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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!
AI and our need for reassurance— issue #77
AI chatbots are seemingly ready to reassure and support us unconditionally. Not surprising then that they are winning hearts worldwide. Some even prefer AI chatbots over human companions. But when we lose all friction from a relationship, what else is lost.
The Story Behind The Story of Names
The team behind our latest story on Asia's naming conventions dives into how they got inspired to produce the story, researching qualitative data, creating a speculative name explorer, and crafting relatable humorous grievances for this story.
A cheeky guide to working at Kontinentalist
Job hunts are called hunts for good reason. They’re tedious, and when you’ve been at it for a while, stalking for good game and summoning…
Have a little faith — issue #27
I grew up with a staunch atheist father, but went to a Catholic school where prayer was an everyday routine. As a teenager, it was hard for me to square the two experiences. Today, I still describe myself as an atheist if I have to—but I also increasingly find
Meet the Community! Jack Zhao, data visualisation specialist
Jack Zhao is a data visualisation specialist, co-founder and one of the directors of Small Multiples, Australia’s leading data…
Tips on staying sharp as a developer
Programming is not a stagnant discipline. Being a developer—in my case, a full-stack developer—means you’re always learning to keep up with…
Humans of Kontinentalist: Zenn Wong
Given our mutual enthusiasm in maps, Konti has seen our share of geography interns. Zenn shares what else an internship with us can offer.
Humans of Kontinentalist: Jasen
Back in August, we caught up with Jasen, our former editorial and development intern who called us from the other side of the world in the…
Localising climate change — issue #26
It was 2017, and I had just landed in Singapore after five years living in the United States. The thick afternoon air embraced me, then tried to squeeze the very life out of me. Welcome home, indeed. It took me months to get used to the tropics, but a thought
Where to begin? My guide to pitching a data story
I’ll be honest — three years in the field of storytelling/journalism has not made me much more confident about pitching stories than when…
Applying print principles to data visualization design
How can data viz design benefit from design theories like the Gestalt principles?
Meet the Community! Jane Zhang, data viz designer and e-commerce strategist
Jane Zhang is an independent data visualization designer based in Toronto. She’s made a name for herself with her recognisable static…
The might of small things — issue #25
When I was reading history many years ago, microhistories were one of my favourite topics. I love understanding how small things, like folklore and fairytales, reveal a lot about our past. Eventually, I wrote my Honours thesis on Singapore's national day stamps. I got a lot of laughs
Kontinentalist: Insights from user research and translating it into our new website
One fine day in mid-2019, a little more than a year after Kontinentalist first launched, some of us sat down to discuss what was in store…