Dear Data

Lupi and Posavec, two graphic designers living on separate continents, by chance meet at an arts festival and bond over their love of illustrating data. They become fast friends and pen pals, sending each other postcards on a weekly basis for one year. Both of them use data visualizations rather than the traditional written word to communicate. Each week the two artists choose a theme from everyday life to focus on (such as sleeping, spending habits, and moods), requiring each artist to figure out how to quantify and track her experience and then visualize the resulting data set. With each pair of postcards presented side by side, readers immediately experience Lupi and Posavec’s different styles and sensibilities and witness how they influence and complement each other over the course of this year. This is an utterly delightful collection of color, lines, shapes, and geometries—all meticulously explained with legends on the back of each postcard. Throughout the book, Lupi and Posavec also include insights into information design (“Data can make us more human and help connect with ourselves and others at a deeper level”) as well as lighthearted complaints and neuroses about leaky pens and data collection. This is a remarkable visual snapshot of the lives of two bright women corresponding with each other in innovative ways and will appeal to designers and best friends alike. Color illus. (Sept.)