DataWagashi: Feeling Climate Data via New Design Medium

Abstract

Inspired by Wagashi, the traditional Japanese confection art regarded as a microcosm of time, space and nature, DataWagashi is a new medium aiming to make data tangible, accessible and fun by blending taste, smell, touch, texture, and physical interaction into the vocabulary of data communication. 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, making complex environmental data approachable, foster empathy, and empower people to make better choices.