An interactive public installation where visitors could engage by picking coloured strings corresponding to feelings, inspirations, thoughts or influences that make the person they are today, and link these strings to words on the wall to make a path visualizing associated concepts tied to each of these feelings, inspirations, thoughts and influences. WHAT MADE ME was designed by Dorota Grabkowska and Kuba Kolec for the Birmingham Made Me Design Expo (15-22 June 2012) at the Mailbox, Birmingham. Commissioned by the Idea Birmingham and Birmingham City University, the installation was created to provide an interactive experience for visiting members of the public. The project was based around a concept of information visualisation in a form of a large scale, complex data map, generated by visitors themselves. The aim of the project was to explore what shapes the people of Birmingham by asking them these five simple questions: What made you Think? What made you Create? What made you Angry? What made you Happy? What made you Change? Each question was assigned to a different colour and could be answered by connecting relevant words together with a coloured thread. Almost a hundred words were displayed alphabetically in a grid, giving the participants a wide choice of possible answers. Through this visual language, the participants were able to share their feelings, influences, thoughts and inspirations, which made them who they are today. Over the course of the week, a multi-layered visual data map has been created, concluding the Birmingham Made Me Design Expo. The project has won the Most Original Exhibit Award at the Birmingham Made Me Design Awards 2012. Sources: Dorota Grabkowska's website: http://www.grabkowska.com/?p=326 Behance blog : https://www.behance.net/gallery/4419469/WHAT-MADE-ME-Interactive-Public-Installation

During the SWAB International Contemporary Art Fair, the group of developers Domestic Data Streamers had the audience create a physical parallel coordinates visualization based on their demographic profile (social status, weight, etc.) and by answering a meaningless question on whether they choose a spoon or a fork. Source: Domestic Data Streamers (2014) Data Strings. They have a range of other interesting physical visualization projects on their Web page.

Weave is a project that aim to raise the awareness of invisible barriers faced by immigrants navigating Dutch public systems through data physicalization. People can pick a thread corresponding to their country of origin, and thread individual responses to each question. Upon finishing, they can wear the special glasses that unveil a deeper meaning of each question. The project employs metaphors to help interpret the discursive artifact. The more challenging options are placed higher to symbolize the effort required to climb over these metaphorical mountains. The entire shape is alike an iceberg, linking to the cultural iceberg model. The deeper audience go down the iceberg, the more invisible the barriers are. The glasses symbolizes a shift in perspective, inviting viewers to put themselves in other’s shoes and seeing from other’s eyes. Source: K. Xing (2023) Weave. (archived version) Related: Also see our previous entries on migration and on physical parallel coordinates.