Challenging Data Analysis & Visualization, following Paolo Ciuccarelli’s steps.

Almost every day, service designers need to analyze and visualize data, therefore Paolo Ciuccarelli, with the support of Alessandra Facchin, explains and teaches us what and how to do it.

What is the true nature of data? By collectively answering this provoking question, the journey towards a designerly approach to data representation begins for the students. Data is yet another (very malleable, sophisticated, and widely available) material in the hands of designers, that are well-positioned to understand its constructive nature and help any stakeholder make sense of it, to ensure more effective decisions and cover ‘cultural distance’. 

Students are guided through the information design continuum – the projecting space – to understand how to design data-intensive interfaces for the whole spectrum, from analytical tools to narrative visualizations and engaging data experiences. Students receive guidance in navigating visual variables, visual patterns and existing formats. What’s more, neutrality and autonomy are also questioned, as assumptions and sources of potential misunderstandings about what data is and what the results and the impact of making sense of it might be. It’s really important to balance context, message, and engagement to design data effectively.

The first day shows a historical excursus that sets the context and funds the framework and the principles proposed as guides for designing with data. The second day is when concepts and principles are brought to action. In particular, the students were asked to deal with the analysis and visualization (qualitative and quantitative) of the survivors of the Titanic tragedy. We will pay attention to how they process data and the creativity with which they communicate it, moving from analysis to art and providing a strong experience. Furthermore, the course includes a discussion of student’s work and an introduction to current research challenges and future directions.