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Welcome to Kawan—our vibrant community of data heads and storytellers. We’re all about improving data literacy and sharing nuanced stories about Asia. Come hang!
Rethinking design beyond the algorithm— issue #69
With AI and data analytics offering personalised experiences, it seems technology is now a few steps ahead of us. Machines are anticipating our needs and making people feel seen. Yet it cannot replace what makes us human. Can we design with this in mind?
Simulating what it feels to be a Kpop fan
Our latest story The Physical Phenomenon explores why physical albums remain so popular in the K-pop industry despite the rise of digital streaming. This behind-the-scenes looks at the motivations behind the writing, illustration style, and data visualisations created for the piece.
What creates authenticity?— issue #68
Embodied experiences are key to authenticity. We can tell what is authentic through sight, taste, smell, or sound on recall. But does the accumulation of knowledge and experience make something authentic?
back to basics: learning from my roots— issue #67
In design school, I was taught very western-centric design theories. This made me think about other design conventions, especially ones that speak to my heritage.
The cost of mining Asia’s transition minerals
In this article, we detail the thought process behind our latest story about the world’s reliance on Asia’s transition minerals. We go through the reasoning behind how we designed and presented the piece, in a way that would be accessible and educational for the layperson audience.
What Rivers Remind Us Of— issue #66
Indigeneity teaches us memory, and like rivers, carries us back to the contested places we call home, their interconnections, and the responsibilities they demand.
Crafting Air Pasang Surut
Making meaning with Orang Laut Singapore for Hari Orang Pulau.
spectrum of accessibility— issue #65
I first took interest in sign language as a middle schooler. My friends and I, all hearing, learned some signs from the internet—most likely American Sign Language (ASL), as resources on it were more readily available than local sign languages—and used them to communicate with one another during
Ways of seeing accessibility with Equal Dreams
Accessibility is becoming an increasingly ubiquitous term used by practitioners in different fields, from researchers to designers to developers. Yet how the term is understood and how it’s practised are constantly being shaped by personal experiences, power dynamics, histories, contexts, and community dynamics. We sat down with Equal Dreams,
the power of play— issue #64
My childhood was distinctly marked by improvisation. In the days before screens and social media, we played masak-masak and make-believe, using the everyday things around us to bring our imaginary worlds to life. The corridors of our HDB block became a makeshift supermarket aisle, a blanket transformed into a fort,
Bite-sized indulgences
There's something magical about childhood snacks. They're time machines wrapped in crinkly packages, portals to simpler days when 20 cents could buy happiness and sticky fingers were badges of honour, rather than inconveniences to be sanitised away. When I think about my own skittish excitement licking
no better way to make sambal — issue #63
Ever since I can remember, the first day of Syawal, or Hari Raya, was not complete without a steaming, spicy bowl of kuah chelok in my late grandmother’s house. The traditional tangy soup was closely linked to our Boyan heritage, a word derived from Bawean Island in East Java,
Carrying memory through kitchen tools
How is cooking a symbol of community, memory, and cultural expression? In this behind-the-scenes article, writer Taahira Ayoob and designer Griselda Gabriele walk us through their process of crafting our latest story on natural utensils in Tamil kitchens. This story is based on Taahira’s research trip to Sri Lanka,
what roots me to the core of this land? — issue #62
In 2013, I went to Japan for the first time, desperate for a break from stressful Singapore. But the non-stop bustle of Tokyo, with the near-identical welcoming chirp of sales people in every shop, made me feel more overwhelmed and overstimulated. Turns out what I needed wasn’t more city.