How can we make sense of the ubiquitous information and data in our every day lives, in business and in science? Our partner organisation, the International Institute for Information Design (IIID) has shared news on two promising events that are dealing with this challenge.

The 26th Biennal of Design (BIO 26) in Ljubljana, Slovenia, facilitates the complete process from idea creation to prototype to a finished product which innovates knowledge production and dissemination. The Data Sensations Conference in Espoo, Finland zooms into a part of this challenge by focusing on how to effectively visualize knowledge. The two events send a strong signal that there is a great demand for knowledge in science literacy and for strengthening that literacy through design, both being strategic cornerstones of BCSSS with its vibrant Research Group ‚System Science and Pattern Literacy‚.

The open call for contributions at the BIO 26, starting on 14 November 2019  invites designers, architects, scientists, artists, communicators, educational professionals, sociologists, and the general public to revisit the fundamental structures for producing and transmitting knowledge in society.

Upon being selected for the call, participants will join the first ‚designathon‘ in May 2019, a hands-on, practical event similar to a hackathon. The six projects with the best idea and prototype will receive funding to attend the second designathon in July, where they have the opportunity to advance their prototype into a fully developed product. In November 2019, the outcomes of this exploratory work will be shown alongside the main exhibition at the Museum of Architecture and Design, which runs until 9 February 2020.

Tied into the theme of BIO 26, the Data Sensations Conference on 8-10 May 2019 is showcasing new talents from information and visual communication design research & education. The one-day conference brings together a diverse group of practitioners to discuss data visualization from multiple perspectives. This year’s event is centered around the symbiosis between natural sciences, information design and visual narratives with the key concept of senses – from human senses to machine sensors. Supporting the conference are workshops that invite the speakers and audience to learn about state-of-the art tools and methods in data visualization.