Week 25 - 26 | MA Data Visualisation Term 3




Over the past two weeks, following the completion and submission of the Final Major Project Proposal (FMPP), we were required to resume and finalise the collaborative project presentation that had been postponed from the previous semester. This presentation marks the conclusion of our group work from the last term and serves as a reflective closure to the initial phase of our collaborative design process.

Simultaneously, the official launch of the Final Major Project (FMP) signalled the transition into a more independent and research-driven stage of the programme. For my FMP, I have chosen to focus on the theme of population ageing and the silver economy. This topic allows me to explore how data visualisation can be used as a critical tool to reveal demographic shifts, social challenges, and emerging economic opportunities associated with ageing societies. The project aims to engage with both quantitative and qualitative datasets to uncover nuanced narratives around longevity, eldercare, and intergenerational policy, with a particular emphasis on comparative perspectives between different national contexts.

On Friday the 26th, Keir facilitated the formation of peer support groups as part of the preparation for our Final Major Project. The primary objective of this exercise was to encourage collaborative reflection, accountability, and knowledge exchange among students. Each group was tasked with setting specific learning goals and timelines to support individual project development while fostering a sense of shared progress within the cohort. This structure not only aims to sustain motivation throughout the project period but also enables us to receive ongoing feedback and constructive critique from our peers.


Visual Complexity Mapping Pattern of Information





Reading Visual Complexity by Manuel Lima provided a foundational perspective on the aesthetic and structural dimensions of network visualisation. The book not only showcases a wide range of data mapping projects but also explores the theoretical underpinnings of complexity, pattern recognition, and systems thinking in visual communication.

Lima argues that as datasets grow in volume and interconnectivity, designers must shift from reductive visual models to forms that embrace multiplicity and ambiguity. His emphasis on organic, non-linear structures—such as radial trees, force-directed graphs, and hyperbolic networks—resonates with contemporary challenges in visualising sociotechnical systems.

This reading deepened my appreciation for visualisation as both a scientific and cultural practice. It encourages a more experimental, exploratory approach to mapping relationships, particularly when dealing with non-hierarchical, dynamic, or subjective datasets. The work strongly informs my ongoing interest in narrative-driven and ethically mindful data visualisation practices.



Do Ho Suh – Walk the House(Tate Modern)











Do Ho Suh’s Walk the House at Tate Modern offers a compelling translation of memory and domestic space into spatial form, resonating with key principles of data visualisation. Through translucent fabric reconstructions of his former homes, Suh creates immersive environments that act as qualitative data maps—capturing personal history, emotional memory, and cultural displacement.

From a data visualisation perspective, Suh’s work aligns with the notion of “embodied data,” transforming intangible experience into physical structure. His layered, interconnected rooms resemble non-linear data narratives, encouraging the viewer to explore memory as a spatial journey rather than a fixed point.

This exhibition expanded my understanding of how data—especially subjective, lived experience—can be visualised beyond charts and graphs. It inspires more human-centred, narrative-driven approaches to design that prioritise emotion, movement, and memory as valid and valuable data sources.