Our Data Heritage

BSTRACT Persistently, data has been part of our lives through the ages. Our use of data is nearly always private, often small, but has continually formed a part of how we live our everyday lives. Very often it is stored, saved, and preserved as part of our arts and crafts through the ages. It is important that we do not let the current ‘big data’ revolution with all its emphasis on bigness and power, alienate us from our deep connection with data. It is important that we share the potentially empowering aspects of the use of small, situated, and embedded data. I will discuss this in relation to my continued research towards promoting data comprehension by creating appropriate interactive technologies that can help people negotiate the everyday transformation of data into understanding. Specifically, I will talk about my research into extending the available visual representations, using interaction to expand the potential of existing visualizations, and into broadening the potential of information visualization by investigating engagement with new audiences. Just as data has in the past, it still has the potential to enrich our daily lives. Let’s not get dis-inherited!