MA Design for Data Visualisation students collaborate with Chatham House and Soapbox

Working with datasets from Chatham House’s Environment and Society Centre, students were challenged to transform complex research data into engaging visual narratives for a public exhibition hosted at Chatham House. The project formed part of the course’s Collaborative Unit, giving students the opportunity to work directly with external partners, researchers and design professionals.

The exhibition focused on the concept of “virtual water”, the vast quantities of water embedded in food and agricultural products traded globally. Drawing on data from the Fair Water Footprints initiative, students explored themes including global food trade, water scarcity, climate vulnerability and the environmental consequences of consumption. Their responses ranged from investigations into global trade inequalities and national water dependencies to explorations of how dietary choices shape water use.

Throughout the project, students worked closely with researchers at Chatham House and designers at Soapbox. Chatham House introduced the datasets, their global context and their relevance to policy, while Soapbox supported the collaboration throughout, facilitating engagement, offering feedback on developing work and helping shape the exhibition design and ensuring the exhibition aligned with Chatham House’s visual identity. These exchanges gave students insight into how data, design and research come together through a collaborative professional, and data-led design process.

The final exhibition brought together a diverse collection of printed works combining rigorous data analysis with creative visual storytelling. Installed at Chatham House and launched through a private view attended by researchers, students, industry professionals and invited guests, it demonstrated the potential of data visualisation to communicate complex global issues in accessible and thought-provoking ways.

The collaboration challenged students to work with large and complex datasets while developing creative approaches to data visualisation that make hidden systems of water use visible and engaging for wider audiences.

Following the success of the exhibition, discussions are underway with Chatham House’s research teams to develop future collaborations, creating new opportunities for students to engage with live data and contribute to conversations around some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.