When I first thought about the term “data visualization,” the two things that immediately came to mind were charts and colorful infographics. But after listening to the podcast How Do Designers Use Data Visualization to Take the Numb Out of Numbers, hosted by In the Making, I’ve realized there’s so much more to it. It really lead me to the fascinating stories that can be uncovered behind the numbers!
I felt inspired by how people are pushing the boundaries of storytelling with data. It’s not just about making the visualization look appealing; it’s about designing something that makes people feel and even hear the story behind the data.
Simulation Game
Turning data into a simulation game is such a fun way to get people involved! It lets them interact with the data, think about it, and really feel what’s happening. Shirley Wu’s pandemic simulation game is a great example of this – it brings data to life in a way that makes it more relatable and engaging, turning numbers into something you can actually experience and understand
Sounds
Use sounds to visualize data, which is called data sonification. It’s a cool technique that turns data into sound. For example, you can hear the sound of a volatile stock market (like Jordan Wirfs-Brock’s Sounds of a Volatile Stock Market), the calm sounds of a spaceship’s X-ray (NASA’s Cat’s Eye Nebula Sonification), or even the sound of Covid-19 deaths (CarniDC’s Sonification of Covid-19 deaths). It’s a whole new way to experience data and connect with it on a different level!