Important Dates
“The Future”: Creating it and funding it
One part of the Data Science by Design (DSxD) initiative that we are especially excited about is showcasing the work created by the newly established DSxD community. The theme for this printed anthology is “The Future.”
We named this project to intentionally reflect our desire to design for a future in data science: a future with more of a focus on creativity, yes, but also a future with more transparency, inclusiveness, and personal responsibility.
We may not know what the future holds but we do know that the future of data science can be what we, the community, design it to be! Here are some questions to get you thinking about what YOU are looking for in the future of data science:
- How can data collection, interpretation, and communication positively affect the world around us?
- How will we design our community to be more accessible and inclusive?
- What are the ways we wish to see the field of data science improved?
- How will we revolutionize data visualization?
- What might data, or data science practices, look like in 1, 10, 50, or 200 years?
- What are the ways in which society will consume and reflect upon the data around us?
- How might we teach data science?
Anthology Logistics
We hope that Creator Conference attendees and the broader public will be energized and ready to act on their ideas over the “Summer of Design.” Ideally, each participant would contribute a piece to “The Future” anthology (think of it like a data science magazine), and we are open to any and all creative ideas about what form those contributions might take! For example, if you want to create a data sculpture, you could photograph the piece to enable its inclusion in the magazine medium. You could use a QR code to send people to an interactive or audio piece online. If there’s enough interest, we may develop an accompanying audio anthology to feature orally narrated pieces, music, data sonification, or spoken word poetry. Do you have other ideas? Let’s talk about them! Examples of anthology contributions we’ve heard so far:
- A cheatsheet or tutorial on how to use or apply a technical design tool
- A preliminary analysis accompanied by a pitch for a data-driven story or narrative tailored to specific audiences.
- A teaching activity that leverages data-centric creativity in the classroom.
- Short essays on how to design for the future of data science (accessibility, transparency, ethics)
- Tactile or 3D mixed media piece (textile, 3D printing, etc.)
- Excerpt of a zine, graphic novel, or illustration
- How to present a finding to a new audience or community who may not have understood or had access to the data previously.
- Presenting a methodological process you or someone else you know of uses (this could be from your perspective or in the form of an interview with someone else)
- Describing the process and bringing the difficult parts into view of getting into a data field
- Sonification of a dataset or another form of audio piece
- Introducing a tool (package, library, software) or interface to the world
- Using and creating dashboards as an example of best practices
Remember, you don’t have an expert in the topic or medium of your proposal! This is a chance to dive deep into a topic you’ve wanted to learn, and then present it to a community that can’t wait to hear about it.
We will be accepting submissions for the printed anthology starting August 3, 2021 through September 3, 2021. Please email datasciencebydesign.org with the subject line “DSxD Anthology Submission” a paragraph description of what you would like to submit and how it fits with the theme of the anthology. We will then get back to you if we think your piece would fit!
About the DSxD Grants
(Submissions now closed)
We understand that for many – especially this year – there are financial reasons that may make it hard to participate. For this reason we are happy to be able to provide small grants for individuals or groups to create projects and develop their submission pieces. Again, the work will be presented in a printed anthology, so your piece will have to be presented in 1-5 pages of a book and be connected to this years theme “The Future of Data Science”.
To help with planning, and to give us an opportunity to hear from you about how we can best support you as you complete your piece, there will be a required interim report due August 3, 2021 (specifics forthcoming in a later post). This can also serve as an accountability measure for you, something we have found very useful to the successful completion of projects.
How much money does the grant include? Each grant applicant is eligible for between $250 - $600.
What are qualified uses of the grant money? Grant funds can be applied towards anything that helps you complete your submission piece successfully and to the best of your ability. For example, you could use it to pay for:
- your own time,
- an illustrator to help you visually explain your idea,
- an editor to give feedback on your writing,
- someone to user-test your work,
- childcare while you work on your piece,
- a software tool subscription to help you create your work (ex. Adobe Suite) or books or reference materials for supplies for your piece,
- outreach activities to further showcase your work,
- something else you’re thinking of? Just ask.
When will I know if I am receiving grant money, and how much I am receiving? We will let you know no later than July 1, 2021.
What if I have an idea that might require more than the maximum individual grant allotment of $600? Reach out to us to see if we can accommodate the request.
Applying for the DSxD Grants
The grant application includes prompts to help you specify your idea and outline a budget – two very important aspects of successfully developing a creative piece of work that hopefully can fit into the printed Anthology. The entire application should be no longer than 4-5 paragraphs (not including title or budget), and the budget should describe how you would use the grant money. Again, the work will be presented in a printed anthology, so your piece will have to be presented in 1-5 pages of a book and be connected to this years theme “The Future of Data Science”.
What is the title of your project? What is the title of your project? A working version of your title. We understand that this may change before the piece is final. (Length: 3- 10 words)
How is your piece relevant to data? How is your piece relevant to data? Tell us what data you will explore, what data-based results you will share in an accessible way, or what data-centric concept or methodological approach you will explain to a broad audience. (Length: 2- 5 sentences)
Who is your audience? Who is your audience? Tell us who you are trying to reach with this work and why. (Length: 2 - 5 sentences)
What is the scope of your project? What is the scope of your project? Tell us what the final deliverable will be: what do you want to present to the world by submission deadline, September 03, 2021? Consider the time constraints when defining your scope! It may help to think about a Plan A your dream and Plan B the “good enough” version. Again, the work will be presented in a printed anthology, so your piece will have to be presented in 1-5 pages of a book and be connected to this years theme “The Future of Data Science”. (Length: 2 - 5 sentences)
What is your connection to the theme of the anthology? What is your connection to the theme of the anthology? Tell us how you think your work connects to the theme of “The Future of Data Science”. This is open to broad interpretation! (Length: 2 - 5 sentences)
Budget You will be asked to upload a budget itemizing how you will spend the money. Please see budget template.
Questions? Contact us at datasciencebydesign@gmail.com