Hi, I’m Gretchen Biesecker, Principal Consultant with Bee’s Knees Consulting LLC in Somerville, MA. Most of my work focuses on evaluation capacity-building with nonprofits.
I’ve been fascinated by data physicalization—collecting, visualizing, engaging with data using tactile and physical forms. In 2019, I participated in a survey with strings at a Points of Light conference and witnessed how the data took shape and engaged attendees. That same year, I learned about quipu—an ancient method of keeping and sharing data via knotting cords– through an exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
This is a story of bringing hands-on data collection to a hands-on event, which maybe will inspire you to try something new (and yet old-school) too….
This year, I joined the board of The Somerville Growing Center—a green space in my neighborhood where community and plants grow. The Center is a space for people of all ages to learn about the natural world and urban agriculture and to simply play outdoors. I’ve loved helping to host yoga classes, concerts, and the most adorable annual camp-out for stuffed animals, among other events. The Growing Center is a true oasis in Somerville-the most densely populated municipality in New England, with over 80,000 people living in just 4 square miles.
Last spring, The Somerville Growing Center hosted its 25th annual Maple Boil Down. A team of volunteers tapped maple trees on the Tufts University campus from January to March. Then, at the Boil Down, volunteers boiled it all down into real, true 100% hyper-local maple syrup. Kids and adults got to learn about the process, taste sap and syrup, and engage in hands on activities.
As we planned outreach and advertising for the event, a fellow board member who was going to put up flyers wondered how effective they were, and a group of us discussed a survey that the Growing Center had used in the past to ask folks how they found out about the event. I learned that at last year’s Boil Down, where they posted a survey using a QR code, they only got two responses….Always eager to learn and improve, the team was ready to try something new.
I thought about the event, and all the hands-on activities that were planned (e.g., getting to touch and use some of the kinds of tools involved in tapping sap), and I wondered if we could use a physical survey. We quickly identified outreach categories/responses, and the team made jars for each category. As parties entered the event, volunteers gave them each a tile, which attendees placed in a relevant jar, before engaging in other activities. As a result, we got 410 responses (out of around 620 attendees, but for instance, my friend’s 5-month-old baby didn’t answer). We learned that friends and family/word of mouth was the most powerful source, followed by online event listings and social media. It was easy, hands-on, and an approach that matched the flow and vibe of the day. We’re excited to use this approach again.
Rad Resources
- The Urban Institute shares many helpful examples of data physicalization
- Learn more about quipu and the exhibit that inspired me
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