Data visualization as a tool for action-reflection

por Erika Cortés

Data visualization is a very useful tool to support qualitative research. 

The evolution of data visualization used as a resource in two projects will be addressed. 

Manifest object. Study of design and protest, from scarves to feminisms. Research project by Mtra. Lucy Atri. 

Radar del sentido' made it possible to materialize the reflections and comments made in the semi-structured interview of the Focus Groups. Particularly in this case, the visualization tool made it possible to consolidate the Focus Group remotely, providing space for interactions among the participants. To some extent, the 'Meaning Radars' are a concrete, honest and consensual look at the meaning of the Pañuelos. In them, we can see the elements that compose them and how (from their proximity) they relate and articulate with each other. We could say that the Radars of Meaning promote the recognition of the participants' knowledge during the interviews. 

The objective of the tool was to de-hierarchize the dialogue between participants and facilitators/researchers, as well as to reduce bias during data interpretation, given that the mapping was generated by the participants themselves and to identify points of intersection between social movements. 

In this proposal, the use of visualization is particularly evident in two moments: as a tool for inquiry and as a tool for analysis. 

Have you visualized your feelings? Analogous data visualization. 

In the framework of the commemoration of the 25N International Day of non-violence against women and from the initiative called 16 days of ARTIVISMOS. 

Erika Cortés and Miriam Martínez, teachers of the School of Design, propose the piece "Have you visualized your feelings?" which consists of an exercise of participation of the women of the EDINBAL community, understanding participation from Henry Sanoff's proposal that emphasizes that the important thing for the actors involved is to feel listened to. 

An analog data visualization exercise was proposed to address a complex problem that afflicts a community made up of undergraduate and master's degree students, faculty and administrative staff.

There were three axes for the creation of the proposal: 

a. making the complexity of violence visible, under the perspective of intersectionality b. deconstructing a complex issue 

c. its approach from small actions