Making Data: Materializing Digital Information

Big data and its forms, such as statistical lists, spreadsheets, and graphs, can be abstract and unintelligible to many outside the scientific community. This book investigates how digital fabrication and traditional making approaches are being used to present data in newly engaging and interesting ways. It introduces the basic premise of the data object and the concept of making digital data into a physical form, covering topics such as biometrics, new technology, the economics of data, and open and community uses of data. The second part presents a selection of exemplar forms and contexts for the application of data-objects, such as smart surfaces, smart cities, augmented reality techniques, and next-generation technical interfaces that blend physical and digital elements. The book argues that the making of data into physical objects is the next important development in data visualisation and proposes that the creative methods, processes, theories, and cultural histories of making physical representations of information should be explored.

Format: Hardback
Length: 280 pages
Publication date: 21 April 2022
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

For many individuals outside of the scientific community, big data and the various forms it takes, such as statistical lists, spreadsheets, and graphs, often appear abstract and incomprehensible. This book delves into the exploration of how digital fabrication and traditional manufacturing approaches are being utilized to present data in novel and captivating ways.

The first part of the book establishes the fundamental concept of the data object and the process of transforming digital data into a physical form. Contributors address a range of topics, including biometrics, emerging technologies, the economics of data, and the diverse applications of data in open and community settings.

The second part showcases a selection of exemplar forms and contexts for the application of data objects. These include smart surfaces, smart cities, augmented reality techniques, and next-generation technical interfaces that seamlessly blend physical and digital elements.

Making Data underscores the significance and anticipated prevalence of physical representations of data. It delves into the creative methods, processes, theories, and cultural histories associated with the creation of physical representations of information. Furthermore, it suggests that the act of transforming data into physical objects represents the next significant development in the realm of data visualization.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350133235