DESIGNER & ULTRARUNNER
PERFORMANCE BY DESIGN
In my graduate thesis, Performance by Design, I explored the opportunities for data visualization to create data-informed visual systems.
As an athlete, I am referencing performance data to illustrate the potential for the practice of body-centric design, using body mechanics and data to influence design principles.
I explored my thesis in a series of experiments.
These elements form a branded system for a hypothetical running event with no set distance or time. Data only gains meaning through context. Similarly, the system is designed to respond uniquely to each athlete in their unique movement data and honor the spirit of sport.
01. DATA VISUALIZATION EXPERIMENTATION
As an avid runner, I began documenting my runs by hand each day; designing unique visual systems with their own set of rules. These hand-coded frameworks generated imagery from running metrics.
WHAT’S GOING ON
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In this specific experiment, I ran one of my favorite trails which is an out-and-back run meaning, I ran the same route in reverse on the way back.
One interesting thing that I noticed as I was mapping out the data points is how my data naturally mirrored itself in reverse. The trail was uphill on the way there and downhill on the way back and without knowing this about the trail, the data generated by my body demonstrates this..
DATA BREAKDOWN
Cadence - is determined by the number of steps per minute higher cadence typically indicates faster running.Training stress - is a data point that uses heart rate and performance history to explain how taxing an activity is on your body. Higher TS indicates a tougher effort
02. MOVEMENT TRACKING PHOTOGRAPHY
I became fascinated by how, even in controlled environments, the body produces unpredictable outcomes. Our joints follow
I began to understand the body as a form of
03. BODY-GENERATED GRIDS
I created a series of grids generated by a runner’s form and used them as the foundation for all of my thesis materials including all 200+ pages of my thesis book.
I also introduced visual pacing across each spread. This guides the reader’s attention through the body text by scaling and weighting key points within the text.
Important moments were bolded and enlarged, while supporting content appeared more condensed, creating rhythm and flow within the layout.
04. RUN VISUALIZATION INTERFACE
Each output is directly informed by my data visualization experiments, with the goal of maintaining visual appeal regardless of the data combination. The system does not favor longer runs or faster paces; instead, it values diversity in performance.
05. BODY REACTIVE MEDAL
A thermal-reactive material at the neckband causes the medal to change color as it's worn.
Similarly, the transparent components shift in appearance depending on lighting, skin tone, and angle to ensure no two medals ever feel the same.06. BODY ADAPTIVE RACE BIB
The typography is arranged on a grid informed by the runner’s body, with each corral featuring a unique layout inspired by different phases of a sprint.
A semi-transparent background allows the bib to integrate with the runner’s appearance without obscuring key details. Its form follows the natural curvature of the body in motion, offering a better fit and minimizing disruption during the race.