The case for humanizing data

We need to start thinking of data on a more humanized level to fully benefit from the information that it offers.

Over the years, our perception of data has changed. We no longer think of it as dry, hard-to-digest information that only a specific group of people with the right knowledge can comprehend. Instead, we commonly stumble upon data in a variety of visual forms, which communicate its meaning through simple illustrations. Taking data visualization a step further, “data humanization” looks at creating a connection between the information and the human viewer. Giorgia Lupi, a leading information designer who works in the field of data humanism, describes the importance of this connection — “data visualization should embrace imperfection and approximation, allowing us to envision ways to use data to feel more empathic, to connect with ourselves and others at a deeper level.”

So what if data is communicated in an empathetic way, allowing the viewer to feel the impact of the information? Instead of stating that, on average, the American consumer uses 315 plastic bottles annually, how would people react when seeing a wave of 300-or-so plastic bottles about to engulf a pre-occupied individual?

Using a more “artistic” illustration allows us to think about multiple dimensions associated with a piece of data. In the plastic bottle example, a figurative illustration conveys the magnitude of the issue, the direct impact that the consumption pattern has on the marine environment, and the irreversible effects that the human being is about to experience if our habits do not change for the better.

If we think about it, the idea of data humanization stems back to the very question to why we collect data in the first place. The answer: to establish and understand the realities and facts surrounding us, which helps us make improvements to how we operate. But data is not always associated with organizational performance. Data also addresses wider issues, such as the ecological footprint of humans or the declining cases of malaria. These issues impact large groups of people who may not be organized under a single entity which uses information to strategize for the future. While corporations or non-profits may analyze and visualize their collected data to improve their performance for the next fiscal year, the average person might not refer to a spreadsheet or a pie chart as a source of information and feel immediately encouraged to change their own personal performance in the future. Using artistic methods and figurative tools may build the necessary bridge between humankind and the knowledge we are able to attain from data collection and analysis.