Big Data Visualization and Society - Riyadh

STUDENT PROJECTS

Based on the theoretical constructs outlined by the project, the context of Riyadh, and the technical skills learned throughout the course, while simultaneously taking advantage and building on top of the work that has been generated through the MIT-KACST collaboration over the past few years, the students were asked to identify and tackle a policy issue, explore it and develop media to facilitate its representation and a broader conversation around such issues.

The projects primarily dealt with issues surrounding the transportation networks of Riyadh, and were developed over the course of the spring semester, first through research of the policy issues in the region and the development of technical skills, and then through an 8 week-long final project that put the different skills together into an interactive online platform. Students formed 5 teams of 2, and one team of 3, and went through an iterative design process, with weekly design critics, and extensive technical support outside of the classroom. The course culminated with a public review of the tools and materials developed.