I work with design studios, newsrooms, startups, and activists to provide support on all-things data: from setting up data collection strategies to investigating data for insights and crafting the narrative & visualizations.
Projects
2024
Blocked at every turn: Why migrants in Italy face one of Europe’s worst brain waste gaps
Data visualizations the joint data investigation between Unibas the News and Lighthouse Reports
MY ROLE: Data visualization
Sweden’s brain waste problem: how the social welfare state locks migrant professionals out of the workforce
Data visualizations the joint data investigation between Unibas the News and Lighthouse Reports
MY ROLE: Data visualization
2023
BlurM3Not
A participatory data installation by Sheldon.studio, commissioned for the Internet Festival in Pisa, investigates visitor's perceptions around topics related to youth behaviours, like Hikikomori, cyberbullism and online challenges. I worked on the data selecion, processing and analysis.
MY ROLE: Data analysis, data processing
Open data as an enabler to regional development and better cohesion in Europe
Data visualizations for article by the Publications Office of the European Union. Design by Matteo Moretti.
MY ROLE: Data processing, data visualization
Leveraging open data to tackle cyber disinformation
Data visualizations for article by the Publications Office of the European Union. Design by Matteo Moretti.
MY ROLE: Data processing, data visualization
Understanding youth engagement in Europe through open data
Data visualizations for article by the Publications Office of the European Union. Design by Matteo Moretti.
MY ROLE: Data processing, data visualization
La Biennale e gli affitti brevi
MY ROLE: The impact of big events, like Venice Biennale, as a pull-factor for short-term rentals, exacerbating the housing crisis in the city.
2022
Seed - Data Room
A physical and digital 'data room' portraying data about the health of the planet, combining data visualizations and insights. The project is a website and an installation at the Seed International Architecture Festival of Perugia
MY ROLE: Data sourcing, data processing, data storytelling
Free Flowing Rivers
A website investingating, through data, the state of free flowing rivers in the world, and the impact of river connectivity loss on the ecosystems.
MY ROLE: Data sourcing, data processing, data visualization, data storytelling
2021
Beyond Petrolstates
Carbon Tracker's report focuses on the 40 countries with the greatest fiscal dependence on oil and gas revenues. I crafted the interactive data visualizations for the online version of the report
MY ROLE: Interactive dataviz development
Built for purpose, designed to thrive
A journalism feature sponsored by Accenture investigating the future of work and why the hybrid workplace is here to stay. I was contacted to provide external support to CNNs journalists & designers behind the piece.
MY ROLE: Data sourcing, data analysis, and data visualization design.
Diversity matters, especially in the media
The project monitors the gender diversity of experts called to comment news on Lithuanian media. For the project worked on setting up a solid data collection template and on the data storytelling.
MY ROLE: Data collection setup, data processing, and data storytelling
Yearly report for the Regional Office of Statistics of Veneto
For the first time, the Office of Statistics of the Veneto Region published an online version of its yearly report. The project is by Sheldon Studio, for which I worked on the data processing, writing, and dataviz prototypes.
MY ROLE: Data processing, writing, and dataviz prototypes
Mapping Diversity
The project uses open-source data (Wikidata) to highlight the gender inequality in the street names of major Italian cities. The project won the Data Journalism Award at Glocal, the Italian Festival of Digital Journalism.
MY ROLE: Data processing data storytelling
Company Diversity Reports
I worked for TalentData to produce interactive reports analyzing, visualizing, and communicating HR analytics to its clients, including Adobe and Garret Motion, with a focus on the hiring, retention, and promotion of female and diverse talent.
MY ROLE: Data analysis, data visualizations, writing
2021
2020
Matera ECC 2019 Open Data Portal
An unusual open data portal: The foundation behind Matera European Capital of Culture commissioned Sheldon Studio the design of their open data portal. The result is a portal where narratives, rather than data, are at the center, allowing people who are not data nerds to also benefit from the open data. Read more here about the design process behind the project.
MY ROLE: Data storytelling, data analysis, and dataviz support.
A data-inspired overview of Digital Humanities Conferences
A personal project for the course in Digital Humanities at the University of Venice. The project explores data on regional and gender diversity at Digital Humanities conferences.
MY ROLE: Data collection, processing, analysis, visualization, and storytelling.
2020
Campo San Zan Degolà a Santa Croce (Venezia): un luogo dimenticato dalla calca… ma non dagli speculatori
A data-based investigation on the corporate landlords and speculators that rent houses through Airbnb in Venice.
MY ROLE: Research, data collection, data analysis, writing, and dataviz design & development.
