Data Souvenirs

data souvenirs allie turner

data souvenirs

Using Data as a Material to Support Memory Making Practices

allie turner MA Design Informatics Edinburgh College of Art August 2018

acknowledgments Without the help and support of my friends, family and supervisor, this would have been a much harder journey. Thank you for letting me bounce ideas off of you at all times of the day and night.

Thank you to my supervisor, Dr. Bettina Nissen, for all of your guidance and patience along the way. You were always full of inspirational sources, projects and processes.

A final thank you to all the different participants for letting me question your every decision along my road of discovering datadriven objects.

abstract The use of digital devices to capture moments and memories when traveling has become commonplace. This has lead to an increasing capture and creation of personal narratives through digitally-generated information in so-called Selfie and Quantified Self cultures. While it is customary to recollect travel memories from images, this research aims to question how quantified self data, commonly collected through digital devices, could be used as memory-augmenting materials. This research is investigating the intersection between travel and data and the potential for creating personal souvenirs that support recollection of personal memories through materials and hands-on making. Two different data souvenir kits were designed for participants to create a tangible object based on their journey data. This research explores, and will report on, how participants represent data through different materials, how materials relate to data and memory, and what travel memories data could elicit which differs from other media.

More conceptually, this work challenges perceptions of materiality and permanence in the context of data created by digital devices.

table of contents Acknowledgments Abstract

1: introduction 8 9 9

Introduction Context Research Questions

2: research 12 13 14 15 16

Quantified Self and Data Tracking Data Physiclizations Hands on Making and Participatory Practices Design Probes Materials Research

3: design process 20 20 24 26 31 37

Introduction Initial Work Materials and Travel Data Workshop Working Individually Working Together Postcard Prototyping

4: final artifact 42 45 48

Material Selection and Tools People Souvenir Kit Places Souvenir Kit

5: reflections 54

Final Thoughts

6: references 58

Bibliography

7: appendix

introduction Imagine the last time you visited a new place. Where was it?

What do you still remember from that trip? I’m sure it was new and exciting, involving new places, new people, new data. It’s also very probable that you used a digital device to capture some of these data memories. Did you take pictures?

Go back and look at them. Scroll back through all the other photos you’ve taken since then and try to recall everything you did on that trip. Do the pictures still tell the story of your adventure? Can you even remember everything you did?

introduction When traveling, we often buy or take souvenirs home to remember specific experiences and places. With increasingly intertwining digital devices in our traveling experiences, what are the implications or opportunities for hybrid, personalized souvenirs? What data is meaningful and relevant to include in personal souvenirs? What materials are expressive of memory and technology? Heightened in a world of digital-heavy memories, this work challenges the contemporary interaction with a digital device and data. I believe conversations around physical data objects lead to new expressions of technology.

1 Strava - Run and Cycling Tracking on the Social Network for Athletes.

I first began with some preliminary studies looking at the relationship of associating materials with memory. That research centered around using an existing fitness and location-tracking app1 to allow users to visual their journeys. Participants were then asked to create handmade objects around their experience, picking materials that they associated with their journey. The Data Souvenir Kit was created for traveling users to create a souvenir based on their journey data, creating a tangible object through hands-onmaking that would heighten their memory and challenge their preconceived thoughts around data.

2 A design probe, or cultural probe, was first defined by Gaver et al. in Design: Cultural Probes (1999).

This research questions the importance of digitally-captured memories and explores the potential of data being better understood through physical objects. The relationship between data, hands-on-making and physical objects is analyzed in this dissertation; the three work together to create a new environment conducive to memory making. Furthermore, the kit acts as a design probe2 that provokes inspirational, speculative outputs.

Using Gaver et al.’s approach to cultural probes, this research focuses on the traditions from artists and designers. It focuses on design research and shifts perceptions of technology, aesthetics, materials and data to illicit new thoughts around data capture and materiality.

This dissertation is separated into five main sections: Introduction, Research, Design Process, Final Artifact and Reflections. In the introduction I will introduce you to the context in which data souvenirs sits and familiarize you with my aims and objectives.

Section two, Research, will go into more depth about related areas of study: quantified self, data tracking, data physiclizations, handson-making, cultural probes and materials research. Design Process will guide you through my own process of creating the research and the journey I took to create the final Data Souvenir Kit. Section four, the Final Artifact, will go into detail about the Data Souvenir Kit. The final section, Reflections, argues for a changing perspective by using the outcomes set forth through the research in the following pages.

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context We might often think of a souvenir as cliché memorabilia collected during travel - magnets, hats, shirts, postcards. The history of the souvenir dates back to as long as people have traveled, from early Christian pilgrimages to modern day travels (Potts 2018). A lot has changed in the type of merchandise people we’re bringing back from their travels, but the idea remains the same - objects that are collected to recall an experience during the course of a journey.

The French word souvenir is commonly used as a verb and means “to get back to myself” or “to remember”. In English, souvenirs are objects - mementos, keepsakes, memorabilia - that we collect to try to remember. Although the definition dates back to the 16th century, it didn’t become widespread until mass-market appeal in the late 19th century (Potts 2018).

The evolution of the souvenir, from religious tokens, to artwork collected on The Grand Tour, to postcards popularized in the 19th century, made me wonder about how souvenirs will change over time with the introduction of digital devices. Digital devices are used by many to encapsulate travel memories: using your iPhone to take images, GPS maps to track where you travel, social media apps checking you into new places based on your location. This research explores ways you can self-track the data that is being captured already and use it to support memory making practices.

This research, through a study around materials and forms of a physical data souvenir, puts souvenirs into a data-driven context.

research questions What materials can be used to express memory in the context of personalized souvenirs?

How can conversations around physical data objects lead to understanding and learning?

What travel data is most meaningful? Will this change over time and change with different users?

How does a person’s understanding of their travel data evolve over time? How does the evolution change the physical souvenir?

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research In this section, I’ll cover inspiration that was relevant to my journey. I’ll give a synopsis of different sources, from both design and informatics. Self tracking was what first sparked my interest: below I talk about Quantified Self and data tracking and how each gave inspiration to Data Souvenirs.

I then looked at physical objects, practices around handson-making and participatory methods. Cultural and design probes were important references when deciding on what elements to include in the research and final kit. Finally, research around materials and their ability to help memory practices increased my knowledge around the concept of Data Souvenirs.

quantified self and data tracking 1 For more information, visit http:// quantifiedself.com/ Accessed August 2018

Quantified Self, also known as lifelogging, is a way in which people track details about their personal life and turn it into data, acquiring data sets that may seem insignificant to some but have a lot of personal meaning. This can be done through self-monitoring or through self-sensing sensors. The term was first coined in 2007 by Gary Wolf and Kevin Kelly1 who own a California-based company that has a worldwide user community of trackers. Members from different countries gather and discuss their findings, sharing their experiences with other trackers. With the enormous amount of data captured about an individual, Quantified Self centers around personally collecting that data and increasing self-knowledge.

As Wolf states, “if we want to act more effectively in the world, we have to get to know ourselves better.” (Wolf, G. “The Quantified Self.”). In a world where we are surrounded by data collection, Quantified Self brings knowledge and realization. Wolf emphasizes that numbers are important to “reflect, learn [and] remember”.

Even if you are not a technology guru, almost everyone owns a device that tracks. Scholars argue that these new tools are changing our sense of self and opening opportunities for possible improvement by self tracking.

Although a fairly new term, the idea around self tracking isn’t new. Melanie Swan, a Technology Futurist working Palo Alto, CA, describes the Quantified Self as a label for contemporary formalizations. The more mainstream term can be used to describe a majority of adults. For example, in the United States alone, it is reported that 60% of adults are currently tracking their weight, diet or exercise routine (Swan 2013). Many others are tracking other aspects of their lives. Self tracking is innate in every human; every human being is curious and tracks an aspect of their daily life, possibly without even realizing (do you weigh yourself in the morning, track how many hours you’ve slept, or track how many calories you’ve eaten during the day?). Although most might associate Quantified Self with health tracking, the general term can refer to many other aspects of daily routine. I believe Quantified Self is an important concept; you can only learn and improve by realizing your behaviors and actions.

2 For more information, visit http:// www.dear-data.com/theproject Accessed August 2018

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A pivotal example of data tracking is the Dear Data project2.

Collecting and hand-drawing different sets of data each week, two designers built a friendship over data postcards. Driven by fascination around collecting and organizing information, Georgia Lupi and Stefanie Posavec used data as a communication tool.

