Who are we? What do we do? What do we care about? We are constantly producing data that answers these questions. As designers, we are mediators; we make information and facts visible and understandable by structuring them and translating them into other visual, auditory, or tactile forms. In this course, the students wanted to make data emotionally tangible and thus create a basis for self-reflection and empathy.
The hypothesis: Data is (seemingly) objective and, as precise measurements, completely devoid of emotion. It is only when a degree of imprecision or vagueness is present that a personal relationship—a narrative—emerges. And it is through this narrative that a transfer of knowledge takes place.
The research: The students explored the relationship between data and design on a field trip and in several workshops: Data Journalism (Jan Schwochow), Visual Systems (Martin Lorenz), Artistic Interventions (Turbo Pascal), and Aspects of Power Politics (Nicolas Bourquin and Sven Ehrmann). These experiences guided them in the development of the project.
The approach: The script-oriented implementation influenced the projects to a far greater degree than expected. The software offers intuitive design possibilities while at the same time limiting the user’s own design capabilities, resulting in a situation that is as paradoxical as it is challenging.