How can doctors use the information they collect every day to better understand behavioral health and take care of patients with mental illnesses? Our new interactive for athenaInsight gives healthcare professionals access to data-driven insights into American mental health. 

Eric and I returned to the Maryland Institute College of Art last month to lead a weekend workshop with the Graphic Design MFA program. We challenged the students to expand their definition of data visualization by using text as a data source in their design work. The students powered through a fast-paced design process to create an amazing series of posters that visualize news headlines from the past year.

AIGA and Google Design’s 2016 Design Census is an initiative that aims to help the design community grasp “the complex economic, social, and cultural factors shaping the design practice today.” A survey was conducted from December 1st through the 19th that asked questions pertaining to industry, salary, demographics, and coffee consumption. When the results came in, we partnered with AIGA to create a tool that makes it easier for designers to create their own visualizations.

For the past year, members of the San Diego studio have been co-organizing a meetup devoted to bringing art + code to the masses. Code Kitchen was born at INST-INT 2016, when JC and Alex met Jason Alderman, another enthusiastic San Diegan. From its inception in a dim Minneapolis bar, Code Kitchen has since grown into a full-fledged group with bi-weekly workshops and gatherings. Members include first-time programmers, professional developers, plus artists, architects, and members of San Diego’s Fab Lab!

In late September, Soso Boston had the pleasure of hosting a tour during HUBweek, a weeklong event that celebrates art and technology in the Boston area. Our tour led visitors on a journey through Kendall Square in Cambridge, where three of our works reside.

On June 18, we participated in Design for the Senses, a Third Thursday event presented by the Gardner Museum and AIGA Boston. The evening featured talks by designers who go beyond the visual, including our very own Eric Gunther. Eric spoke at the design panel alongside Meejin Yoon of Howeler and Yoon Architecture and Sara Hendren of Alber. We had a great time, enjoying live music in the courtyard of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, a maker workshop on creating with Little Bits, and lots of opportunities to connect with friends in the Boston design community.