Four-color letterpress
10 x 8"
(25.4 x 20.3 cm)
Every year since 2005, Nicholas
Felton has produced a report about
himself based on his life’s quantifiable
experiences. His 2009 report is the most
extensive yet, containing information
provided by every person with whom
the designer had a substantial face-to-
face encounter. The information,
collected via online survey, formed
a database of his personality and habits,
from facts (where he went, what he
drank) to more subjective material
(his mood). People in 179 distinct
relationships, such as dentist, friend/
esteemed colleague, ex-wife, and grill
master, reported what they perceived
to be Felton’s state of mind: “Earnestly
industrious,” “Unhurried and relaxed,”
“Pensive (but not in a lame way).”
The section “Mood: An assessment
of demeanor” charts the designer’s
temperament during his encounters
along a scale of happiness and sadness.
The report is thus an objective visualization
of deeply personal relationships.
Felton’s project shows us what happens
when a year’s worth of isolated bits
of information is looked at in total;
when this data is visualized, what
may seem like inconsequential details
aggregate into a narrative. The end
result of Felton’s 2009 report is a
limited-edition signed and numbered
book, and Felton has recently launched
a website that allows anyone to
collect personal data in a similar
fashion. His 2010 report is devoted
to his father, who passed away
in September of that year.
