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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.
How to market a Kontinentalist Story
Our thought process behind marketing stories rich with data visualisations.
To graduation and beyond: how I went from an Environmental Studies student to a data storyteller
“What are you going to do after you graduate?”
Musings of a history major in the field of data visualisation
“Oh, study history. Next time you’ll be a teacher, right?”
A timeline of how Singapore is battling COVID-19 — issue #8
So, COVID-19 was a perfect storm. The virus surfaced almost exactly as millions of Chinese people began traveling for their Lunar New Year celebrations. It's been about a month since the virus was first confirmed in Singapore, and it has since consumed our society. It's all
How to edit your own writing
Not everyone has the luxury of having an editor. Our new editor, Kenneth, shares a checklist of what you can do to make sure your writing…
Kontinentalist’s 2020 New Year’s Resolution, Secret Santa style
Christmas ended last month, but we’re not quite ready to say goodbye yet. That’s why we did our New Year’s Resolution in a Secret Santa…
Will you have a happy new year? — issue #7
Do you have 2020 vision? As we crossed into a new decade, many took the opportunity to recount their significant moments during the past 10 years. At Kontinentalist, we too reflected on our journey and shared our favourite moments. We've published more stories than ever, and even won
Humans of Kontinentalist: Zu Xiang
What does it take to tell a data vis story? Our editorial intern Zu Xiang shares his experience.
How I design custom map styles with Mapbox
As told through a map style inspired by Indonesian Batik.
Konti in retrospect 2019
We started 2019 by mapping out our resolutions for the year (both personal and professional). The year flew by and we grew so much as a…
What is an ‘Asian’ perspective
At Kontinentalist, we often describe ourselves as an Asian-focused editorial studio that strives to present an ‘Asian’ perspective to our…
All I want for Christmas is a...scratchable map? — issue #6
It's the most wonderful time of the year! I’ve just spent the past 2 months sojourning in Japan for a leadership training programme, and it’s so wonderful to return to Singapore during the festive period. There’s something magical about December, and it has always been