Greetings From. . . A Workshop to Visualise Unexpected Stories of a Place Through Data Postcards

Abstract

Introduction Greetings from. . . is an exploratory format in which data visualisation becomes a tool for a critical analysis of realities, sounds, scents, and rhythms. Developed within the framework of the Innovation Design Lab in Turin (Italy), the format follows the Systemic Innovation Design Methodology to create a Databook. The methodology transforms data into information, knowledge, and actionable insights for territorial design proposals with an innovative perspective.

Data collection By presenting the workshop Greetings from Naples, we present a holistic analysis as a virtuous process of data collection, mapping, and visualisation that describes a context or territory. During a three-day workshop, students with diverse backgrounds challenged themselves to create data visualisations using postcards as a medium. They explored the neighbourhood of Quartieri Spagnoli (Naples), identifyingtheir visual interpretation and collecting as much data as possible through different media.

Data analysis Participants visualized the data on postcards. Different shapes, colours, and graphical representations helped them identify emerging patterns and behaviours.

Analysis results Collecting all the postcards generated a collective databook, where multiple points of view create a sudden and not-so-common vision of the surroundings. We observe the impact of visual components and territorial factors as drivers of visualisation design approaches.

Conclusion We discuss the format’s implications and opportunities as a replicable model for exploring and understanding urban contexts and facilitating design strategies through insightful data visualisation.