MELINDA SIPOS

is a creator working at the intersection of art, design and technology.

Networks Within_Variation: The Stronger

2023 • WORKS

Inspired by the course Complex Networks and Applications (Lead Instructor: Prof. Albert-László Barabási, Co-Instructors: Dr. Louis Shekhtman, Dr. Brennan Klein) I was curious to understand the invisible threads between people, what the work and social connections look like at Barabasi Lab. With the help of a custom-made script, all active colleagues filled in their data: they were asked how many times on average they speak to their coworkers about work issues as well as non-work related. The data collection was conducted in the fall 2022, mainly in October and November, processed and analyzed in December and January 2023. In parallel, I sketched different ideas of possible visualization and realized these ideas as small prototypes. During this process, I used an “adapt-to-the-need” working method of mixing digital and manual tools such as drawing, coding, 3D printing and crafting.

In the course of the data processing, I tested different interpretations of the number and strength of the connections. The present work is a “frozen moment” in the life of the lab. Each node is a person, and the number of the wooden sticks correspond with the number of his/her connections. The links are represented by paper-ribbons, where brown is social and white is a work connection between two people. If both a work and social link existed, this visualization shows the stronger (more frequent).

Melinda Sipos, Csaba Both, Rodrigo Dorantes-Gilardi

The project was realised in the framework of my guest researcher period at Networks Science Institute/Barabasi Lab (Northeasern University, Boston) made possible by Fulbright Hungary and the Rosztoczy Foundation.

CONTACT

Instagram: melindasipos Email: sipos.melinda@gmail.com