They became fascinated with the different data they collected about their daily lives. I agree that we now live in a world of “Big Data”; Dear Data brings meaning back to hand-made, personal data. Lupi and Posavec agree that besides finding data in the world around us, “we are all creating data just by living” (Lupi and

Posavec 2016). I believe that by acknowledging that data and personally recording new sets of data, we will become more selfaware, efficient human beings.

An important aspect of self-collection is reflection. How are users understanding, interpreting, and using the data they collect to better themselves? Personal data could, and should, be used to support reflections and draw conclusions (Thudt et al. 2018).

Important to this is the amount of time users have to work with their data. Especially when it comes to physicalizing that data, users need time to intertwine themselves with the data, really getting to the heart of the meaning.

In Self-Reflection and Personal Physicalization Construction, Thudt et al describe an “ongoing data construction process” (Thudt et al. 2018: 5). This is an important aspect of Data Souvenirs. The kits, which you will see in the coming sections, are malleable enough for ease of use and transportable, allowing for continued construction.

data physicalization 3 For more information, visit http://dataphys.org/wiki/Data_ Physicalization Accessed August 2018

With many different tools to capture personal data, it’s essential that you can understand and process it. One way is to realize data is in physical objects. The term Data Physicalization is a term used by designers and makers; It aims to help people “explore, understand, and communicate data using computer-supported physical data representations”3. The list of collaborators, designers, makers and creatives spans over multiple countries and areas of studies, showcasing that data physiclizations can be used in many different circumstances. I believe, along with other designers, that creating physical objects from data not only helps it become realized, but helps participants process and remember certain experiences more clearly. In an age of digital data overload, it is refreshing and inspiring to see data represented in a new way, a more understandable way for most.

Deborah Lupton states that we are now “called upon to engage with a variety of forms of information about themselves and to confront the complexities of how these data are used by others” (Lupton 2017: 1600). With an endless amount of data points collected about a person, new ways of interpreting that data is important to becoming self aware. By touching, seeing or even smelling data, data gains new meaning. I agree with Lupton’s assertion that humans learn and act through their bodies. We as 13

humans need something to experience, something to visualize.

Touch helps humans bond; tactile objects can further enhance memories from a past experience. Becoming literate in data through physiclization brings sense to a complex issue.

4 For more information visit http://dataphys.org/list/ Accessed August 2018

5 For more information visit http://dataphys.org/list/blip-ayear-of-travel Accessed August 2018

Designers and makers are creating interesting data physicalization that tell compelling stories, making data accessible to many different audiences. An online community that gathers different physical visualizations4 lists projects dating from 5500 BC to present day. The medium may have changed, but the message remains the same: physical objects that describe and tell the story of digital data. An inspiring project relating to travel data is called “Blip: A Year in Travel”5 and uses Tripit data to create a sort of data sculpture. First experimenting with wood, the final piece was made from a transparent block, thinking the material “best represents the feeling of ‘looking into’ one’s past” (Güngör 2011). The relationship of the data and material is an important one and comes up later in further research and inspiration for a final artifact.

hands-on-making and participatory practices After researching how one tracks data and then turns that data into physical objects, it is important to note the process from which it is done. Physicalization is a thriving topic in academia and with workshops with the Human Computer Interaction, Information visualization, Informatics and Design communities. Promoting data making is “a practical process that enables people to actively think about data related analytical problems” (Huron et al. 2017: 1410).

Engaging data in a hands-on way teaches data to a variety of audiences, but doesn’t come without it’s complexities. Makers can get stuck at any point of the creation phase, or be too ambitious when it comes to involving processes that are too complex. It was of great use to me to learn how to create a “more formalized workshop design method to facilitate a paid, yet open-ended engagement in the physicalization process.” (Huron et al. 2017: 1411), which you will notice in the “Design Process” section.

With self-awareness comes self-reflection. Creating objects by hand and working with data physically leads to greater reflection exploration. Reflection requires “active engagement with our experiences” (Thud et al. 2018: 154). Trying to understand data-driven reflection is a complex issue; many different users 14

will understand different data sets in different ways. No two opinions will be alike. When creating workshops centered around physicalizing data, it is important to make sure that the data is personal, motivating participants to explore and work with that data. Thud et al lays out a methodology of diary studies, semistructured interviews and workshops to discover more benefits of participatory practices which were helpful when designing my future workshops.

design probes Design Probes are used both the fields of Design and HCI (HumanComputer Interaction). First introduced in 1999 they are designed “to provoke inspirational responses” and are “experimental design in a responsive way” (Gaver et al. 1999: 22). Design Probes not only illicit new and inspiration responses from users, they lend themselves to fitting in with different cultural groups and are not arrogant, hopefully leading to discussions and understanding.

Users are given non-traditional materials (related to the tasks they are asked to complete) that challenge standard thought.

Agreeing with Wallace et al., I believe probes are curious objects that lead to sharing of “unobvious, idiosyncratic and real aspects of participants’ lives and personalities” (Wallace et al. 2013: 3442).

Although focused on a user with dementia, A Design-led Inquiry into Personhood in Dementia is interesting to think about in it’s inspiration to Data Souvenirs (Wallace et al. 2013). Exploring memory with design probes, the relationship between the couple is elevated by the memories elicited from the design probes. The probes lead to new conversations and new aspects that may have been otherwise forgotten. Probes support a better sense of self.

The probes became a resource through which to purposefully and directly reflect on and talk about aspects of living with dementia in ways that they had not done previously. The level to which the probes had facilitated accessing memories had surprised and thrilled Gillian and John and they had found significant value in the probes, early in the process, which fuelled their investment in the project as a whole. (Wallace et al. 2013: 2622) What is most interesting for my research is the way design probes enable reflection. People from different backgrounds can develop a relationship of trust with the probe, research and participants if designed correctly. In my opinion, probes don’t need to be the highest quality materials, but instead should be proactive with 15

letting users feel, touch, write on and use them. They should be partially complete to give users a sense of finishing something (Wallace et al. 2013). Reminiscing, reflecting, analyzing are all themes you will see in my research.

materials research When thinking of data, materials are not the first thing that comes to mind. Data is digital. Data is coded. Through Data Physiclizations, we are starting to analyze the measured and collected in a new form. Data Souvenirs challenges what materials are expressive of memory and technology. There are many conversations around the physical data realm, but I wondered what materials users would used when faced with their own, personal data. You will read about me diving deeper into these questions during different workshops and probing further along.

Materiality is a common, but vague and allusive, topic in design. It can mean many different things in many different fields. In Materials Against Materiality, Tim Ingold looks at the current studies of material culture and argues that the context plays an important part in the material. Materials’ properties are not fixed, but are “processual and relational” (Ingold 2007: 1). I agree with Ingold in that materials are related to processes rather than discrete events, and can be seen in very different lights depending on the context.

But what does this have to do with data? Data is similar to Ingold’s belief in materials in that it is ambiguous and can be seen in varying matters. It is hard to define one specific meaning for data and materials; both are interchangeable and can morph depending on what they are against. I began my materials research with what I thought was a clear understanding of what I wanted to get out of it; definite answers on what materials relate to memory and technology, specifically data souvenirs. I was quick to discover that my vague assumptions are alike many materials culture studies and instead I should accept that materials are not a blank slate from which to start building things from. Ingold makes an interesting point: For heuristic purposes, Christopher Gosden suggests, we could divide it into two broad components: landscape and artefacts. Thus it seems that we have human minds on the one hand, and a material world of landscape and artefacts on the other. That, you might think, should cover just about everything. But does it? Consider, for a moment, what is 16

left out. Starting with landscape, does this include the sky?

Where do we put the sun, the moon and the stars? We can reach for the stars, but cannot touch them; are they, then, material realities with which humans can make contact, or do they exist for us only in the mind? Is the moon part of the material world for terrestrial travellers, or only for cosmonauts who touch down on the lunar landscape? How about sunlight? Life depends on it. (Ingold 2007: 3) Instead of focusing on the meaning of materials, I found it interesting to focus on their ability to age and change, especially in similarity with data. Giaccardi et al. believes that “every crack and scratch that materials manifest as we interact with objects inscribes a story” (Giaccardi et al 2014: 473). The work uses more of a design perspective when distinguishing characteristics of emerging material-oriented design methods in HCI. The focus of exploration was to create “deliberate and permanent trace on materials that are natural and irregular surface, and achieve a similar effect of ‘maturity’” (Giaccardi et al 2014: 481). It was interesting and inspiring to see the analysis on materials traces and how time leaves it’s mark on materials, changing them and altering their physicality.

