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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!
What happens if communities owned their data?— issue #72
Communities are understanding how they can take charge of their own data, or reimagine the use of digital tools for practical and meaningful solutions that ensures benefits are shared. Data, it turns out, is not only a resource to be extracted, but a form of power that can be claimed.
How can we care with data?
Munirah reflects on Kontinentalist’s experience during the Vis Arts Program 2025 (VISAP) conference in Vienna, where designers, researchers and artists come together to present their approach of visualising data with care, and the inescapable cloud of data as power currencies in today’s world.
when the rains didn't stop— issue #70
Heavy rainfall is no stranger to Southeast Asia, but last year's monsoon rains led to the worst flood Thailand has seen in decades. As the weather becomes more extreme and erratic, how will this shift our relationship with nature?
Exploring Desire Paths in Singapore
The team behind ‘A line of our own drawing’ shares deeper about their ideas, process, and experiences researching desire paths in Singapore.
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?
Ways of practising accessibility with Equal Dreams (Part 2)
We sat down with the team behind Equal Dreams, a social business moving the needle forward when it comes to accessibility, to discuss the realities and nuances behind building a more accessible future. This is the second-part of our conversation with them. In our earlier conversation, we discussed how accessibility
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,