Queer Data Portraits

Project Description

This project explores the intersection of data visualization and portraiture to represent the identities and experiences of LGBTQ individuals. Using both qualitative and quantitative data, the project transforms personal narratives into abstract visual compositions. Inspired by datasets such as the 2022 Transgender Survey and the Movement Advancement Project’s LGBTQIA+ legislative maps, I developed a questionnaire that I distributed to four close friends, gathering insights into their identities, relationships, and lived experiences.

Each portrait encodes specific data points, including age, astrological sign, coming-out timeline, impactful legislation, and familial support, using visual markers such as color, shape, and positioning. The fluid and layered nature of these elements reflects the complexity of queer identity. Additionally, personal materials provided by each participant are included in interactive pockets, emphasizing the evolving nature of self-perception.

By blending artistic abstraction with data-driven representation, this project challenges conventional portraiture and offers a nuanced depiction of queer identity. The goal is not only to make personal experiences visible but also to encourage viewers to reflect on their own identities and relationships to queerness.

Methods

In order to create the data portraits, I first created a questionnaire which I provided to four of my close friends to fill out. The information provided in the questionnaire was the data collection I utilized to create these portraits. Each data point has a corresponding symbol that is reflected in each portrait. In addition to the data points incorporated, each piece has different aspects of the information provided as well as trying to capture a visual representation of who each person featured in the portrait is.  

My Role – Individual

Learning Outcome Achieved – Ethical/Creative/Critical Practice

Rationale

This project exemplifies ethical, creative, and critical practice by engaging with LIS issues and using innovative methods to represent LGBTQIA+ identities through data visualization and portraiture. It aligns with ethical LIS standards by prioritizing informed consent and respecting participants’ autonomy in sharing personal data.

Creatively, this work merges data visualization with portraiture, challenging conventional representation by encoding identity into symbolic markers. It breaks outside of the traditional standard of data visualization by making a physical representation of information. The interactive elements reinforce the evolving nature of self-perception, expanding approaches to information representation.

Critically, the project situates itself within information science discourse by drawing from datasets like the 2022 Transgender Survey and the Movement Advancement Project’s LGBTQIA+ legislative maps. It highlights how data informs identity and advocacy, pushing the boundaries of traditional representation.

This work demonstrates professional-level execution, ethical research practices, and creative problem-solving. It contributes to LIS by integrating artistic and data-driven methodologies, positioning me as a developing leader committed to expanding inclusive and ethical information practices.