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design process Remember the trip you last took. Were you alone or did you travel with friends, family? What experiences revolved around planning with others? Conversely, was there any moment that you got to enjoy by yourself? In this section I’ll take you through the process of building objects with different participants, working individually and in groups. The people around you, whether you are traveling with them or not, affect the experience you have and the data that you might capture.

The design process can take many forms depending on the field. In this research, it is made up of a few key components: conducting research to develop an understanding (empathize), combining that research and observing where a context exists (define), generating and testing a range of ideas (ideate) and distilling those ideas into a main idea and elaborating (refine). Conducting research and developing an understanding was covered in the previous section; below you will see the process in which I combined that research and generated a range of ideas to test. An approach for breaking down a larger project into manageable chunks, the design process is something architects, engineers, scientists and other makers use to solve problems. Some crucial points related to my research involve listening and observing users with a keen sense of discovery.

initial work 1 For more information, visit http:// nathaliemiebach.com/ Accessed August 2018

My initial work analyzed preliminary materials in workshops and interviews, collecting information from participants through handson-making and informal interviews. The following is a synopsis of knowledge gained and where it lead me on my data souvenir journey.

I designed a toolkit that could be sent to those going on a trip, with different materials included. I was inspired by different data artists, like Nathalie Miebach1 who translates science data into sculpture and installation. Travelers would be able to create their own, personalized data souvenir from the data their smart phone device is already collecting. When visiting a new place, travelers already collect tons of new souvenir data on their smart phone devices, tracking their location, paths, key areas and more possibly without them even knowing. How could this translate into physical objects?

The two kits, one small and one large, featured different materials that could be used to create data physiclizations. The small one was just the essentials, the bigger having many more materials. I was interested to see if the difference in size created a difference in the souvenirs.

The biggest downfall in creating the kits was that users didn’t have a clear, simple way of understanding the data their devices were collecting. There were a few “templates� in the kits (laser cut boards that were intended to make it easier for users to weave and attach things to). But it was difficult for them to translate that data into a physical object, especially without a prompt or provocative example to spark their imagination (see appendix for detailed notes on interviews). This was a key aspect that you will see me pick up in the coming sections.

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Data collected from a workshop during initial work, all using the app Strava to collect and visualize personal travel data.

At this stage, participants were only given clay or paper to make their artifact. Informal interviews followed where I asked them about their thought process and why they chose to show what they did. (Interviews can be found in the appendix)

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Initial Work: two final kits, size S and size L

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One of the first Data Souvenirs

Kit Parts

6

9 11 10

1

2

12 3

5

8

7 scissors wheel of color needles wooden clips five pieces of colored felt black & blue marker plywood templates knitting needle copper wire black & white clay silver glitter two colored wires five rubber bands clay knife black, white & color string glue black & white buttons

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

This guide and kit has been produced by Allie Turner, a designer based in Edinburgh, Scotland.

The kit was created to start conversations around the tracking of personal data from smartphone devices and how it relates to the cliché souvenirs collected in new places. How can these conversations manifest into phyiscal objects?

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The Data Souvenir Kit size L

A guide to making your own reflective, provocative, meaningful souvenir.

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What do you know about your traveling data?

When visiting a new place, travelers collect tons of new souvenir data on their smartphone devices. In hopes of creating new expressions of memory, materials and technologies, The Data Souvenir Kit is a way for users to explore their data in a physical way.

Are you currently using an app to track your location? If you own an iPhone, your device could even be tracking your locations without you realizing. Check at: Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services > Significant Locations

Physical, personal data souvenirs provide new insight into traveling data. This kit will help you memorialize a new destination or experience.

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Step Step 1 - Tracking YourYour Data 1: Tracking Pick a new place to travel!

Set up an account with Open Paths to track your journey: https://openpaths.cc Don’t forget your password!

Allow the app to track your movement. Forget about it.

Step 2: Understanding Your Data Visit https://openpaths.cc and sign into your account.

View Your Map. Use the sidebar options to create a visualization personal to you. Which option do you find most appealing to your journey? Do you remember visiting all these places?

Step Choosing Your Materials Step 3 - 3: Choosing Your

Step 4: Building & Sharing Your Souvenir

Take a look at all the materials included in the kit. (also listed on the previous page of this booklet)

Use one or all of the kit parts to make a physical, personal data souvenir.

All kit parts are widelyrecongnized and could be used for a variety of art projects. They are included for the small scale and flexiblity for creating, as well as sending through the post.

What form does your data souvenir take?

The plywood templates can be ued as a base for your object.

There are soft and hard materials that you can intertwine in your souvenir.

Which materials remind you most of the experience?

Create a phyiscal object that is personal to you.

Take a picture of your souvenir and share your image on Instagram or Twitter using #datasouvenir.

Visit http://allieturner.co.uk/thedata-souvenir-kit and share your experience.

The guide that came with the kits, instructing users how to use it and giving a bit of background on traveling data.

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materials and travel data workshop I started my new journey of Data Souvenirs aiming to discover a closer relationship between travel data and materials. The workshop I ran was called “Data Travel Souvenirs: Using materials to model travel data” and included insights from six participants.

It was important to get a mix of backgrounds, hoping to gather research and objects that were created from a variety of skill sets. I created recruitment materials that read: With increasingly intertwining digital devices, this workshop is exploring opportunities for hybrid, personalized souvenirs.

Part of a Masters Dissertation project, this research is investigating the intersection between travel and data, and the potential for creating augmented souvenirs that support recollection of personal memories through materials and hands-on making.

We’re looking for participants who like to craft, make and discover data physiclizations. No prior knowledge required.

Using different travel data sets and materials, you’ll create your own data souvenir.

I started the workshop with an introduction to data physiclizations, data tracking and quantified self. I outlined what we’d be doing for the next few hours and what I was hoping I would gather from the workshop.

For this section of work, I was trying to discover a relationship explicitly between materials and visual travel data. The materials set out on the table for participants to use included a range between soft and hard: yarn, thread, felt, cotton balls, paper, clay, wooden sticks, plywood, sandpaper to name a few. I gave participants the option of using an acrylic base, the size of the maps they were using, to help them form a base. The acrylic, hard base might lend itself to be kept and treasured more than something with no grounding.

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1 3

2 6 4

7 5

13 8 14

11 12

15

9 10

16

1

clay

10

wooden & metal fasteners

2

yarn

11

glue

3

sticks: wooden, paper, pipe cleaners

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plywood

4

fabric

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markers

5

bubble wrap

14

sand paper

6

balloons & plastic

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cotton

7

felt

16

stickers

8

paper

9

acrylic

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working individually The first stage involved individual creation: I gave users manipulated maps with “data” and asked them how they would use materials to create an object based on that visual. The maps were created by me; personal data is protected and every user of a digital device has the right to refuse my use of their data. Instead of using actual maps created by participant’s data, I instead focused on their use as a prompt to see what objects the visuals would inspire.

I used the interface of Google Maps because I wanted the visuals to be easily recognizable and the focus to instead be on the different treatments of data. Using different methods of manipulation, from line work to bubbles, participants were later asked about why they chose the map they did and what they thought it was conveying (see appendix for detailed notes on interviews) .The also could chose between two different scales, picking the one that read best to them.

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Participants working individually with the maps and materials

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participant 1 - flex

Boston small scale

Flex souvenir: balloons atop an acrylic base

Map 1

After choosing their map, Flex was inspired directly by the visuals saying “there is something about circles that I like because there’s a consistency in the shape” and that you can “play with the size…position…shading…overlaps”. Flexible materials, like the balloons, are what caught their attention and allowed them to change scale. Flex saw a larger area of space represented in the map and were somewhat literal in their representation of it, using the balloons to signify the circles in the map, mounted on a base of wood that represented the ground. They also used air to inflate and deflate the balloons, using air as a material to alter the balloon material.

participant 2 - personal

Personal souvenir: small red dots drawn on acrylic with layers of plywood and bubble wrap Participant 2, who I called Personal, preferred the dotted map. The route seemed clear at a smaller scale, saying that in the larger scale “the road is too wide” and isn’t as tactile. Personal stated that they liked “detailed things” and the map they choose looks “more close to a personal map”. They were searching for a personal connection to a map, mentioning it at every question and how it relates to their own opinion and taste. Their material choice reminded them of their childhood, a “fun material”, and their object in the end reminded them of some childhood memories.

