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Empathy Through Data Loneliness Through the Lens of Data Visualization Empathy Through Data Loneliness through the lens of data visualization By Sananda Dutta A thesis presented to OCAD University in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Design in Digital Futures. Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2021. Empathy Through Data Sananda Dutta Creative Commons Copyright Notice Copyright Notice This document is licensed under the Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 2.5 Canada License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode You are free to: Share - copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format Under the following conditions: Attribution - You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. No additional restrictions - You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits. 1 Empathy Through Data Sananda Dutta ABSTRACT This research examines strategies aimed at fostering empathy through data visualizations. Loneliness experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic (during May, July and September 2020) is used as a case study to explore alternate ways of representing data. Along with ways to humanize data representation and curb Statistical numbing, this research uses metaphors to encode sensitive data to help visually represent people suffering loneliness in Ontario during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The research amalgamates ‘affect theory’ with concepts of ‘arithmetic of emotions’ and ‘compassion fade’ to try and create a solution for issues related to the ways in which we respond to sensitive issues. By employing the mixed methods of research for creation and iterative design development, this thesis comprises 1) a written document stating the research process; 2) a series of iterations leading to a data visualization for the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and 3) an interactive web-based data story. 2 Empathy Through Data Sananda Dutta ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my supervisors Isabel Meirelles and Adam Tindale. Their dedicated guidance and invaluable constructive criticism have helped me throughout the journey of my thesis. I am also grateful to the entire Digital Futures fraternity, particularly professors Kate Hartman, Immony Men, Barbara Rauch, Emma Westecott, Cindy Poremba and Suzanne Stein for providing valuable critiques at different stages of the thesis research process. A special thanks to Jessica Wyman for providing writing strategies for the text and Josh Paglione for his amazing connectivity with students across all disciplines. A big thank you to the twenty-eight anonymous participants who contributed to my user testing with valuable feedback, which helped me carve the final prototype of my thesis outcome. A shoutout to my friends away from home, especially Li, Catherine, Masha and Manisha who have been instrumental in my thesis journey. To all my friends, especially Hardik, a big thank you for all the guidance and help throughout the thesis journey. And last but not least, the warmest hugs and love to my family for their relentless support and faith in me all along the way. 3 Empathy Through Data Sananda Dutta TABLE OF CONTENTS CREATIVE COMMONS COPYRIGHT NOTICE 1 ABSTRACT 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS 4 TABLE OF FIGURES 6 INTRODUCTION 11 MY RESEARCH QUESTION 14 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT 15 CHAPTER I 16 DOMAINS OF RESEARCH 16 SENSITIVE DATA 16 DATA VISUALIZATION 17 WELL-BEING 19 CHAPTER II 22 LITERATURE REVIEW 22 SENSITIVE DATA 22 AN OVERVIEW OF DATA VISUALIZATION 23 THE CONCEPT OF STATISTICAL NUMBING 33 LONELINESS 41 EMPATHY 44 CRITICAL STANCE 47 SENSITIVE DATA REPRESENTATION CASE STUDIES 47 THE ISSUE THAT EMERGES: A DESCRIPTION OF WHAT IS GOING WRONG WITH THE WAY SENSITIVE DATA NUMBERS ARE REPRESENTED. 58 CHAPTER III 60 METHODS AND METHODOLOGIES 60 ANALYSIS OF DATA 60 4 Empathy Through Data Sananda Dutta RESEARCH FOR CREATION 71 VISUALIZATION METHODS 77 USER TESTING 86 CHAPTER IV 88 PROTOTYPING AND MAKING 88 PROTOTYPE 1 88 PROTOTYPE 2 94 PROTOTYPE 3 97 CHAPTER V 112 LEARNINGS AND REFLECTIONS 112 LEARNINGS: WHAT WORKED AND WHAT DIDN'T AND WHY? 112 REFLECTIONS 115 SCOPE & LIMITATIONS 117 CHAPTER VI 119 CONCLUSION AND FUTURE WORK 119 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SOCIETY AT LARGE 122 FUTURE COLLABORATIONS 124 WORKS CITED 125 WORKS CONSULTED 134 APPENDICES 137 5 Empathy Through Data Sananda Dutta TABLE OF FIGURES FIGURE 1: MIND MAP THAT STREAMLINES THROUGH THE PROCESS THAT LEADS TO THE FOCUS SUBJECT OF EMPATHIZING WITH DATA. (CREATED BY THE AUTHOR) ................................................................. 14 FIGURE 2: THE VARIOUS TYPES OF SENSITIVE ISSUES THAT COMPRISE THE DOMAIN OF SENSITIVE DATA (NON- EXHAUSTIVE LIST). (CREATED BY AUTHOR) .................................................................................. 