Questions & Answers is my latest project: an experiment in new, non-linear narrative forms, or what I’m calling data-as-narrative. But really it’s just a fun way to explore some of the crazy, interesting stuff people write online.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about data visualization as a narrative form. How can data be presented so that it truly tells a story in addition to revealing unseen information?

This student art project at Dartmouth College renders a polar bear on-screen. When electricity use in the dorm is high, the temperature rises, the ice melts, and the polar bear falls into the arctic waters. By unplugging, students can help the cuddly character “live” happily on the ice in a cool climate.

It’s a data visualization at its core, but by using a cute character—as opposed to a bar chart—the presentation triggers an emotional response and truly tells a story. Not only that, but the story is interactive, and the viewer/participant’s behavior determine the outcome.