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Map 2

participant 3 - emotions

New York City big scale

Emotions souvenir: cotton between the plywood

Map 3

From the start, Participant 3 related their materials and object to emotions. They picked the map based on it’s labeled location, the map of Barcelona, because “it’s a romantic city”. Emotions also related to the materials they picked to represent this romantic place, cotton reminding them of when they “look up in the sky and the clouds” and imagine endless possibilities. A direct correlation between cotton and romance was what drove their creation.

participant 4 - prototype

Prototype souvenir: different colored pipe cleaners emulating a grid

Map 4

Out of all the participants, Participant 4, who I call Prototype, was the most organic in translating the visual map into an object. They chose a map and worked with pipe cleaners. They stated that they thought of this merely as a prototype and really imagined the final object in a different material. Prototype was similar to Emotions in that they picked the map based on the place, New York. They picked the map because of “the grid that is so organized” and chose the pipe cleaners for ease of recreating that grid.

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participant 5 - literal

Paris big scale

Literal souvenir: yarn and paper used on acrylic base

Map 5

Participant 5 was the most straightforward in reading and interpreting the visual cues into a physical object. The map they chose, which was “easy to recognize”, again looking for familiarity. Literal saw the graphic of a face on the map and chose materials with this face in mind. There was no deeper meaning in their material selection, but instead Literal chose materials that were easy to work with to build this face. Literal was a lesson in understanding a different mindset, one that isn’t used to design or crafting.

participant 6 - evolution

Evolution souvenirs: markers used with acrylic and plywood Really studying the visuals, Participant 6 was interested in the intricacies of the map.

Evolution put themselves in the shoes of someone who has visited Paris, and thought it represented “functional areas of the city”. Later, after completing their object, they thought that the map might represent “tourism routes run by tourism buses”, showing an evolution of thought after creating an object. Evolution chose wood because it reminded them of “an old, silent film…crackling”, liking the burnt edges; they chose acrylic to make a second souvenir because of the ability for the marker to “dry out”. An evolution of understanding is directly translated into the types of materials they chose, having an appreciation for those that show change.

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Map 6

working together After sharing their creations and a short break, there was time devoted to group creation, but this time the prompt was an actual souvenir object and not a visual, paper map. I was curious to see what the difference would be to 1. Create a data souvenir with a partner and 2. Using an actual souvenir with history as a prompt to create an object. These included a couple of maps, magnets, postcards, mugs, cigar case, and football scarves. Would one be easier than the other? Would they produce totally different objects? It should also be said that I allowed participants to ask me questions along the way and gave some insight into the history of the souvenirs. So with an object and a bit of a personal story, they were off creating for about 30 minutes. Afterwards, I interviewed the groups and asked them about their creations (see appendix for detailed notes on interviews).

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Participants working together with the objects and materials 32

group 1 - freedom

Freedom souvenir: a road created from plywood and yarn

object prompt - van magnet

Group 1 picked the van magnet. Immediately, they both agreed that it reminded them of a road trip and preferred working with object because there “was more freedom in terms of the context of it”. They picked up literal comparisons of a road (from the initial idea around a road trip) and tried to simulate it with the materials and form they chose. They used the plywood board and string to emulate the “rhythm of the sound” and “movement of the light” in their design. Both members were more free and abstract with their creation. This could be because they worked with an object (versus a visual map) or because they had each other to bounce ideas off of. They both preferred working with an object because there was more story to it.

group 2 - layers

Layers souvenir: a vertical timeline

object prompts - postcards

Group 2 picked 3 different postcards from the pile and created a “vertical timeline”. One member commented that objects “added an extra layer of conceptuality” and that “we can see exactly where they come from and where they were supposed to go”. They were very open to working with a souvenir that wasn’t their own and almost attached to this imaginary, assumed story that came along with the postcards. The abstraction that came from the souvenir was easier to work with, ironically, even though the data from the visual maps was completely abstract. Group 2 enjoyed “working with someone else’s memories”.

33

group 3 - constraint

Constraint souvenir: line work on plywood

object prompt - bridge magnet

Although Group 3 found it easy to work with each other, they’re responses and object were much more constrained and simple in form compared to the others. They picked the forth rail bridge magnet to design line work on the plywood templates. “The objects are more constrained” and they really struggled in creating a story. This is partly, I believe, because it wasn’t personal data and these creators were less experienced in making and designing. The most positive aspect is that they enjoyed talking with each other and having no conflict when making.

34

All of the different objects created 35

At the end of the workshop, I reflected about the process and pieces created. In summary, there were a few key aspects I discovered from both individual and group creation: Individual Creation: (1) Using flexible material is conducive to memory making and allows users flexibility in their process and creation. (2) Travel data is personal and should be treated as such. (3) Emotion drives creation. (4) Ease of materials allows for better prototyping. (5) Some users will have more of a literal interpretation. This should be expected and accepted when working with a larger group of different backgrounds. (6) Materials should allow for evolution. This allows creative thoughts to be freeflowing.

Group Creation: (1) Freedom in storytelling should be alloted for.

(2) Layers add abstraction. Abstraction adds story and ability to interpret. (3) Even when no story exists, working with a partner allows for a different outcome when interpreting objects, versus working individually.

Most of the materials used reminded participants of certain personal preferences or experiences, even though participants had no connection to the visual data. During the Group creation time, working with partners may have produced similar looking objects, but the story and descriptions of their processes were much more detailed and intricate. It was interesting to see the participants who looked at the data closely and who just looked at the visuals.

Some created stories around the data and some created stories based on the visual aesthetics. See notes on the interviews with the individuals and groups in the appendix, as well as a more detailed reflection in section 5.

36

postcard prototyping One crucial aspect that my original kit was missing was a prompt to begin the creation process. Although the kit featured different material inspiration, there was nothing that sparked the beginning of the process. People not from a design background would struggle to start creating based on the instructions given. I again realized this when the objects created during the workshop tended to be very abstract and ambiguous.

The second part of my design process involved creating data collecting prompts. These took the form of postcards that could be carried by traveling users when they went on a holiday and also fit within the kit. I asked two participants, who were coming on holiday to Edinburgh, to take part in some research. I was interested in getting valuable and honest feedback from them.

Visiting Edinburgh for the first time, they would be completely new to the city.

1 For more information, visit http:// www.dear-data.com/theproject Accessed August 2018

2 For the full interview, see appendix

I focused on five different iterations: people vicinity data, eavesdropping data, weather data, smell data, city image data.

I believe all are important aspects when traveling and key characteristics people notice when they are visiting a new place. I was inspired by the Dear Data project1 and used Lupi and Posavec’s designs to create my own self-tracking designs. They needed to be easy to understand, accessible by many, and help to capture moments that would inspire. I was also hoping that these selftracking postcards would be an educational tool to inform users, traveling or not, about personal data. After traveling home and having some time to let their experiences sit in, I communicated with the participants via e-mail and asked them a few questions about their time. Some included2: What is your previous experience with personal data? What do you think personal data is?

Have you ever tracked anything before? Have you ever tracked anything about yourself? For example, sleeping patterns, eating habits, etc.?

Now that you’ve had some time since creating, what do you remember from that day?

What from the postcard reminds you of a certain circumstance?

37

The five different postcard prompts. See complete, detailed set in the appendix.

38

participant 1 - semi experienced self-tracker

Participant 1 used scale in their tracking, adding diameter to their colored circles (colors were predetermined by the key provided).

The first participant I would define as more knowledgeable and experienced when it came to self-tracking and data collection. They defined personal data as “information a person collects about their life and their experiences” and had previously self-tracked their sleeping patterns, diets and dreams.

When asked what the postcard now reminds them of when looking back at it, they mentioned “sleeping on the futon with [name omitted]” and “breaking out our colored pencils in public places to fill out the postcards”.

Participant 1 remembered more about the actual experience of recording and their partner, versus what they did during the day. I hypothesize that this is because they are familiar with data tracking. They could, when asked if they could imagine something physical from this data, imagine “pins to represent the number of people”, being able to visual quantitative data.

participant 2 - less informed self-tracker

Participant 2 kept all their circles similar sizes (colors were predetermined by the key provided).

