The Data Loom: Crafting Stories with Code, Yarn and Print is an open educational resource that reimagines data visualisation through tangible, artistic, and embodied practices. Instead of visualising numbers on screens, this project guides learners to materialise datasets using yarn, a miniature 3D-printed loom, and the art of weaving.
Benefit of this resource and how to make the best use of it
This project provides practical guides for the field of data materialisation, guiding learners to transform abstract data into tangible woven fabrics. By designing and making 3D printed Mini-looms and tools, participants will learn how to transform information, such as daily emotions, sleep patterns, or exercise activities, into colourful, solid yarn-knitted patterns.
This resource is aimed at a wide range of interdisciplinary audiences, from creative students and digital humanities researchers to educators and textile artists. It provides a novel, reflective, and healing approach to data interaction beyond the screen, fostering a more personalised and concrete understanding of the information that shapes our lives. No expertise is required; the only requirement is to be curious about seeing, feeling and interpreting data from a completely new perspective. This guide is designed to provide completely independent content, providing clear and understandable guidance to anyone eager to explore interdisciplinary content such as craftsmanship, data, and narrative. Although this guide is fully comprehensive on its own, Xingchen Huang’s “Blender Beginner’s Guide“, also published by UCC, is an excellent in-depth look at Blender and can be paired with this book.
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This work has been dedicated to the public domain under a CC0 license, allowing unrestricted use, distribution, and adaptation without attribution.
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Mahnken, K., & Chen, Y. (25/07/2025). The data loom: crafting stories with code, yarn and print. National Resource Hub (Ireland). Retrieved from: https://hub.teachingandlearning.ie/resource/the-data-loom-crafting-stories-with-code-yarn-and-print/ License: Creative Commons Zero (CC0).
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The Manifesto for Generative AI in Higher Education is a living resource for educators, students, and institutions. It invites reflection and dialogue across thirty statements exploring teaching, ethics, and imagination – helping higher education navigate AI with curiosity, integrity, and humanity.
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