Designing with Data: An Annotated Portfolio
William Gaver, Andy Boucher
Abstract
This article presents an account of the Interaction Research Studio’s distinctive approach to incorporating data into design, unpacking a vital but previously unexamined facet of our two-decade-long research programme. We demonstrate how data have served as a pragmatic tool in creating and engaging contextually aware computational products that provide alternatives to dominant task-oriented and consumerist narratives by promoting interpretation, imagination, spirituality and socio-cultural reflection. Leveraging an annotated portfolio approach, we revisit our diverse portfolio of designs, starting from individual reflections before surfacing overarching themes. This article foregrounds our strategies for utilising data, the associated labour and the challenges that have arisen throughout our design process. This emergent and empirical account may complement more theoretical treatments of designing with data and provide valuable insights for researchers, designers and practitioners navigating the complexities of data-integrated design in the contemporary technological landscape.