Participant 2 knew less about personal data, but had tracked eating habits and exercise in the past. Very much enjoying doing it with a partner, they more heavily relied upon their partner to help them fill out the postcards and leaned on them for guidance. When asked what they remembered from the day, they recalled “walking around and taking the bus through the city of Edinburgh” and “surrounded by larger groups of people” that reminded them of the city centre. I hypothesize that because they were less informed about self-tracking and data in general, they remembered their experience differently than Participant 1 and focused more on their surroundings.

39

The most important thing I learned from the postcard prototypes is that you can never underestimate simplicity. Simplicity brings an easiness to communicating instructions for self-collection. Travel data and data-tracking are already complex processes; simplifying self-collection are key to allowing participants to understand. The postcard gives the user something to begin with, something they need to add their own data to. The other postcard prototypes were not as successful because they were trying to gather too much in a small amount of space. The more complicated postcards were not easy for travelers to keep up with while traveling. They needed to be easy and not take up too much time. My goal was not to change behavior by instructing users to take time out of their travels to complete them. Instead, the postcard prototypes needed to fit into their normal travel routine and allow them to track normal behavior, as much as possible. The more simple and easy to complete postcards led to the more interesting conversations with participants.

40

final artifact A final kit, made for you or you and your traveling companions. An object that helps you better remember your experience. A kit made of parts for you to memorialize that experience.

material selection and tools After working with different user groups and going through different iterations, the final Data Souvenir kit comes in two different iterations, different in materials and prompts, using people and places for data collection. Both kits can be completed by one person, or taken along a trip and completed by a group.

The biggest downfall in the previous kits was that users didn’t have a clear, simple way of understanding the data, especially without a prompt. After trying different iterations of the postcards prompts, the final kits include prompts from two different areas of data: people and places. What I’ll outline below is the consideration put into the People Data Souvenir Kit and the Places Data Souvenir Kit. I began with a look at the materials I had closely looked at before in a new light. Every kit needed a set of tools, foundations with which to begin building and allow users different ways of creating.

At it’s very basic definition, a material is something which a thing can be made, a singular composite or a complex mix. For the purposes of this research, I limited my scope of materials to things that are more well-known and easily accessible. I believe when making data physiclizations that they should be understandable by all and easily produced, not requiring a complex process to be put together. This broadens the amount of people that can use and interpret their data. This also makes it easier to reproduce the kits.

I was sparked by an interview with Participant 1 from the Postcard Prototyping when selecting a material process. I asked if they could imagine making something physical from their captured data, what would that be? They answered “I would use something that represents quantity, like a bunch of little pins to represent the number of people we were around at certain times of the day.”

Their language describing the quantitative data as “little pins” sparked my imagination. Representing data on two different scales, people and places, the materials should be of two different “scales” and function differently.

My first grouping is called Granular. A Granular material is one which is made up of particles, pieces, and is fragmented. This lends itself nicely to people vicinity data, allowing users to freely represent their data.

My second grouping is called Mass. A Mass material is together, larger, made up of bushels or chunks. Places are at a larger scale than people, similar to Mass materials being larger than Granular.

It is important to note that Mass materials can still be broken into smaller pieces, but their most-used state is one which is larger and in abundance.

42

materials 5

9

1

23 22

4

11 12

10

6

8

2

7

13

21 16 20

3 19

18

granular

15

mass

1

plastic straws

11

plywood

2

wooden sticks

12

sandpaper

3

cotton balls

13

sandfabric

4

metal clips

14

mesh fabric

5

wooden clips

15

origami paper

6

pins

16

bubble wrap

7

balloons

17

yarn

8

safety pins

18

tissue paper

9

buttons

19

clay

glitter

20

elastic band

10

14

17

21

wire

22

felt fabric

23

plastic wrap

43

tools 9 1

8

2 4

7 6 3 5

1

postcard prompt

2

glue

3

marker

4

scissors

5

scalpel

6

clay knife

7

acrylic base

8

plywood base

9

carrying case

44

people data souvenir kit The People Data Souvenir kit focuses on just that, the people you were around while you were traveling, people vicinity data, reminding you of certain places and things you were doing because of the people you were around. When asked if the postcard prompt reminded them of a certain circumstance, Participant 1 said “The fact that I was never by myself reminds me that I was sleeping on the futon with [name omitted]�. Helped by the data collection through the postcard prompt, this kit builds upon the idea that the people around you help structure your memory and play an important part in your travels.

This kit is made up of the Granular materials and tools. A Granular material is one which is made up of pieces, lending itself to a relationship with people data. The kit is designed for easy making and reflection.

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How many people were you around?

Track the number of people in your vicinity during the day. Add any labels and notes you want.

0 (alone)

1

2-10

10-50

50+

Allie Turner Design Informatics 78 West Port Edinburgh EH1 2LE United Kingdom

What dot was most memorable and who was around you? What were you doing?

find out more at allieturner.co.uk/the-data-souvenir-kit

People Data Souvenir Kit postcard prompt - tracking people vicinity data to create physical objects

46

People Data Souvenir Kit: tools (top image) with granular materials (bottom image)

47

places data souvenir kit Another important aspect of traveling are the places you visit.

Being new, these places can spark memory and imagination of the experience you had there. Using the postcard prompt, places can be tracked using a key of different symbols, along a hand-drawn journey line.

This kit is made up of the Mass materials and tools. A Mass material is one which is larger and made up of bushels or chunks, lending itself to a relationship with places data. The kit is designed for easy making and reflection.

48

How many new places did you visit?

Track 5 different days of journeys & the places you visit. Mark every time you visit a new place.

Add any labels and notes you want. landmark museum shop/store restaurant/pub

Allie Turner Design Informatics 78 West Port Edinburgh EH1 2LE United Kingdom

example

What place was most memorable and where were you? What were you doing?

find out more at allieturner.co.uk/the-data-souvenir-kit

start & end

Places Data Souvenir Kit postcard prompt - tracking places data to create physical objects

49

Places Data Souvenir Kit: tools (top image) with mass materials (bottom image)

50

At this stage, these kits are ready to be tested on participants.

It continues to be a constant cycle of making, designing and reflecting. Being able to made in mass because of the accessible materials, both kits can travel in the mail to participants interesting in learning about data-tracking and data physiclizations. After so many different iterations and data souvenir creations, these kits may shed light on new conversations around travel data (specifically people and places), memories and materials. Potential for future work includes education around data, hands-on-making and the ability to communicate travel data to a variety of different people.

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The final kit size

52

reflections So what? Now that you’ve made a travel data object, either around people or places, how does the memory feel different?

Key guidelines should be used by those that follow, either as makers or designers. Key insights should be followed for all those who interested in similar memory making processes.

Reflections are an important part of the design process: what could have been done better?

final thoughts I started this journey exploring questions around memory, data, and physical objects. Before starting, I hypothesized that handson-making creates a bond between the object and maker, that it would heighten memory retention and that having an object that reminds you of your experience allows the memory to be more clear. This isn’t revolutionary, but I wanted to understand where data played a part in that relationship. I believed creating an object around an experience creates understanding. Using data as one of the materials would further explore the relationship of data in memory collection.

The most important lesson I’ve learned, and that would be helpful in many other data-driven environments, is that data can be ambiguous. Designers, makers, scientists, and academia (to name a few) should all accept the ambiguity into their processes and develop data-driven projects with the tolerance for the unknown.

Data is thought of as factual, concrete, a collection of numbers or characters that have been cleaned and refined by experts; data is driven by context, especially when it is personal data. Data related to memory and experiences is more than ambiguous, it is contextual and meaningful.

Looking back on my original research questions, there are few discussions that are important: What materials can be used to express memory in the context of personalized souvenirs?

Materials are sometimes untouchable, cannot be seen. In a datadriven world, materials are even more ambiguous. On my journey to place travel data to materials, there is no one answer. The materials are the final result of a journey: the remembered journey that a user acquires when traveling and the journey of creating the object.

People will be on a constant journey to investigate materiality; there is no one solution that defines how people perceive materials. Memories are not definite and are constantly evolving and changing with time and data. When data is being used as a material, it can be a bit unclear. This should be accepted into the design process.

Introductory, prototyping materials help along the journey of creating finalized artifacts. Prototyping is key to the design process Materials are not a blank canvas, but come with their own histories, dependent on the person who is using them. Materials are, in part, formed by mental realities.

Data is a new material.

54

How can conversations around physical data objects lead to understanding and learning?

