Life inside the box
Opportunity
Like most people, I spent a lot of time inside in 2020 due to the global pandemic. When talking to others, I realised I spent a lot of time inside. Curious to find out just how much, I sat down and sketched out my year. I used a calendar view to collect the data and understand how much time I’d spent in quarantine. I realised I was on track to spend almost half my year inside four walls.
Approach
If I was going to turn this insight into a data viz, I wanted to put a positive spin on it since 2020 was so grim. Also, I wanted other people to find it interesting even though it was personal data. Although my experience wasn’t representative of anyone else’s 2020, my goal for this data visualisation project was to offer a light-hearted way to reflect on a hard year. At the very least, I wanted to inspire people to remember 2020 and find some silver-linings, instead of actively trying to forget all about it.
Tools
Excel
Procreate
Lego blocks
UAL photography lab
Photoshop
Indesign
Process
I’d been wanting to try to create a data visualisation with Lego for a while. It seemed like the perfect light-hearted way to bring this project to life. I figured out how many Lego blocks I’d need to order to represent my year and bought them off Lego.com.
Building my data visualisation was the perfect inside activity. It was fun and it kept me preoccupied during another national lockdown. I knew I wanted to recreate a calendar look in my initial sketch. So I decided to build a similar layout with the Lego. And yes, I’m wearing a full pink sweat suit — it was a weird time.
I used the photography studio at UAL campus because my at-home photography wasn’t fit for purpose. I took photos a few different ways because I wasn’t sure of the final layout. This was my first time using a professional
What started out as a personal project turned into an assessment piece for my masters in Data Visualisation at LCC. After the photoshoot, I went back to Canada for Christmas (and another quarantine) and left my Lego back in London. I got stuck at home, so I was locked into the initial layout for the final piece. I’m still undecided whether this was bad luck or totally fitting for the project.
Andy Kirk retweeted my project, which opened the door for quite a bit of engagement (well, at least for me). With the reception, comments and engagement around #LifeInsideTheBox, I felt like I achieved my overall goal of giving people a light-hearted way to reflect on a hard year. I even got a few messages about how this project inspired people to create their own pieces about their year inside.