a website and mobile app to view geospatial data visualizations in cities, with ability to create and send custom and artistic postcards

1. Postcode Postcard
eam Jalan Besar
Yuta Nakayama
Debbie Ding

2. What is the Postcode Postcard?
The Postcode Postcard is a web-based service
that aims to visualize the local mobile network
data and other datasets in Singapore, and to
render this into a physical postcard that can be
printed, and sent to someone offline.

3. Mission statement/value proposition
Data is all around us, but we cannot see it.
But what if the invisible networks in our city
could be made visible to everyone, even
those who are offline?

4. Website
Prototype Website: http://postcode.dreamsyntax.org

5. Why do we want
people to look at a
visualisation of
mobile data?
How does this improve Singapore?

6. Why data visualisation?
Metaphor for Smart Cities
We have chosen the Singtel and Buuuk Dataset
because it shows the true extent of mobile usage
in Singapore. Mobile networks can be considered
one of the most representative features of smart
cities – which must have good urban
infrastructure and mobile networks.

7. Why data visualisation?
Curiosity
Most people are not aware that their mobile
usage leaves behind digital traces, and where
others are also connecting to the network. We
would like to make the abstract visible - to show
something that people would not normally see.

8. Why data visualisation?
Education
Visualisations can be used in the drive to
educate more people on Big Data, Data Privacy,
Data Disclosure, and other issues relating to the
digital data. It can be used as a starting point to
teach students, and it can also be distributed to
the older or less tech-savvy populace.

9. Why data visualisation?
Advocacy
Governments and big businesses need to be
given a clear message that the community can
learn and benefit from transparency of data and
having more opportunities to participate or
collaborate together.

10. Why data visualisation?
Data Analysis
Data means nothing unless it can be viewed and
also analysed. If it were easier to view the data
and compare with other different datasets, some
users might discover trends or other findings that
may not have been observed before.

11. Why print it out on
to a postcard?
Isn’t that… counter-intuitive?

12. Why print postcards?
Do It Yourself
We facilitate the hands-on process of generating
their own postcode postcards because we like
the idea of people being able to personally make
the card in their own homes, and then sending it
to a loved one or friend – in an age of information
overload and social media excess.

13. Why print postcards?
Physical/Tactile
The mode of distribution must be physical.
The goal is for this postcard to also reach the
people who are offline and less tech-savvy. They
are also entitled to know that a lot of invisible
data is constantly moving through and also
residing in their cities.

14. User Journey

15. Step 1
The visitor encounters the qrcode at a booth or location.

16. Step 2
The visitor is brought to a
page where the postcard
is laid out and can be
printed out.
Detailed printing
instructions will be
included.

17. Step 2 – Sample Postcard
The visitor is brought to a website that shows them
a visualisation of data around their location.
The postcard may be printed onsite (at a simple booth)
or at home.

18. Step 3 – Printed Postcard
The Postcode Postcard can be used and mailed.

19. What’s Next?

20. Next Steps
What are the possible extensions of this project?
•3D Model/Visualisations
•3D Printing of the visualised data
•Workshops on how to use opensource data and
programs to make visualisations
•Collaboration with community centres, community
outreach events, statutory boards, places of interest to
create Postcode Postcard Booths.

21. Next Steps
What needs to happen to make this project a
reality?
•Longer Development time to develop the prototype
and explore the inclusion of more datasets.
•Datasets still being available, and longer time to view
data, to analyse them intelligently, and to find
interesting or unexpectedly complimentary
combinations of datasets.

22. Credits & Contacts
Data sets used:
SingTel, buUuk
Team lead
Name: Debbie Ding
Number: 97225005
Email: 04.48am@gmail.com
Team members:
Yuka Nakayama
Email: nkymut@gmail.com