Words for data

words, data, design

Jan.24 – Resubmission

Title

Critical pluriversal data visualisation and participatory social annotation: bringing lessons from Cybersyn to foster political conversations in local grassroots contexts.

Abstract

As data visualisations increasingly shape social discourse, encouraging alternative forms of data to construct new narratives that amplify diverse voices is undeniable. This doctoral research explores practices inspired by Cybersyn, a short-lived Chilean experimental project in the 1970s that aspired to transcend hegemonic narratives and develop innovative design solutions by using the democratising power of data. Through non-conventional methods of graphic and typographic design, this study interrogates the potential of these approaches to foster community citizen reflection in local contexts, involve diverse perspectives and encourage participation among grassroots communities in the UK. From a Global South perspective, this research acknowledges the ideological implications of visual approaches from the margins, emphasising the need to use a critical approach that recognises the values, contexts and biases of the data. By promoting a pluriversal approach, the research aims to challenge traditional aesthetic tropes of visualisations, encouraging a more inclusive understanding of such representations. Employing a Bricolage methodology with participatory action research (PAR), the research combines experimental visual methods with participatory workshops, involving collage and annotation as key techniques. Collage is explored as a form of critical visualisation, empowering participants as producers of knowledge, while annotation aims to disrupt the neutrality of data, amplifying marginalised voices. Adopting a reflection-in-action approach, the researcher-practitioner actively engages in creative and participatory contexts, using visual methods to shed new light on new critical data practices. In essence, this PhD project aims to explore an alternative way of visualising data, drawing on the lessons of Cybersyn to develop innovative design practices that empower grassroots citizens, challenge hegemonic narratives and recognise the rich cultural, political and social diversity of citizens.

Research questions

How can innovative approaches to design-led pluriversal critical data visualisation and participatory social critical annotation foster grassroots citizen reflection through practice and stimulate conversations about local community issues?

How can visual methods in graphic and typographic design contribute to the emerging discussions advocating for an alternative approach to data visualization, which seeks to encompass diverse perspectives on the various forms that data can take?

Could the exploration of non-traditional approaches to the use of text and its visual representation provide new ways of collaboration and active participation in the practice of social annotation?

In what ways can lessons on participatory aspects of design-led, data-driven decision-making, exemplified by experimental projects such as Cybersyn, be drawn and reconsidered in grassroots activities which aim to address community issues in the local context?

Can experimental approaches developed in Chile’s short-lived cybernetic project Cybersyn inspire and encourage citizens in the UK to participate actively in local political conversations?

Research aim

Explore and implement innovative design-led approaches to critical data visualization and participatory social critical annotation, aiming to cultivate grassroots citizen reflection and stimulate conversations on local community issues in the UK.

Research objectives

1.To examine and transfer the potential of the experimental approaches developed by the Chilean Cybersyn project in the context of grassroots activities aimed at addressing community problems at the local level.

2. To explore and develop innovative graphic and typographic design practices to visualise data in alternative ways to serve as a basis for future critical participatory pluriversal conversations.

3.To investigate the experimental use of non-traditional approaches to text and its visual representation, with the aim of exploring and applying innovative practices that enhance collaboration and active participation through social annotation.

4. To apply the developed potential of design-led experimental approaches to critical data visualisation and participatory social critical annotation in UK citizen contexts aimed at addressing community problems at the local level, building upon lessons and insights drawn from the Chilean Cybersyn project and its relevance to grassroots activities.

Methodology

Three approaches crucial to the proposed research will be examined: the practice-led research framework, the bricolage methodology and participatory-action research (PAR). Through these approaches, practice is foregrounded, where the adoption of bricolage as a concept responds to the inherent needs of a practice-led research project. Unlike traditional, more structured positivist approaches, these methods offer a dynamic and flexible scenario, essential for a practical and experimental research project.

This research uses collage and annotation as visual methods in graphic design to construct critical visualisations, following the principles outlined by Hall and Davila (2022). Through participatory workshops, collage empowers participants as knowledge producers, offering a non-intimidating visual approach, while annotation serves to amplify marginalised voices and disrupt the neutrality of visualisations (Hamill, 2020; Kalir and Garcia, 2021; Chai, 2021).

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