First, conversations around physical data objects and data should not happen without a prompt. A prompt is useful and beneficial to illicit meaningful collection and creation. It is very difficult for a user, especially not from a data background, to handle data without some help. In a new data-driven environment, users need guiding to understand and interrupt.

New, innovate materials are being created rapidly. Transmaterial, a catalog and website that redefines our physical environment and profiles the newest materials in a number of different fields.

This is just one example of the research, and celebration, of the accelerated pace of innovations. Like Brownell, who “sees a constantly shifting array of materials, which offer continual improvements upon known standards� (Brownell 2006: 7), I believe some of these new conversations around data are what lead to new expressions of technology and change the way things are built. Not just affecting the digital world, I believe data also changes our physical, built world.

What travel data is most meaningful? Will this change over time and change with different users?

The most important aspect of meaningful travel data is personalization. This data should be personally collected, through a process that is clear and understandable to the user, for it to be meaningful. This is true for any step along the process of creating physical data objects: every selection should be made by the user themselves if the aim is to produce meaningful artifacts that illicit creativity. Although my research focused on hand collection, using a digital device could be used, given that the same guidelines and suggestions apply.

How does a person’s understanding of their travel data evolve over time? How does the evolution change the physical souvenir?

Seeing data that has been made into a memory leads to evolution of the data set. Of course new data can be added to a set, and that in itself changes it, but what about previous data evolving and changing? When you shift the context of the data, especially, the meaning changes. When you shift the maker of the data, the meaning changes. When you change the materials in which you are working with to create a data object, the meaning changes. This constant evolution creates excitement and innovation.

55

Finally, I would like to acknowledge the continuous reflection that should happen during the process of creating data souvenirs (and other data objects). Time should be set aside to reflect after every step, processing what has been done and what is going to be done.

Makers should continue to collect data and add to their building process, versus having a final set of data to look back at. It is important to learn about data and learn about what other aspects of your life your data is affecting. Data souvenirs teaches users to collect, reflect, build and reflect again. With reflection comes knowledge.

There are still questions around how such a data-driven world will change the physical and digital landscape. Touching one piece of it, Data Souvenirs opens up many other questions around reflective design, memory practices, materials and data, the use of travel data, data-tracking, and the list goes on. Data Souvenirs hopes to open the discussion around using data in memory making practices.

56

references

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Baumer, E.P.S., Khovanskaya, V., Matthews, M., Reynolds, L., Schwanda Sosik, V., and Gay, G. 2014. “Reviewing Reflection: On the Use of Reflection in Interactive System Design.” In Proceedings of the 2014 Conference on Designing Interactive Systems, 93–102. DIS ’14. New York, NY, USA: ACM. https://doi. org/10.1145/2598510.2598598.

Brownell, B. 2006. Transmaterial: A Catalog of Materials That Redefine Our Physical Environment. New York, NY: Princeton Architectural Press.

Elsden, C., Durrant, A., Chatting, D., and Kirk, D.S. 2017. “Designing Documentary Informatics.” In Proceedings of the 2017 Conference on Designing Interactive Systems, 649–661. DIS ’17. New York, NY, USA: ACM. https://doi.org/10.1145/3064663.3064714.

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Hoven, E., Sas, C., and Whittaker, S.. 2012. “Introduction to This Special Issue on Designing for Personal Memories: Past, Present, and Future.” Human–Computer Interaction 27 (1–2): 1–12. https:// doi.org/10.1080/07370024.2012.673451.

Huron, S., Gourlet, P., Hinrichs, U., Hogan, T., and Jansen, Y. 2017.

“Let’s Get Physical: Promoting Data Physicalization in Workshop Formats.” In Proceedings of the 2017 Conference on Designing Interactive Systems, 1409–1422. DIS ’17. New York, NY, USA: ACM. https://doi.org/10.1145/3064663.3064798.

Ingold, T. 2007. “Materials against Materiality.” Archaeological Dialogues 14 (1): 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1380203807002127.

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Kalnikait, V., and Whittaker, S. 2011. “A Saunter down Memory Lane: Digital Reflection on Personal Mementos.” International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, Designing for Reflection on Personal Experience, 69 (5): 298–310. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. ijhcs.2010.12.004.

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Pierce, J. 2014. “On the Presentation and Production of Design Research Artifacts in HCI.” In Proceedings of the 2014 Conference on Designing Interactive Systems, 735–744. DIS ’14. New York, NY, USA: ACM. https://doi.org/10.1145/2598510.2598525.

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“Self-Reflection and Personal Physicalization Construction.” In Proceedings of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 154:1–154:13. CHI ’18. New York, NY, USA: ACM. https://doi.org/10.1145/3173574.3173728.

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Wallace, J., McCarthy, J., Wright, P.C., and Olivier, P. 2013. “Making Design Probes Work.” In Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 3441–3450. CHI ’13. New York, NY, USA: ACM. https://doi.org/10.1145/2470654.2466473.

Wallace, J., Wright, P.C., McCarthy, J., Green, D.P., Thomas, J., and Olivier, P. 2013. “A Design-Led Inquiry into Personhood in Dementia.” In Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2617–2626. CHI ’13. New York, NY, USA: ACM. https://doi.org/10.1145/2470654.2481363.

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appendix

PGT Self Audit Checklist for Ethical Purposes - 2017 Response ID

Completion date

298668-298660-36528623

21 Jun 2018, 11:31 (BST)

Student name

Allie Turner

Universal username (UUN)

1775822

Programme name

Design Informatics - MA / MFA

Title of Project or Dissertation

Data Travel Souvenirs

Project or Dissertation Supervisor / Tutor

Bettina Nissen

Funding Body (if applicable)

N/A

1 / 3

63

Are there any issues of confidentiality which are not adequately handled by the normal tenets of ethical academic research?

No

Are there issues of data handling, management and consent which are not adequately dealt with and compliant with academic procedures?

No

Are there any special moral issues/conflicts of interest?

No

Is there a potential for harm or stress for those involved in your research?

No

Is there a potential for physical harm or stress for those involved in your research?

No

Is there a potential for risk to the researcher?

No

2 / 3

64

Is there any aspect of the proposed research which might bring the University into disrepute?

No

Are any of the participants or interviewees in the research vulnerable, e.g. children and young people?

No

Does your research concern groups which may be construed as terrorist or extremist?

No

3 / 3

65

initial work How would you model your traveling data?

When traveling to different cities and countries, we often buy or take souvenirs home to remember specific experiences and places. With increasingly intertwining digital devices in our traveling experiences, what are the implications or opportunities for hybrid, augmented or personalised souvenirs that capture both the place and one’s own personal experience?

On an exploration to discover how people represent their traveling data, I’ve discovered that souvenir objects are closely connect to materials. Hoping to create a reflective technology that can store memories and help users reflect on their experiences, the first step is running a workshop that lets people play with their data, taken from their own personal experience.

1. Download the app Strava.

2. Press record, leaving it on for how ever long you want. An hour, a day, a week.

3. Come to the workshop. 

Workshop preparation given to the first participants during initial work 66

More images of participants working, always with phones close by

67

19 March 2018 1.

68

Which part of the data would you pick to make something physical from? What data was most meaningful to you?

Elevation change?

Speed? GPS path?

1.

What do you remember from this certain time?

1.

Would you prefer something hard or soft?

Would you chose the more rigid paper or the malleable clay?

1.

Why did you 1. make what you made?

What do you see? What inspired you?

Wou wan som large scal artw hang your som you in yo

Participant 1

Gps map

4 hours: Weather Soft white clay, reminds of snow was snowy, cold, dark, grey, went from home to evolution house and stayed in library for hours & then went back home. remember the song i was listening to called “weak” because listened to all day

dark sky, snow By the w falling, was sitting in the size b window and reading can cont

Participant 2

Gps map

14 hours: dancing in soft clay apartment, going to kitchen and getting food & drinks, bathroom, air was bad in room so opened window, remember my mini carpet in room and it’s really soft, worked out doing pull-ups in the morning and night, tried to read, was looking out window and saw neighbors naked in window, painted nails

Im dancing on top Fits neatl of my mess, like both colors negative and positive things

Participant 3

Gps map

Spent a lot of the Clay day to change environments to study in, wore too many layers and got hot, wandered in main library, had nice run in the morning but wasn’t as sunny as other parts of the day, grocery shopping, got an email from accommodation

recreated my path, different color different direction.

