Fold, Encode, Reflect: Making a Wellness Zine with Data

What is this workshop about?

We spend our days encoding other people's data — dashboards, reports, stories for clients and stakeholders. But how often do we turn those skills inward?

This workshop explores what happens when we apply data visualisation principles to personal reflection. Participants will create an 8-page wellness check-in zine using data portrait techniques. Each page contains a reflection prompt, but instead of just writing or drawing, you encode your responses using visual variables: colour, shape, pattern, position, size, and material.

Why zines?

The zine format is quick, low-stakes, and tangible. It's like a diary or sketchbook — a familiar container for reflection. No special tools required. You fold it, fill it, and walk away with something you made. The format also has a rich history in communities who needed accessible ways to share ideas: punk, protest, LGBTQ+ movements. That DIY spirit fits perfectly with the handmade, personal nature of data portraits.

Workshop structure

Part 1: Framing (30 mins) Introduction to data portraits and personal data visualisation. I'll share examples from artists like Stefanie Posavec and Giorgia Lupi, then demo the visual variables we'll use and show how to fold an 8-page zine from a single sheet.

Part 2: Making (120 mins, including tea break) Work through prompts page by page. Some are individual (for example, "Three things I'm grateful for" — encode by size, colour, or position). Some are group prompts where everyone contributes responses, then you visualise where you sit within the collective data. I'll circulate offering encoding suggestions and helping people build their own "how to read" keys. Materials include paper, coloured pencils, pens, scissors, glue, old magazines, stickers, and stamps.

Part 3: Reflection (30 mins) Small group share: show one page, explain your encoding choices. Discussion: what did encoding add to the reflection process? How might you use this with your own teams or communities?

Why this matters to me

I've spent 12 years taking data off spreadsheets and making it human. But I rarely turn those skills on myself. This workshop is an experiment in using what we know professionally for something personal — and seeing what we notice when we do.

Connection to data viz conversations

Data portraits and Dear Data-style approaches have opened up conversations about personal data, but they're often treated as art projects rather than practical tools. This workshop asks: can these techniques support reflection and wellbeing? Can they be taught quickly and used by anyone?

Intended audience

Data visualisation practitioners curious about applying visual encoding to qualitative, personal data. No zine-making experience needed — just willingness to get hands-on with paper and scissors.

Learning outcomes

Participants will leave with:

• A completed 8-page wellness zine they made themselves
• Experience applying visual variables to personal data
• A template and prompt guide to run similar sessions with their own teams