VizChitra 2025

I am interested in exploring how personal everyday data can be transformed into tangible data artefacts, merging data visualization with craft-based practices. This inquiry began during the pandemic with my project My Strange Addiction, where I recorded my binge-watching habits and encoded that data into an embroidered artefact. It demonstrates how everyday mundane data can be used to create deeply personal, reflective data art pieces.
Through this talk, I will share how these processes can be adapted by anyone interested in making physical data representations—particularly (but not limited to) through textile art. And what better test subject than yourself? This approach is intended for multidisciplinary professionals looking to explore the physical form of data art and storytelling, presenting a “Backyard Data Art” approach - a middle ground between charts, dashboards, and infographics.
Modern efficiency-driven time constructs revolving around social, cultural, technological and economic demands and practices make our experience of time linear and bounded. By documenting and analyzing seemingly trivial quotidian personal data ( Habits, and practices that occupy much of our daily time, like how often we check the time on our phones, how often we unlock our screens, what music we listen to throughout the day, etc.), we can begin to experience time differently. Transforming this data into physical artefacts is the first step in humanizing data. Analog data viz-making offers an opportunity to reclaim our attention, slow down, and engage in more mindful, embodied practices- offering space for introspection and expression.

What the talk will cover:
Choice of data & medium: Why this type of data and why this medium. Adapting the process to suit different interests and contexts
Data collection: Observing everyday patterns, recording, analysing data
From data to visual metaphors: Visualising, designing, and encoding data into visuals
Iterations and final artefact: The evolution of a piece
Reflections: Prompts and insights for your data practice

Key Takeaways:
Framework to create a tangible data artefact
Understand how working with our hands can reshape how we process and relate to information
Discover data art as a tool for reflection, storytelling, and expression

Who is it for?
Designers, artists, data visualization enthusiasts- anyone curious about physical data visualization or using craft as a tool for non-traditional data storytelling. (Ideal for fans of Giorgia Lupi, Stefanie Posavec, and Nicholas Felton!)

About Me:
I’m an engineer turned designer interested in complex storytelling rooted in Indian socio-cultural contexts. I hold a Master’s in Information Arts and Information Design Practices from Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Bengaluru. My work spans visual design, user experience, creative coding, and data art. Currently, I am working as an Art Director at Big Bears, where I create concept-driven campaigns and memorable brand experiences.