset House.

There were a few pieces that particularly caught my attention and sparked ideas for the data project. For example "World Processor" by Ingo Gunther consists of a series of globes that graphically describe information from the time they were created. There are over 1,000 pieces in the series produced between 1989 and 2015, each using the world map to represent data on a political, economic, geographical, social, historical, environmental and technological issues.

Bellow are some other pieces from the exhibition that I liked. The first uses photographs to document a certain place or memory and then underneath is written certain details of when and where the photo was taken and the significance of it. I like this way of representing data as it combined both image and words to help with the understanding of what was being communicated.

For the image bellow I like how embroidery thread has been used here to connect different aspects of the display. It helps the viewer to visualise the connection between the different elements, helping them to understand the data that is being presented to them.

On the wednesday we did a quick 1 hour exercise where we had to come up with a question and go around the room asking 15 people to answer it. We then had think of a way to represent this data and complete it in about 45 minutes. The speed of this task was quite stressful and almost forced you to go with the first idea you had without giving it much thought. After having changed my question a few times, I went with asking people what their favourite month was. Combining the image of the world and the sun, to communicate the notion of time and seasons, with a slightly abstracted bar chart the viewer is able to see those months that are most popular with my sample of people.

Below is more examples of my design process and idea exploration and development.

My final piece consisted of a world map showing the different places in the world that I have been to by means of showing the trail that I would have taken to get there. This therefore represents the places that I may have left aspects of my personal data, as in today's society the simple action of taking a photo with a smart phone can reveal where in the world a person has been.

Bowie Boxes

In memory of David Bowie who died on the Monday of this week, on the Friday we had to do a one day project which consisted of making a box however we wanted that was inspired by Bowie and/or one of his songs.

I chose the Song "Starman", although I don't listen to many Bowie songs, it is one that has stuck in my mind and I quite like. I intended to make the box in the shape of a pyramid for no particular reason but it seemed that it would turn out too small to put anything in so I experimented with placing the cardboard in different positions and the box resulted in an abstract shape that seemed to compliment the "star" aspect of the name of my chosen song.

I then decided to use my preferred medium of watercolour on the outside of the box to create the image of a deeply colourful but misty galaxy to again compliment the notion of a "star". To enhance this image I draw silver stars on top of the colour which I thought worked well.

I then proceeded to add the lyrics on the inside of the box, first by painting the inside black and then by writing the lyrics on the cardboard with gold pen. Again I thought that these colours worked well together, helping the lyrics to stand out.

It was suggested to me by one of the tutors that I could hang my box up in some way and I liked this idea as I thought it complimented the shape of the box and added to the image of it being a "star". I did this discretely with thin white thread.

Overall I like my outcome as I thought that the different aspects of the box from the form to the colours and the song complimented each other well. Sometime I feel that I work well in these one day long workshops/projects and produce better outcomes than the one week long ones as I feel I am pressured to come up with an idea quickly and find it easier to complete something in this given time frame.