Week 1
Questions this week
This week, I started thinking more about how we compare different kinds of value. When different values conflict, why does one become more important than another? And when we have to make different values measurable or comparable in order to make a choice, what might be lost in that process?
Research discoveries
My original research focused more on gamification and achievement systems, and how they could help people notice small values in everyday life. After reading How Gamification Can Ruin Your Life, I started to realize that measurement is not always neutral. When an experience is turned into numbers, goals, or achievements, the way we value that experience may also change. This made me think beyond gamification and more about value itself. I started wondering how we compare different kinds of value, especially when they are difficult to measure in the same way. What surprised me was that my research started moving away from finding a solution and toward asking more questions. I am now more interested in what happens when different values have to be compared, and what might be lost in that process.
Other work
In Seminar, I continued developing my thesis research through discussion and writing. My professor introduced Minard’s visualization of Napoleon’s Russian campaign. It made me think about how a large human loss can be translated into numbers and visual information, while many individual experiences and stories behind the data may become invisible. This gave me another direction to think about quantification and information visualization. I also reflected on my research process. I realized that I often stay within one area and keep looking for similar examples, instead of asking questions that could lead me somewhere new. I am trying to explore a wider range of ideas and references first, and then gradually narrow them down into questions that I want to understand more deeply.
Other questions or notes
One thing I am still struggling with is how to find a research direction that I can continue exploring deeply. Every time I look at new references, I find something else interesting, and I feel like my topic changes slightly. I know that the topic does not need to be fixed yet, but sometimes it is difficult for me to tell whether I am developing my question more deeply or simply moving to another topic.