visualizing death
I sat in on an interesting conversation between Andy Kirk and Francis Gagnon on Clubhouse* last week about visualizing death. In addition to thought-provoking ideas related to this topic, there were a number of examples discussed. I can anticipate wanting to refer back to them in the future, so figured I’d catalog them here, both for my own reference and to share in case you may also find them inspiring or otherwise useful.
The conversation was spurred by Francis’s post on the Voilà blog, “500,000 dots is too many,” in response to a recent NYT front page featuring a data visualization of American COVID-19 deaths. Francis’s critique highlights the limits of data visualization to convey tragedy.
Given that death is perhaps the smallest thing to measure and report, there was some interesting discussion around how to communicate and visualize what is missing from this partial or incomplete picture. Related to this, Kim Rees’s visualization of US Gun Deaths, created when she was at Periscopic, was briefly discussed:
US Gun Deaths by Kim Rees / Periscopic (click image to see animation & full details)
When it comes to going beyond visualization to create an experience, The Fallen of WWII by Neil Halloran was highlighted as an effective example. It feels a little wrong to mention it here with only a single image—it is a 15-minute interactive documentary that “examines the human cost of the second World War and the decline in battle deaths since the war.”
The Fallen of WWII by Neil Halloran (click image to watch the video & see full details)
One topic of conversation centered around encoding choices for representing death. A view on despair, by Sonja Kuijpers of STUDIO TERP was discussed in some depth, in particular, her caution to “scroll with regard” and the decision to show the visual and subsequently define the encodings for the viewer. Color choice was also highlighted related to this example: not stark black and white as is often used to depict death in data viz, but rather colorful, yet serene.
A view on despair by Sonja Kuijpers / STUDIO TERP (click image for full details)
There were other examples raised, but these were the ones that stuck with me as I reflected back on the conversation. When it comes to ideas offered, there was discussion about looking to existing methods of honoring death—for example, memorials. There was also apt reflection that data about death should be aggregated with caution—or not aggregated at all, in favor of profiling individuals rather than turning people into data points. A common thread recognized that was woven into a number of the examples discussed was that they slowed people down, giving them something to endure. There was also some talk about intentionally causing discomfort or distress, though it was time to wrap before this idea was fully formed.
Francis raised and returned to a series of questions several times over the course of the conversation that remained unanswered: when we visualize death, why are we doing it? Who are we doing it for? What do we want them to feel? Though no one volunteered a response, it is by reflecting on precisely these questions when communicating tragedy that we can consider whether visualizing data makes sense and, if so, how to approach it thoughtfully.
*Clubhouse is a relatively new social network audio app, “where people around the world come together to talk, listen and learn from each other in real-time.” I am suspending my judgement as I continue to experience the pros and cons. It’s invite and iOS only right now, which I recognize is exclusive, and it takes some patience to curate your list of clubs and people of interest to navigate beyond the hype, but after moving past these hurdles, there are some interesting conversations happening. The one I’ve recapped here is a great example. I’ve also been hosting regular conversations in the storytelling with data club. I’m finding it to be a productive way to connect with people I know and talk more regularly, plus I’m meeting new people. If you’re interested in checking it out and have an iOS device, DM me and I’ll do my best to share an invitation.
