Abstract

While feminist and critical data theories have long critiqued the use of data to uphold a positivist-informed view about science, few examples offer alternative methods to display scientific constructs. In response, we present Data & Me: an exhibit informed by feminist and critical data theories, which we designed and launched at a local science museum. Data & Me introduces museum visitors to data using a @🤗 vibe a vibe that signals that data can be slow, handmade, and personal. We designed this vibe to be noticeably different than the @Science vibe in the rest of the museum. Throughout our design process, we adapted visualization vibes as an analytic and generative tool in the context of a science museum. We present four design choices that enable the design of a vibe: visual, topical, material, and crediting. We discuss how our exhibit aligns with ongoing discussions about alternative research outcomes and calls for plurality in HCI.

Citation

Acknowledgements

This work is funded in part by the Swedish Research Council (Grant No. 2024-05726); by the Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program (WASP) funded by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation; and by the InspireLab at KTH. This work would not be possible without the participation of Östergötland Stadsmission, Power in da Hood, Martin Callmeryd, Camilla Svensson, and Claudia Torelli. Or without the support of management and staff at the Visualiseringscenter C. And of course, thank you to our supportive lab mates at Visualization and Interaction Design Lab and colleagues who took pictures and posed for photos, you all rock

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