Hi #SmartCommunity friends. Welcome back to this very special series here on the Smart Community Podcast, all about data storytelling as part of my PhD research.

In this episode of the Smart Community podcast I have a brilliant discussion with Dr Dietmar Offenhuber.

Dietmar is a Professor at Northeastern University in Boston and chair of the Art and Design Department. With a background originally in architecture, Dietmar has spent decades exploring information visualisation.

In this episode Dietmar tells us about his expanded concept of visualisation beyond traditional data mapping, and his theory of “autographic design” – which is a method for visualising the emergence of data rather than just its final representation. We talk about the importance of understanding context over generalising visualisation principles and lessons learned from bottom-up citizen data collection efforts.

Dietmar and I discuss about accountability technologies, the challenges of assuming theories of change in data visualisation, and why physical traces can sometimes be more powerful than sophisticated data displays. We finish our chat discussing Dietmar’s advice about keeping data storytelling simple while embracing its speculative and playful aspects. As always, we hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it.

What we cover in this episode:

• Dietmar Offenhuber’s background spanning architecture, planning, media lab research and current work in art, design, and public policy
• The evolution of his visualisation concept from traditional data mapping to understanding visualisation as a medium rather than just a display modality
• His experience using data collaboration to represent their work to university administration and build faculty engagement
• The concept of “accountability technologies” and lessons learned from bottom-up citizen data collection efforts
• Why assuming simple theories of change in data visualisation can be problematic and the importance of context over generalised principles
• His theory of “autographic design” – visualising the emergence and collection of data rather than just analysing final datasets
• How amateur data collectors and activists use physical traces and material evidence rather than more sophisticated visualisations to build credibility
• The power of showing “what happened before the dataset” to contextualise data analysis and address controversies about data sources
• Examples of innovative data storytelling including the Data Cuisine project using edible visualisations to generate discussions about corruption
• The fundamental cognitive role of storytelling in making sense of traces, whether physical footprints or symbolic data
• Historical examples of persuasion through data, including the effectiveness of technical drawings in anti-slavery advocacy versus emotional appeals
• Critical cartography and how maps communicate far more than their explicit legends and symbology
• Interactive visualisation challenges and the potential for ephemeral AI-generated visualisations in conversational exploration
• The problematic concept of “visualisation literacy” and the designer’s responsibility for audience interpretation
• The importance of testing assumptions about how visualisations perform rather than relying on design principles alone

Quotes:

“We assume certain theories of change, we assume that if we use a visualisation, then it will affect a certain kind of rethinking or change in the world. But these assumptions are often very problematic if we don’t really reflect them.”

“At the very moment we start asking ourselves questions about data, we’re already telling stories to ourselves about it.”

“As a visualisation designer, I have some responsibility of how [the audience] pick up the clues. I need to show some curiosity of how they make sense of it.”

“Data are also speculative objects. Sometimes we learn something not by analysing patterns, but by imagining what could happen… This speculative aspect, playful aspect, is very important.”

Links:

Masaki Fujihata’s “Impressing Velocity” GPS artwork project 

Tactical Tech Collective “Information for Advocacy” publication 

Data Cuisine project by Moritz Stefaner and Susanne Jaschko

The Brooks slave ship drawing

Connect:

Connect with Dietmar Offenhuber on LinkedIn

Connect with me via email: hello@mysmart.community

Connect with The Smart Community Podcast via LinkedIn and watch on YouTube

Podcast Production by Perk Digital

 This podcast is recorded on  Yugarabul country and edited on Gaibal country.   I pay my respects to traditional owners of country and their elders past and present. I also extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening today.  Here on the Smart Community Podcast, we talk about data, technology, communities and the future. First Nations peoples have been sharing knowledge, caring for country, and telling stories for tens of thousands of years.  I honour that deep connection of storytelling and community connection as we continue our conversation together here today.

Disclaimer

The views, opinions, and perspectives expressed by guests on The Smart Community Podcast are solely those of the individual speakers. They do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of the host, Zoe Eather, or of The Smart Community Podcast as a whole.

Any discussion of ideas, products, organisations, or services by podcast guests does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the host or the podcast. Listeners are encouraged to form their own opinions and seek professional advice where appropriate.