Pollinate

The intersection of the physical world and human consciousness is a playground for designers like Amira Hankin, who know how to leverage both to influence the behavior of an observer. Trained in visual arts and biology, Amira is a lead product designer at Stamen and one of the minds behind Stamen’s award-winning project 12 Sunsets...

Quantitative data can help us understand what is going on in the world in a way that cuts through human error, bias, and injustice…right? Wrong.
Heather Krause is a trained mathematical statistician and data scientist who founded We All Count, which aims to align quantitative work with equity values. In this episode, Heather shares the ways that quantitative data is embedded with assumptions, biases, subjectivity, and power imbalances...

An atlas is a guide to the world around us, perhaps most commonly seen as a collection of road maps to help one navigate across a country. But there are hidden patterns and phenomena that exist outside of what we see in the physical world...

What is a map, even? A cartographer might answer that question with a focus on the geospatial, whereas an information designer might focus on the conceptual. In this episode, author Carissa Carter offers a definition of “map” in her new book The Secret Language of Maps that is somehow broad and very specific at the same time, encompassing any visualization that conveys its message through spatial means...

In the “real world” a map is typically used to achieve a very practical goal more efficiently. But what happens when you enter a world in another realm? A world of pretend and imagination, devoid of the constraints of typical cartography? Well then you transcend the confines of practical maps and enter the delightful land of playful maps! Found in video games, board games, and your favorite fantasy novels, these playful maps allow us to tap into a unique form of spatial representation...

Shirley Wu began creating data visualization for the web shortly after the initial release of D3.js in 2012. She fell in love with the technology after realizing it offered her a way to combine math and art, her two greatest childhood fascinations. After making her way through the steep learning curve with help from the D3 community, she has spent the past decade learning out loud—generously sharing her creative and coding process with the world...

Time. Space. Salt. No, these aren't a new take on necessary elements for cooking a delicious meal. They are some of the core themes that artist and author Christina Conklin explores in her work. Whether it's patiently waiting for saltwater to evaporate and form intricate patterns on a concrete floor or painting maps of climate change data on dried sea lettuce, she is inspired by the ocean and all the elements and organisms within it...

Like any good product, a basemap is something most people don't notice when it's well-designed. Typically providing context beneath a navigation route or other geographic data, the basemap is arguably the most widely-consumed type of map in modern cartography. However, today's average map user might tilt their head when they hear the term "basemap" for the first time...

This episode of Pollinate introduces some of our recent client work with Columbia University’s Center for Spatial Research. A conversation between three members of the project team provides a deep dive into the ins and outs of using modern technology to create a historical experience centered around 100+ year old data...

While there’s beauty in the act of observing the world, there’s more than a little artistry in the practice of deciphering and communicating it...