Data Visualization as Portraiture: An analysis of the use of personal data in the visual representation of identity
Catarina Sampaio, Luísa Ribas · 2022
This paper analyses aesthetic and design artefacts that represent the identity of an individual through the visualization of personal data, focusing on their reflexive, documental, and biographical potential. To this end, it analyses the concepts, data types, design methodologies, and visualization techniques, as well as the experiential characteristics of these artefacts. This analysis is part of an ongoing research that explores data visualization techniques for the rep- resentation of personal identity, highlighting the potential of using personal data as a raw material for portraiture. The research is motivated by the current context of technological ubiquity, wherein virtually all human activities inevita- bly leave a digital trace. It explores the potential of these records of personal data to convey characteristics of identity that are relevant in private and social spheres. As such, it also points to a reconceptualization of portraiture driven by computational media, as the representation of personal identity through the use of personal data.