Big data - small world : materializing digital information for discourse and cognition

This chapter furthers discourse between digital data content and the creation of physical artifacts based on an interpretation of this data. Building on original research by the author, the chapter asks the questions why should we consider translating digital data into a physical form? And what happens to how we understand, read and relate to digital information when it is presented in this way? We discuss whether or not the concept of the data-driven object is simply a novel visualization technique or a useful tool to add insight and accessibly to the complex language of digital data sets, for audiences unfamiliar with reading data in more conventional forms. And we explore issues connected to the designing of data into the material world, including fabrication techniques such as 3D printing and craft-based making techniques, together with the use of metaphor and visual language to help communicate and contextualize data.