Fighting Racism with Data Visualization
As protests against the pandemic of racism continue around the world, designers are using data visualization to help with the fight and also put out a call to action to those in power, including celebrities.Data Visualization Specialist, Divya Prabhakar, decided to look at colorism, a facet of racism, and how Bollywood stars are contributing to the problem. Many of the stars are guilty of not only lightening their own skin and being part of a culture that celebrates "whiteness," but of also endorsing skin lightening product endorsements.Her engaging introduction points to how systemic the problem is and how young the indoctrination starts. Take a moment to read it and then consider the many ways racism is introduced and encouraged in our culture and society.Sources and further reading:http://www.thecolorofbollywood.com/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/0
Big Data—Big Responsibility
A recent article by FastCompany has declared that it's official, data visualization has gone mainstream.While data visualizations have been created by graphic designers for years, 2019 included fashion wear from information designer Giorgia Lupi, who created a super popular, data-driven fashion collection for Other Stories, a co-lab that turns data visualizations into wearable stories. The clothing line is so popular that many of the items have sold out. The designs reveal the amazing achievements of three trailblazing female scientists. The collection is an excellent example of how Lupi strives to find the human element in data-driven narratives.The article by FastCompany discusses other moments in 2019, including Donald Trump's use of a data visualization as well as the introduction of reflective data visualization with Michelle Rial's book, Am I Overthinking It?It's important to remember that while discussions and investigations into data bias are not new, a plethora of information that is being represented with them serves as a call to action to be mindful of the blank spots. A recent article by Meg Miller for Eye on Design, focuses on the work of artist Mimi Onuoha, "The Library of Missing Datasets." Onuoha's project is a mixed-media installation that shows how big the blank spots are from data that has been left out. File cabinets that feature empty file folders with titles like "Publicly available gun trace data" and "Accurate Birth Registration" point to how much misinformation we are likely being served. Onuoha says, "Spots that we've left blank reveal our hidden social biases and indifferences."The article features many other examples that speak to the problem of not just data bias, but the danger of data blank spots; about power, who has it and who does not.As we move forward in world filled with data visualizations, it's important for designers to be informed and aware of all the implications of the data they are using.https://www.fastcompany.com/90450827/its-official-data-visualization-has-gone-mainstreamhttps://eyeondesign.aiga.org/finding-the-blank-spots-in-big-data/