Julia Mirjami

Your data is a living portrait.

Background

In 2006, mathematician Clive Humby said "data is the new oil." But I’d argue that unlike oil, data doesn't disappear when used. Instead, every click and search builds a portrait of you. We wanted ask questions in our talk how to think about data and whose portrait are we painting and do people in it recognise themselves?

Challenge

Whose decisions shape the tech? How does the model portray you? Do algorithms decide who you are — and did anyone ask whether you agree?

Accepting data use and accessing data isn't a solution. People don't need a spreadsheet of their browsing history.

Solution

Digital services should be transparent, intuitive, and human-centric. Stop and ask when designing digital solutions do they reflect users in their own language, guide positive behavior towards the inteded goal and genuinely fulfill their needs.

Focus

Data ethics, digital experience

Tools

Claude, Figma, Unicorn Studio

What interactions are you portraying?

Difference led by recognition

human-centric data

MyData Global

A 10-year Finnish-born movement with members in 40+ countries pushing for human-centric data practices.

FI · mydata.org

DATA-RIGHTS TOOL

HestiaLabs

Swiss data-rights tools that let journalists and citizens explore what Google, Uber, and others actually know — browser-based, nothing leaves your machine.

CH · hestia.ai

talk

Data Portait

Our design talk that reframed data from raw material to living portraits — presented with Eliisa Sarkkinen and Iris Tomazewski to 1,473 registrants at Mimmit koodaa in 2026.

Watch the talk →

Talk presentation

Next project

The next Interface is an ally

Your data is a living portrait.

Background

In 2006, mathematician Clive Humby said "data is the new oil." But I’d argue that unlike oil, data doesn't disappear when used. Instead, every click and search builds a portrait of you. We wanted ask questions in our talk how to think about data and whose portrait are we painting and do people in it recognise themselves?

Challenge

Whose decisions shape the tech? How does the model portray you? Do algorithms decide who you are — and did anyone ask whether you agree?

Accepting data use and accessing data isn't a solution. People don't need a spreadsheet of their browsing history.

Solution

Digital services should be transparent, intuitive, and human-centric. Stop and ask when designing digital solutions do they reflect users in their own language, guide positive behavior towards the inteded goal and genuinely fulfill their needs.

Focus

Data ethics, digital experience

Tools

Claude, Figma, Unicorn Studio

Talk

→ Watch the talk at YouTube

What interactions are you portraying?

Difference led by recognition

human-centric data

MyData Global

A 10-year Finnish-born movement with members in 40+ countries pushing for human-centric data practices.

FI · mydata.org

DATA PODS

Solid / Inrupt

Tim Berners-Lee's personal data pods let you store your portrait in one place and grant time-bound access — not hand it to platforms. Backed by MIT, piloted by the BBC.

UK · solidproject.org

DATA-RIGHTS TOOL

HestiaLabs

Swiss data-rights tools that let journalists and citizens explore what Google, Uber, and others actually know — browser-based, nothing leaves your machine.

CH · hestia.ai

DATA POSTCARDS

Dear Data

Giorgia Lupi and Stefanie Posavec spent a year hand-drawing personal data as postcards — proving a portrait can be analog, intimate, and acquired by MoMA.

IT / UK · dear-data.com

talk

Data Portait

Our design talk that reframed data from raw material to living portraits — presented with Eliisa Sarkkinen and Iris Tomazewski to 1,473 registrants at Mimmit koodaa in 2026.

Watch the talk →

Talk presentation

Next project

The next Interface is an ally

Your data is a living portrait.

Background

In 2006, mathematician Clive Humby said "data is the new oil." But I’d argue that unlike oil, data doesn't disappear when used. Instead, every click and search builds a portrait of you. We wanted ask questions in our talk how to think about data and whose portrait are we painting and do people in it recognise themselves?

Challenge

Whose decisions shape the tech? How does the model portray you? Do algorithms decide who you are — and did anyone ask whether you agree?

Accepting data use and accessing data isn't a solution. People don't need a spreadsheet of their browsing history.

Solution

Digital services should be transparent, intuitive, and human-centric. Stop and ask when designing digital solutions do they reflect users in their own language, guide positive behavior towards the inteded goal and genuinely fulfill their needs.

