Dear Data @ GVSU
The Digital Studies Program , the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship, and the University Libraries invite the campus community to join Dear Data @ GVSU, a collective data design activity inspired by information designers Giorgia Lupi’s and Stefanie Posavec’s “Dear Data” project.
Track your week. Visualize your data. Share your story.
Dear Data @ GVSU emulates Lupi’s and Posavec’s project by inviting all students, faculty, and staff to track information about one aspect of their daily life for one week, visualize that data on postcard, and share with the campus community. The postcards will be displayed physically and virtually, at Student Scholars Day in April 2026.
How it Works
Here's a simple way to take part in Dear Data @ GVSU
You can create a postcard by hand or make a digital one. If you want a paper postcard, you can pick one up at the Mary Idema Pew Library or the Steelcase Library. All postcards should be 4x6 inches.
Pick one part of your daily life to track—like your habits, emotions, conversations, or movement. You can choose any topic that interests you, such as “my week in music” or “my week of social media.”
Track your topic for one week. Write down details like how often something happens, when it happens, or where you are. The days don’t have to be in a row.
Turn your notes into a drawing on a 4x6 postcard. Use colors, shapes, or symbols to show the patterns you found. On the back, include a short key that explains what everything means. Try to be creative and think beyond simple bar or pie charts.
Drop off your postcard at the Mary Idema Pew Library or the Steelcase Library. If you made a digital postcard, upload it using the online submission form. You may sign your first name or initials, but please avoid including your full name or personal information.
Dear Data Events
Dear Data @ GVSU Kick Off Events - January 14 and Jan. 15, 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Join us at the Kick-off celebrations on Wednesday, January 14 and Thursday, January 15, 2026. Share your topic, plan how to collect data, and grab materials (postcards, markers, etc.). Not sure what topic you want to explore? The Dear Data @ GVSU Team will be there for brainstorming and data collection tips.
Midpoint Meet Up Event – February 10, 2026, 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Dear Data participants are also encouraged to attend the Dear Data @ GVSU Midpoint Meet Up. You can learn more about the submission process or simply make time to draw and illustrate.
Dear Data @ GVSU Celebration and Exhibition on Student Scholars Day – April 8 at 4:00 PM
We’ll wrap up the project with a celebration and public display of all submitted postcards in the library. Light refreshments will be provided.
The deadline for postcard submissions is March 26, 2026. Postcards can be submitted digitally or in physical form.
Why Participate?
Discover something new
You might notice patterns in your daily life that you never paid attention to before. Tracking your week can help you learn something new about yourself.
Slow down and notice more
This project encourages you to pause and take a closer look at everyday moments. It’s a simple way to reflect on your day and be more mindful.
Have fun and be expressive
There’s no right or wrong way to draw your data. Use colors, shapes, and your own style to turn information into a piece of art.
What is Dear Data?
Dear Data is, at its core, a practice of slow data transmission, and an invitation to pause, reflect, and connect with others through the patterns of our everyday lives.
Over the course of one year, designers Giorgia Lupi and Stefanie Posavec got to know each other by exchanging weekly postcards between the UK and the US. Each postcard featured a hand-drawn visualization of personal data they had agreed to collect during the week. For instance, one week they tracked every time they said “thank you.” Another, they tracked their “interactions with strangers” or the “sounds” they noticed. Each postcard explored a different topic, with the visualization on the front and a detailed legend on the back.
What began as a personal exchange became a global phenomenon—Dear Data is now a 300-page book and part of the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art.