Thought would be more varied, but surprised that retraced steps almost exactly

Doesn’t n bigger, cu about ma paths. co a bunch during th create re could ha wall

did you 1. what ade? do you What d you?

Would you 1. want something large or small scale? An artwork hanging on your wall or something you can hold in your hand?

What is easiest to create? How much time would you spend making a data souvenir?

1.

What part of 1. the object most reminds you of the experience?

Do you have any emotional attachment to the object?

1.

Where would you place the object in your home?

ow By the window, like sitting in the size because I d reading can control it

Easy to create, Weather spent 15/20 mins creating, would spend same amount of time if did again. image was stuck in head and was clear, so was easy to create fast. So if had longer memory, might take longer to make.

would take photo, leave on table, would take home if its easy to take home

On the window

on top Fits neatly in hand , like negative e things

easy to create, The mess looks like 10/15 mins but with the map talking, nice to make social activity.

Would do again, but probably wouldn’t do by myself, didn’t feel rushed

no attachment, going to get rid of after this. more attached to people than objects

Take photo & then destroy, don’t like physical things in apartment

y path, or ection. uld be , but at ps ctly

very eays, 5 mins, would spend more time, digital arbitration to path record would be interesting. could incorporate stops along path? interested in longer period of time

would probably throw away, would be nice to see the paths over a longer period of time

if had poster, than would hang on wall, more of a graphic

Doesn’t need to be bigger, curious about maps and paths. could be cool a bunch of paths during the day and create replica that could hang on the wall

the shape

Workshop questions and notes from initial work 69

materials and travel data workshop

Advertising for the workshop 70

Edinburgh small scale

Edinburgh bigl scale

London small scale

London big scale

Maps from the workshop 71

Boston small scale

Boston big scale

New York City small scale

New York City big scale

Maps from the workshop 72

Paris small scale

Paris big scale

Berlin small scale

Berlin big scale

Maps from the workshop 73

Barcelona small scale

Barcelona big scale

Maps from the workshop

74

More images of participants working

75

29 June 2018 Individual

76

1.

Why did you 1. pick the map that you did?

Versus the other scale?

Why did you 1. pick the small scale or big scale? What was the difference between the two for you?

What do you think about the visual aspects of the map?

1.

1.

What materials did you choose & why? Do they relate to the visual map?

Do t mat chos you anyt

Participant 1 - Flex Circles - consistent shape, play with shading

See more detail

Not just a point, larger area of space, neighborhood?, walking?, reputation

At first wooden circle, cutting tissue paper difficult, raise balloons off plastic because plastic is ground, balloon show relative size

Ballons r birthday

Participant 1 Personal

Prefer dots, prefer details, like small, route seems clear

Very clear, small scale more personal

Like both maps, but not as tactile as the one I chose

Biscuit board, bubble wrap, reminds me of personal young memories

Remind o childhood memorie board ca holes, do superglue

Participant 3 Emotions

Likes because More clear, more Barcelona and accurate showing places visited the most, map graphics seem related to place

Seems like places people visited, frequently visited

Cotton and wood board, romantic place because cotton reminds you of sky and imagination, wants cloud map, cant stick to plastic board

Sky & rom

Participant 4 Prototype

Both scales of NY, picked on place

Detail easier on closer one

like the grid, circle like geotags

Pipecleaners easy to The color work with, would well, but redo in wicker prefer on would lik with textu

Participant 5 Literal

Easy to recognize

One color, like

Tourist spots

plastic, paper too soft, wool, see a face in map

Scale & Age

Paris, big scale, like the grid of the road, unique, river cuts the city

big scale like 3 areas, more information, zoom in more clear

Represent functional Wood, acrylic colors Wood bu area, after finished naturally dry out and of old film thought it might be pull tourism bus route

Group

1.

How was 1. working with a souvenir prompt different than a visual map?

Did you find it hard working with a souvenir that wasn’t your own?

1.

How was 1. working with a partner or group? What aspects did you agree on, what did you

What was easier to work with, a visual or an object?

Paper is easy to c

1.

Did diffe mat with indiv and

als did oose & Do they to the map?

1.

Do the 1. materials you chose remind you of anything?

How do you 1. feel about the scale? Do you like it?

Would you want something bigger or smaller?

Would you keep this? If yes, where would you put it?

1.

Did you have enough time to make it?

How much time would you want?

Ideas/Summary

den g tissue ult, raise plastic stic is oon e size

Ballons remind of birthday parties

Bigger, balloons seem to big, play with height

would only to try again, want more prototypes

Had enough time

Flexible materials (like balloons) that can change scale, detailed maps easier to create with, prototyping until final object

d, p, of ung

Remind of childhood memories, plastic board can’t thread holes, don’t like superglue

i like the scale

Want holes to hang on wall

yeah, had lots of free time

Small scale is “clear” and more tactile and “personal”, acrylic should have holes

wood ntic se nds you

Sky & romance

Could be bigger, super huge like the sky

Not this one, maybe yeah, had lots of the bigger one, free time stick on wall

Related materials to emotions (cotton reminds of sky and imagination), object should be scalable

Like the scale

would keep wicker

yeah, enough time

Saw pipe cleaners as prototyping but should have worked with wicker (initial and final materials?)

Its ok

Yeah

More time

Clear map important with one color, took path on map literal and made face

Prefer aryclic, like smaller because easy to keep

Yeah, maybe on desk

yeah, not had enough time

Zoomed-in scale “more clear”, like how materials change (marker pulls against acrylic), materials that show age (burnt wood)

1.

1.

wants cant tic

s easy to The colors work would well, but would er prefer one materials, would like to play with texture

er too ee a

Paper is ordinary, easy to cut

ic colors Wood burnt reminds out and of old film crackles

was to with, a or an ?

1.

Did you use different materials with individual and groups?

What are the differences between working individually and with a group? What

Workshop question and notes from individual work Would you Ideas/Summary prefer to use your own data? Do you 77 think your objects would turn

did se & they the p?

ssue raise stic c is n ze

g

od c you

ants nt

1.

prefer on would lik with textu

plastic, paper too soft, wool, see a face in map

Paper is easy to c

Participant 5 Literal

Easy to recognize

One color, like

Tourist spots

Scale & Age

Paris, big scale, like the grid of the road, unique, river cuts the city

big scale like 3 areas, more information, zoom in more clear

Represent functional Wood, acrylic colors Wood bu area, after finished naturally dry out and of old film thought it might be pull tourism bus route

Group

Do the 1. materials you chose remind you of anything?

1. How was 1. Did you find 1. How was 1. What was How do you 1. Would you 1. Did you have Ideas/Summary working with it hard working with easier to feel about keep this? If enough time a souvenir working with a partner or work with, a the scale? Do yes, where to make it? prompt a souvenir group? What visual or an you like it? would you How much different that wasn’t aspects did object?

Would you put it? time would than a visual your own? you agree on, want you want? map? what did you something disagree on? bigger or smaller?

Group 1 - Freedom Vw magnet: I liked Luv: same, Lucy: Together is great, The object, more Ballons remind of Bigger, balloons would only to try Had enough time Flexible materials object more easy to different picked the same story to the object, birthday parties seem to big, play again, want more (like balloons) that map symbols because freedom in ways, someone else magnet, both with height prototypes can change scale, context, bus feels has more freedom thought of road require deciding detailed maps what they are & like road trip, thread easier to create good medium souvenir. with, prototyping because soft (like until final object memories, using the objectWant more holes to hang yeah, had lots of Remind of i like the scale Small scale is abstract on wall childhood free time “clear” and more memories, plastic tactile and Group 2 - Layers All 3 postcards: no, preferred Like together. Siyao Prefer the object, board can’t thread “personal”, acrylic vertical timeline, because gives more came up with idea not necessarily holes, don’t like should have holes lots of layers. perspective and not work as collections easier, more superglue Objects more attached to interesting object abstract, but because Sky & romance Could be bigger, Notdata this one,memories maybe yeah, had lots of Related materials to cane come constrained up with more ideas super huge like the thetobigger one, free time emotions (cotton place, objects sky stickadd on wall reminds of sky and layers of imagination), object conceptuality should be scalable Group 3 Constraint

asy to The colors work ld well, but would prefer one materials, would like to play with texture

oo a

redo in wicker

Paper is ordinary, easy to cut

olors Wood burnt reminds ut and of old film crackles

78

Mug & magnet: yeah, story missing easy, agreement, map easier objects more talk with someone and get inspired constrained, data can interpret more Like the scale would keep wicker yeah, enough time Saw pipe cleaners as prototyping but should have worked with wicker (initial and final materials?)

