dataspace: understanding cultural perception of the physical Internet in New York City
dataspace is a zine and participatory research project created as part of The New School’s Anthropology + Design graduate course, taught by Prof. Barbara Adams. The goal was to facilitate greater awareness of physical data infrastructure (primarily data centers) in NYC and encourage exploration of one’s habitat through walking.
The first dataspace zine is a guided tour through lower Manhattan’s data infrastructure. It is intended to accompany someone on a walk around the neighborhood and encourage them to notice things they might not have noticed otherwise. Check it out below.
Role: Anthropologist and Designer
Team: N/A
Methods: Interviews, Ethnographic Observation, Walking, Secondary Research
The second zine is an activity book, intended to prepare participants for and accompany them on a guided tour of the data centers outlined in the original zine. My inspiration was a twist on the typical field guide that assumes ignorance of the participant — the activities I created encourage the participant to see their own perspective as valuable. This zine is also intended to be a participatory data-collection tool for continued research on how individuals perceive the physical infrastructure of invisible technology.