Focus

Data ethics, digital experience

Tools

Claude, Figma, Unicorn Studio

Talk

→ Watch the talk at YouTube

What interactions are you portraying?

4900+

Digital interactions per person per day in 2025, up from 298 in 2010.

SMARTER ARTICLES

5,400

times per day location data is collected from apps per user on average.

COUNCIL OF EUROPE

84%

EU citizens want regulated, transparent, and private AI

EUROPEAN UNION

€7.1B

GDPR fines, 2,800+ penalties issued, and more than 60% since January 2023

GDPR INFO

Difference led by recognition

human-centric data

MyData Global

A 10-year Finnish-born movement with members in 40+ countries pushing for human-centric data practices.

FI · mydata.org

DATA PODS

Solid / Inrupt

Tim Berners-Lee's personal data pods let you store your portrait in one place and grant time-bound access — not hand it to platforms. Backed by MIT, piloted by the BBC.

UK · solidproject.org

DATA-RIGHTS TOOL

HestiaLabs

Swiss data-rights tools that let journalists and citizens explore what Google, Uber, and others actually know — browser-based, nothing leaves your machine.

CH · hestia.ai

DATA POSTCARDS

Dear Data

Giorgia Lupi and Stefanie Posavec spent a year hand-drawing personal data as postcards — proving a portrait can be analog, intimate, and acquired by MoMA.

IT / UK · dear-data.com

talk

Data Portait

Our design talk that reframed data from raw material to living portraits — presented with Eliisa Sarkkinen and Iris Tomazewski to 1,473 registrants at Mimmit koodaa in 2026.

Watch the talk →

Talk presentation

Next project

The next Interface is an ally

Your data is a living portrait.

Background

In 2006, mathematician Clive Humby said "data is the new oil." But I’d argue that unlike oil, data doesn't disappear when used. Instead, every click and search builds a portrait of you. We wanted ask questions in our talk how to think about data and whose portrait are we painting and do people in it recognise themselves?

Challenge

Algorithms define who you are, often without your consent. Meanwhile, standard cookie pop-ups and raw data downloads don't help—people don't want their intentional momentum be broken with an extra click or a spreadsheet of their browsing history, they want control.

Solution

Digital services should be transparent, intuitive, and human-centric. Stop and ask when designing digital solutions do they reflect users in their own language, guide positive behavior towards the inteded goal and genuinely fulfill their needs.

Focus

Data ethics, digital experience

Tools

Claude, Figma, Unicorn Studio

Talk

Watch the talk at YouTube →

What interactions are you portraying?

4900+

Digital interactions per person per day in 2025, up from 298 in 2010.

SMARTER ARTICLES

5,400

times per day location data is collected from apps per user on average.

COUNCIL OF EUROPE

84%

EU citizens want regulated, transparent, and private AI

EUROPEAN UNION

€7.1B

GDPR fines, 2,800+ penalties issued, and more than 60% since January 2023

GDPR INFO

Difference led by recognition

human-centric data

MyData Global

A 10-year Finnish-born movement with members in 40+ countries pushing for human-centric data practices.

FI · mydata.org

DATA PODS

Solid / Inrupt

Tim Berners-Lee's personal data pods let you store your portrait in one place and grant time-bound access — not hand it to platforms. Backed by MIT, piloted by the BBC.

UK · solidproject.org

DATA-RIGHTS TOOL

HestiaLabs

Swiss data-rights tools that let journalists and citizens explore what Google, Uber, and others actually know — browser-based, nothing leaves your machine.

CH · hestia.ai

DATA POSTCARDS

Dear Data

Giorgia Lupi and Stefanie Posavec spent a year hand-drawing personal data as postcards — proving a portrait can be analog, intimate, and acquired by MoMA.

IT / UK · dear-data.com

talk

Data Portait

Our design talk that reframed data from raw material to living portraits — presented with Eliisa Sarkkinen and Iris Tomazewski to 1,473 registrants at Mimmit koodaa in 2026.

Watch the talk →

Talk presentation

Next project

The next Interface is an ally