16 FIGURE 3: COMPARING THE AFFECTIVE ELEMENT OF THE DATA AND HOW TO APPROACH IT WITH RESPECT TO THE PEOPLE FORMING THE AUDIENCE. (CREATED BY AUTHOR) .............................................................. 19 FIGURE 4:THE MIND-MAPPING FOR THE CONCEPT OF A HEDONIC TREADMILL IN THE CONTEXT OF THE PROJECT (CREATED BY AUTHOR). ......................................................................................................... 20 FIGURE 5: THE DATA VISUALIZATION BY SONJA TO SHOW THE SUICIDE IN THE NETHERLANDS IN 2017. LINK - HTTP://WWW.STUDIOTERP.NL/A-VIEW-ON-DESPAIR-A-DATAVISUALIZATION-PROJECT-BY-STUDIO-TERP/ (ACCESSED 4 JUNE 2020). ..................................................................................................... 24 FIGURE 6: A VISUAL REPRESENTING ONE OF THE WINDOWS IN THE BUILDING ALSO SHOWS A GLIMPSE OF ONE OF THE STORIES THAT GET REVEALED UPON CLICKING. LINK - HTTP://THELONELINESSPROJECT.ORG/ (ACCESSED 4 AUGUST 2020). ................................................................................................................ 26 FIGURE 7: THE INSTALLATION OF THE PIECE, WITH THE VIDEOS BEING SET TO THE COMPOSITIONS BY CHRISTIAN MARCLAY. LINK - HTTPS://WWW.NYTIMES.COM/2018/06/08/ARTS/DESIGN/SNAPCHAT-CHRISTIAN- MARCLAY.HTML (ACCESSED 4 AUGUST 2020). ........................................................................... 28 FIGURE 8: A VISUAL PIECE CREATED BY THE ELEMENTS CHOSEN IN THE SCENE. EXAMPLE: THE NIGHT SKY INSTEAD OF DAYLIGHT BY TURNING OFF THE LIGHTS, CREATED AND PLAYED A CERTAIN PIECE OF MUSIC IN THIS CASE. LINK - HTTPS://WWW.TECHNOLOGYREVIEW.COM/2020/09/04/1008151/GOO (ACCESSED 7 SEPTEMBER 2020) ................................................................................................................ 31 FIGURE 9: THE DATA VISUALIZATION CREATED BY GIORGI LUPI TO EVOKE EMPATHY FOR KAKI’S DAUGHTER’S ILLNESS. LINK - HTTP://GIORGIALUPI.COM/BRUISES-THE-DATA-WE-DONT-SEE (ACCESSED 19 OCTOBER 2020). ............................................................................................................................... 32 FIGURE 10: TO SHOW STATISTICAL NUMBING LEADING TO COMPASSION FADE. THE RESULTS OF A RESEARCH BY KOGUT AND RITOV. THIS WAS USED BY PAUL SLOVIC IN HIS RESEARCH STUDY. (SLOVIC ET AL. CH. 7, P. 132) (ACCESSED 11 FEBRUARY 2021). .................................................................................... 35 FIGURE 11: THE TWO SYSTEMS OF THE HUMAN MIND AND A COMPARISON OF WHAT ASPECTS THEY FOCUS ON. TAKEN FROM “PSYCHIC NUMBING AND GENOCIDE” CH. JUDGMENT AND DECISION MAKING, VOL. 2, NO. 2, APRIL 2007 (SLOVIC 6) (ACCESSED 19 OCTOBER 2020). ......................................................... 36 6 Empathy Through Data Sananda Dutta FIGURE 12: CHARTS THAT SHOW LONELINESS FELT BY CANADIANS FROM MAY 2020 TO NOV 2020 (“COVID- 19 NATIONAL SURVEY DASHBOARD”) (ACCESSED 11 FEBRUARY 2021). ......................................... 37 FIGURE 13: THIS IS HOW GROUPING WORKS IN A GRID AND ORGANICALLY. THE TYPE OF GROUPING HELPS IN ADDING ONTO THE WAY WE PERCEIVE IT (BERTINI ET AL. 5) (ACCESSED 4 AUGUST 2020). .................. 39 FIGURE 14: NON-EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF ARTICLES PUBLISHED BY CBC NEWS IN THE MONTH OF JULY 2020, BEING CATEGORIZED UNDER THE FIVE CATEGORIES FOR EVALUATION (COMPILED BY AUTHOR). ...................... 49 FIGURE 15: THE SELECTED CBC NEWS ARTICLES UNDER EACH CATEGORY TO SHOW THE USAGE OF THE WORDS ‘LOCKDOWN’, ‘LOSS’ AND ‘RECOVER’ (COMPILED BY AUTHOR). ...................................................... 50 FIGURE 16: NON-EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF ARTICLES PUBLISHED BY BBC NEWS IN THE MONTH OF JULY 2020, BEING CATEGORIZED UNDER THE FIVE CATEGORIES FOR EVALUATION (COMPILED BY AUTHOR). ...................... 52 FIGURE 17: THE SELECTED BBC NEWS ARTICLES UNDER EACH CATEGORY TO SHOW THE USAGE OF THE WORDS ‘LOCKDOWN’, ‘LOSS’ AND ‘RECOVER’ (COMPILED BY AUTHOR). ...................................................... 53 FIGURE 18: NON-EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF ARTICLES PUBLISHED BY AL JAZEERA NEWS IN THE MONTH OF JULY 2020, BEING CATEGORIZED UNDER THE FIVE CATEGORIES FOR EVALUATION (COMPILED BY AUTHOR). ............. 55 FIGURE 19: THE SELECTED AL JAZEERA NEWS ARTICLES UNDER EACH CATEGORY TO SHOW THE USAGE OF THE WORDS ‘LOCKDOWN’, ‘LOSS’ AND ‘RECOVER’ (COMPILED BY AUTHOR). ........................................... 56 FIGURE 20: THE RESEARCH FOR CREATION PROCESS THAT LEADS TO A FUTURE 'REVEALING' THAT MAY REMAIN AN EXPERIMENTAL PROTOTYPE (CHAPMAN AND SAWCHUCK'S THEORY). .......................................... 71 FIGURE 21: THE MIND MAP THAT SHOWS THE CONNECTIONS AMONG THE TOPICS OF INVESTIGATION. THIS MAP COVERS
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