Its ok

Yeah

More time

Clear map important with one color, took path on map literal and made face

Prefer aryclic, like smaller because easy to keep

Yeah, maybe on desk

yeah, not had enough time

Zoomed-in scale “more clear”, like how materials change (marker pulls against acrylic), materials that show age

1.

Did diffe mat with indiv and

Color of t

Whateve

Simliar, li shape of easy to c

#1

er

prefer one materials, would like to play with texture

er too ee a

Paper is ordinary, easy to cut

ic colors Wood burnt reminds out and of old film crackles

should have worked with wicker (initial and final materials?)

Its ok

Yeah

More time

Clear map important with one color, took path on map literal and made face

Prefer aryclic, like smaller because easy to keep

Yeah, maybe on desk

yeah, not had enough time

Zoomed-in scale “more clear”, like how materials change (marker pulls against acrylic), materials that show age (burnt wood)

was 1. Did you use 1. What are the 1. Would you 1. Do the 1. How do you 1. Would you 1. Did you have to different differences prefer to use materials you feel about keep this? If enough time with, a materials between your own chose remind the scale? Do yes, where to make it? or an with working data? Do you you of you like it? would you How much ? individual individually think your anything?

Would you put it? time would and groups? and with a objects want you want? group? What would turn something do you out similar? bigger or prefer? smaller?

more Color of thread like Map restricts lucy: Other persons Ballons remind of Bigger, balloons would only to try Had enough time object, imagination, because too much birthday parties seem to big, play again, want more ls everything already meta data, Luvian with height prototypes ding there, easier to say no preference e& imagine with object, working with another person decisions made faster Remind of i like the scale Want holes to hang yeah, had lots of childhood on wall free time memories, plastic bject, Whatever worked could assign tasks in this excessive, board can’t thread rily own interpretation holes, don’t like of memories, may superglue bject not accurate but its neSky come ok maybe yeah, had lots of & romance Could be bigger, Not this one, e ideas super huge like the the bigger one, free time sky stick on wall

Simliar, like the shape of the wood, easy to carry & store

Ideas/Summary Ideas/Summary

visual map restricts Flexible materials imagination, (like balloons) that working with can change scale, partner makes detailed maps making easier easier to create with, prototyping until final object Small scale is “clear” and more tactile and Object relays time, “personal”, acrylic an interpretation of should have holes someone’s memories Related materials to emotions (cotton reminds of sky and imagination), object should be scalable

The colors work well, but would prefer one materials, would like to play with texture

Like the scale

yeah, much better because could tell own story. Personal data. would keep wicker yeah, enough time

Paper is ordinary, easy to cut

Its ok

Yeah

More time

Clear map important with one color, took path on map literal and made face

Wood burnt reminds of old film crackles

Prefer aryclic, like smaller because easy to keep

Yeah, maybe on desk

yeah, not had enough time

Zoomed-in scale “more clear”, like how materials change (marker pulls against acrylic), materials that show age

#1

Easier to talk about with partner, object transforms (for example the wood opens) Saw pipe that cleaners as prototyping but have from group work Workshop questionshould and notes worked with wicker (initial and final materials?)

79

postcard prototyping

80

How many people were you around?

Track the number of people in your vicinity every hour of the day. Use some color if you’d like!

0 (alone)

1

2-10

10-50

50+

Allie Turner 157 (1F1) Morningside Road Edinburgh EH10 4AX United Kingdom

Did you ever feel lonely or very sociable?

find out more at allieturner.co.uk/the-data-souvenir-kit

Data Souvenirs

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01:00

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Postcard prototype 1 - people vicinity data

81

What are people saying around you?

Listen in on stranger’s conversations and take note of what they say. the environment

who was talking man woman both use as many as you need!

what is said gossip navigating random convo

example: llo said he “where is the castle?”

Allie Turner 157 (1F1) Morningside Road Edinburgh EH10 4AX United Kingdom

What was the most interesting conversation you overheard?

find out more at allieturner.co.uk/the-data-souvenir-kit

Data Souvenirs

Postcard prototype 2 - eavesdropping data

82

How much sun did you see?

time

condition

Everytime you take notice of the weather, track how sunny or cloudy it is outside.

Allie Turner 157 (1F1) Morningside Road Edinburgh EH10 4AX United Kingdom

What was different about tracking the weather versus other things?

find out more at allieturner.co.uk/the-data-souvenir-kit

Data Souvenirs

Postcard prototype 3 - weather data

83

What did you smell?

Track everytime you smell a different scent. Feel free to change the colors to ones you have! the locations public transport

the scents coffee perfume

Allie Turner 157 (1F1) Morningside Road Edinburgh EH10 4AX United Kingdom

What scent reminds you most of the day?

find out more at allieturner.co.uk/the-data-souvenir-kit

Data Souvenirs

Postcard prototype 4 - smell data

84

How do you picture the city?

Using The Image of the City as inspiration, what do you remember? paths edges

major “movement - streets, minor sidewalks, trails, railroads”

major “real or perceived - boundaries, minor walls, shorelines ” districts “areas that are 2D - common identifying characteristics” nodes major “foci that observer can enter minor offers multiple perspectives” landmarks major “points of reference - buildings, minor signs, stores, mountains”

Allie Turner 157 (1F1) Morningside Road Edinburgh EH10 4AX United Kingdom

What did you draw first?

find out more at allieturner.co.uk/the-data-souvenir-kit

Data Souvenirs

Postcard prototype 5 - city image data

85

24 July 2018

86

What is your previous experience with personal data?

What do you think personal data is?

Have you ever tracked anything before? Have you ever tracked anything about yourself? For example, sleeping patterns, eating habits, etc.?

Did you enjoy doing this with a partner or would you have rather done it alone?

Now that you’ve had some time since creating, what do you remember from that day?

What from postcard you of a circumsta

Participant 1 Semi Experienced Self-Tracker

I think personal data is information a person collects about their life and their experiences. I have a little bit of experience with personal data. I have collected info about my eating and sleeping habits.

Yes, I have used an app to track my sleeping patterns and one to track my eating patterns and weight. I have also tracked my dreams.

It was much more fun to do with a partner.

I remember breaking out our colored pencils in public places to fill out the postcards.

The fact never by reminds m was slee futon with omitted].

Participant 2 Less informed Self-Tracker

The only experience with personal data I've had has been filling out online surveys. I believe personal data is a form of collecting information from a group of individuals.

I've only really tracked my own personal eating habits and exercise.

I did enjoy doing this with a partner and believe it made the experience more fun than if I had completed it individually.

I remember walking around and taking the bus through the city of Edinburgh.

The porti day when surround larger gro people re that we w city cente Castle at times

ou’ve me ng, what ember ay?

t our cils in s to fill cards.

walking taking ugh the burgh.

Did you have Ideas/Summary enough time to make the postcard?

What from the postcard reminds you of a certain circumstance?

Would you keep the postcard? If yes, where would you put it?

If I asked you to make something physical from the data you have tracked, do you think it would be easy? What sort of materials come to mind?

The fact that I was never by myself reminds me that I was sleeping on the futon with [name omitted].

Probably not. No offense to the postcard, I just like the amount of stuff I have to keep moving around to a minimum.

No, I do not think it Yes, I had plenty of would be easy, but I time to make the do think it would be postcard. easier than the conversations postcard or the smells postcard. I would use something that represents quantity, like a bunch of little pins to represent the number of people we were around at certain times of the day.

There are probably a bunch of ways to show this kind of data.

Remembering the actual experience of recording versus what they were doing during the day. Can visual something physical (pins) with qualitative data (number of people) even without the actual materials in front of them. More closely associates memories with partner (instead of environment they were in)

The portions of the day when we were surrounded by larger groups of people remind me that we were in the city center/at the Castle at those times

Yes I would keep the postcard, probably in my desk at home.

I don't believe ti would be easy to make something physical from the data I tracked. I believe I could make some sort of infographic or timeline out of the data, but nothing physical comes to mind.

Less knowledgable about what personal data is (associates with online surveys) but isn’t aware that she is a self-tracker.

Remembers the actual experience more than the process of recording data

I did have enough time to fill out the postcard.

Questions and notes from postcard prototyping

87

https://allieturner.co.uk/ the-data-souvenir-kit