Abstract
When the goal is to help audiences understand social and environmental sustainability data, communicating the context is of high importance. Data that are designed to tell a story can create a strong connection between high-level, abstract sustainability concepts and the daily, individual actions of consumers. This article outlines the challenges and opportunities that the topic presents and offers key practices in the visualization of sustainability data: starting with the individual, layering information, presenting positively, involving emotions, letting audiences make their own decisions, enabling interaction, and providing access to supporting data. Specific experiences from a variety of the author’s own projects illustrate these points.
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- 1.
The design was developed specifically for T-shirts sold by Droog Design in the Netherlands in 2006.
- 2.
This project was done as part of an artist residency at MEDEA in Malmö, Sweden with help from Unsworn Industries and the city of Malmö—who produced the periscope.
- 3.
Psychologist Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy outlines the order in which individual needs must be met before one can move ‘up’ to other needs. They occur in this order: Physiological, Safety, Belongingness and Love, Esteem and Self-Actualization.
- 4.
This project was sponsored by Center for Energy and Environment.
- 5.
URL, January 19, 2014: http://www.bicyclingcounts.com.
- 6.
Minneapolis and St. Paul, neighboring cities in Minnesota, USA.
- 7.
The plate is produced by Felissimo.
- 8.
This project was supported by a fiscal year 2009 Artist Initiative Grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible in part by a grant from the Minnesota State Arts board, through an appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature and by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
- 9.
ProductBio project, January 19, 2014: www.productbio.com.
- 10.
This project was developed in close collaboration with The Wedge Co-op grocery store and was supported by a 2010 [Art]ists On the Verge fellowship from the Northern Lights Foundation.
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Birt, A. (2015). Sustainability: Visualized. In: Bihanic, D. (eds) New Challenges for Data Design. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-6596-5_14
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