Translation Machine
A data-driven collage system translating twenty days of personal screen time into physical compositions through a fixed set of visual rules.
Concept
This project translates personal screen time data into a series of hand-made collages using a consistent, rule-based system. Instead of visualizing the data through charts or graphs, the goal was to reinterpret it through physical materials and composition.
Each collage represents a single day, using shapes, color, and density to reflect how time was spent across different apps and categories. The project focuses on the tension between digital behavior and physical output, turning something intangible into something tactile and constrained.
Process
I collected fourteen days of iPhone screen time data, tracking total usage as well as time spent across different app categories. From there, I developed a strict set of rules that translated specific data points into visual decisions.
App categories were assigned to different shape types, frequency determined how many shapes appeared, and time spent controlled their size. Total daily screen time determined how much of the composition was filled. By following this system consistently, each collage became a direct output of the data rather than an intuitive design choice.
Results
The final series consists of small-scale collages that reflect daily patterns of screen use through variation in density, scale, and composition. While each piece follows the same system, no two outcomes are the same, highlighting how behavior shifts over time.
The project reframes personal data as something material and visual, emphasizing both repetition and excess while questioning how digital habits can be understood through physical form.
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