2025-10-21 –, UVM Alumni House Silver Pavilon
This hands-on workshop explores "small data" through the creation of physical and analog data visualizations. Inspired by projects like Giorgia Lupi's "Dear Data", participants will form small groups and collaborate to represent and humanize data from one of five pre-selected datasets. We will explore how these physical representations can foster community collaboration and new ways of seeing, hearing and sharing data.
This workshop will guide participants through the process of data physicalization and analog data representation. We'll start by discussing the limitations of traditional, "big data" visualizations and introduce the concept of "small data" as a way to connect with information on a personal level. The session will cover the work of artists and designers who humanize data through methods that are not another chart on another screen. Specifically, the workshop will take inspiration from the fields of data sonification, data physicalization, sculpture, participatory art, and community murals.
The core of the workshop is a hands-on activity. Participants will be provided with five unique, small-scale datasets to choose from, each representing a simple, human-centered theme. Working in small groups, they will select a dataset and translate this information into a tangible, artistic representation using a variety of accessible materials such as paper, string, markers, and found objects.
Key takeaways after the workshop:
- A new perspective on data as a human and artistic medium.
- Thinking about visualization through visual encodings rather than chart types.
- Hands-on experience creating a physical data visualization through teamwork.
- An understanding of how to use low-tech methods to communicate complex information.
- Inspiration to think about community-driven and collaborative data projects.
Ben Cooley is a Research Data Visualization Engineer at UVM's Complex Systems Institute and the Center for Community News. With a background in journalism, Ben sees visualization as fundamentally an exercise in data storytelling and has crafted numerous interactive stories to explain and expound upon complex topics. Previously, Ben has worked with scientists to visualize data at the Broad Institute, taught data visualization courses at Northeastern University, and created interactive data sites as a consultant for Cornell's Lab of Ornithology, flood relief platforms, and various online publications. You can see his portfolio here: https://benjamincooley.com/