Boston Design Week: DataWagashi

Data visualization is a powerful tool for making sense of complex information, but it often relies solely on our visual sense to communicate insights. In this event, multidisciplinary designer Tiange Wang shares a different approach to creating and sharing data stories by incorporating additional sensory elements like taste, smell, texture and physical interaction into the mix.

Wagashi are traditional Japanese confections deeply rooted in the idea of capturing the transience of seasons and reflecting the beauty of nature. Considered a microcosm of time and space, it is a perfect medium to embody the otherwise intangible information about different aspects of the world. By embracing a sensory upgrade from data visualization to data physicalization, Data Wagashi turns data into an experience that is sharable among people and accessible to those with different sensory capabilities.

In this event, Tiange will dive into her process of concepting, data-analyzing, designing and prototyping sets of wagashi that physicalize various datasets, and engage in a hands-on design workshop where you can start to sketch out your own set of data wagashi to make and share.

Come to hear the talk, enjoy the conversations, taste the sweets and push the boundary of communicating data stories.