Data Epics: Embarking on Literary Journeys of Home Internet of Things Data

Title of the Paper

Data Epics: Embarking on Literary Journeys of Home Internet of Things Data

Paper Information

• Research Domain: Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and narrative approaches to Internet of Things (IoT) data perception
• Keywords: data, Internet of Things (IoT), fiction, Research through Design (RtD), home, data narrative, data critique, generative design

Research Background and Problem

• Problems and Challenges:
  • Data is often described as "immaterial and objective," which overlooks the complexity, messiness, and subjectivity involved in its generation and use.
  • Home IoT data raises concerns regarding privacy, control, and power dynamics.
  • Although prior research has highlighted the "messiness" and "locality" of data, there is still insufficient exploration of its everyday tangibility and emotional representation.
• Significance:
  • Understanding how data is embedded in daily life is crucial for enhancing data transparency and user agency.
  • Data narratives have the potential to transform how users perceive their IoT data, empowering them with greater control and autonomy in data usage.
• Research Motivation:
  • Utilizing fiction as a tool to explore new ways of narrating data, creating richer imaginative spaces for the complexity and contextuality of home IoT data.
  • Shaping a novel perspective where data is not seen as "objective truth" but as "messy and lively."

Solution

• Method or Solution:
  • The authors propose the project "Data Epics", collaborating with fiction writers to transform home IoT data into four fictional short stories.
  • Data was sourced from the home devices of an IoT enthusiast (e.g., smart plugs and voice assistants), with fiction writers crafting stories based on the data, and researchers iteratively translating and presenting this data.
• Innovative Aspects:
  • Introducing fiction to deconstruct the traditional notion of "data as objective truth."
  • Using contextualization and personification to portray data as "alive," while illustrating how data is intertwined with power and control at both household and societal levels.
• Implementation Steps:
  1. Data Collection: Generating operational data using IoT devices.
  2. Data Cleaning and Visualization: Cleaning metadata and creating charts to share with writers.
  3. Fiction Creation: Writers crafting narratives incorporating the data.
  4. Materializing Outcomes: Presenting the stories as printed books to participants and writers.
• Key Technologies and Tools: Data collection via IFTTT, data cleaning using Google Spreadsheet, and data visualization with Tableau.

Research Outcomes

• Specific Results:
  • Four fictional stories about home IoT data were created: The Sheriff, The Revelation, The Recruit, and The Inspector. Each story explores the lived experience of data and its potential impacts from different perspectives.
  • Proposed a new framework for imagining data: data as "lively," "localized," and "interwoven" (e.g., interacting with other data, sensors, and human behaviors).
  • Highlighted the extensive labor and technical effort required for interpreting IoT data (e.g., data cleaning, chart creation, and book formatting).
• Comparison with Existing Solutions:
  • Traditional data visualizations often emphasize data's intuitiveness or operational utility, whereas Data Epics use narrative and emotional expression to make the "non-objectivity" and social attributes of data more tangible.
• Experimental and Evaluation Results:
  • Data stories enhanced IoT users' (e.g., participant Susan) awareness of personal data, encouraging them to rethink its significance and impact from new perspectives.
  • Data narratives revealed the complex power structures embedded in data generation, storage, and transmission.
  • Through fictional reflection, participants experienced emotional connections between data and daily life (e.g., reinterpreting "voice command" scenarios in novel ways).
• Limitations and Future Directions:
  • The storylines may not have deepened participants' understanding of specific data details.
  • To achieve broader societal impact, future research could focus on:
    • Engaging diverse groups and incorporating varied data sources (e.g., urban data or health device data).
    • Exploring narrative potential for video data or other non-textual data formats.
    • Investigating tools designed to enhance data accessibility and transparency.

The above content provides a detailed analysis of how fiction can be used to deconstruct traditional notions of data, showcasing the innovative appeal of the "Data Epics" project.