Last week I found myself sat on a panel, discussing "big data", as part of Creative Pie. I used a PDF presentation as a crutch, as I was pretty convinced I had nothing of any real note to contribute - after all, what IS "big data", particularly in the context of creative enterprise - and more specifically, within an arts context?
It turns out I actually had loads to say - especially when I began to think of it all as lots of "little data" - the really interesting stuff collected over the course of a project, programme of work, or event. Who was involved, why they were involved, what they did, what they thought of it, what others thought of it. We collect all of this STUFF and rarely do anything interesting with it. Which, as a visual person, is a MASSIVE FRUSTRATION!
So, my part of the presentation mostly descended into me speaking really really quickly and passionately about how all of this stuff, this data, collected through projects is INTERESTING and USEFUL - but only if you do something with it. And with tools like Issuu and Piktochart, there's no reason to have boring reports ever again.