Nel dubbio... Task Forse!
A volunteer-based project with a humorous tone condemning the incredible explosion of 'special commissions' being created by the government to face the COVID-19 epidemic - most of them all-male and with little transparency about their doings. We want open data!
MY ROLE: Data collection and setup
2019
Monthly bulletin on overtourism in Venice
As part of OCIO, a Venetian housing rights activist group, I developed this interactive report on the numbers behind overtourism in Venice. The visualizations include a map comparing population vs. Airbnb accommodations down to the block level. The data on this page has been routinely used by local and international journalists - like The Washington Post, Equal Times, Il Manifesto, Rivista il Mulino, Comune, Che Fare, Il Fatto Quotidiano - and researchers (see here and here).
MY ROLE: Data scraping, data analysis, and dataviz design & development.
The false promise of social housing in Venice
As part of OCIO, a Venetian housing rights activist group, I developed this interactive report, based on OCIO's research, on the public money that went to develop social housing projects that never actually delivered affordable housing.
MY ROLE: Data collection, data analysis and dataviz design & development.
Castello e Corte delle Colonne: quell’indotto veneziano che…prende il volo per l’Atlantico.
A data-based investigation on offshore companies renting houses through Airbnb in Venice.
MY ROLE: Research, data collection, data analysis, writing, and dataviz design & development.
Venice Bulletin on Airbnb listings
A monthly bulletin on the spread of Airbnb in Venice, using InsideAribnb's data. [Project now offline]
MY ROLE: Data analysis, writing, and dataviz design & development.
Elezioni europee 2019 a Venezia, il futuro potrebbe essere meno verde di quello che sembra.
A self-initiated article analyzing the results of local elections in Venice through data.
MY ROLE: Data sourcing, data analysis, writing, and data visualizations.
2019
Referendum Venezia: quello che i dati dicono, quello che i dati non dicono, quello che i dati suggeriscono
A self-initiated article analyzing the results of a local referendum in Venice through data.
MY ROLE: Data sourcing, data analysis, writing, and data visualizations.
2019
2018
Batjo: Bits, Atoms and Journalism
Batjo (Bits, AToms and JOurnalism) is a project that helps journalists familiarize themselves with the creation of physical data installations and with the digital fabrication skills (like 3D printers and CNC milling) to craft them. The project developed a cookbook with 3 step-by-step tutorials to go from a spreadsheet to a physical data experience.
MY ROLE: Project leader, research & development, data journalism.
2017
A tale of body and soul
An infographic submitted to a contest on the theme of music. The graphic is a visual representation of data coded from Leonard Cohen's masterpiece 'Avalanche'.
MY ROLE: Data sourcing, data analysis, data visualizations.
2017
2016
Latest Data Reveals the Actual Size of The Gender Gap at the Academy Awards
A data-driven analysis of gender representation in 88 years of Oscars and its award categories. The data and visualizations have been featured in several international media outlets, including Vanity Fair and Indiewire.
MY ROLE: Data sourcing (scraping + linked open data reconciliation), data analysis, data visualizations, writing.
Women at the International Film Festivals of 2015 - 2016
A project tracking women's presence at major International Film Festivals. Featured by The Guardian.
NOTE: Silk has been discontinued and the project is no longer online. Reach out if you are interested in the research.
NOTE: Silk has been discontinued and the project is no longer online. Reach out if you are interested in the research.
MY ROLE: Data sourcing, data analysis, data visualizations, writing.
2015
More Than Half A Century Since a Woman Won a Physics Nobel Prize.
A Data-Driven Analysis on the Lack of Female Nobel Prize Winners.
MY ROLE: Data sourcing (scraping), data analysis, data visualizations, writing.
Through The Gender Lens: One Century of Cinema History
Data Analysis of 6,000 Movies and Their Bechdel Test Scores. From Pauvre Pierrot (1892) to Jurassic World (2015). The data and visualizations have been featured in several international media outlets, including The Guardian, Upworthy, and Information is Beautiful.
MY ROLE: Data sourcing (scraping), data analysis, data visualizations, writing.
Dangerously Low Vaccination Rates in California: Is the Golden State Heading for the End of Herd Immunity? Data Answers.
A look at falling vaccination rates in California. The data and visualizations have been featured in several international media outlets, including The Atlantic, CNN, Vox, and Business Insider.
MY ROLE: Data sourcing, data analysis, data visualizations, writing.
The Numbers Behind The 2014 Refugee Crisis, in 10 Points.
The first of a series of articles around the latest UNHCR Report on Refugees and Forced Displacement. Each article uses data, statistics, and Silk’s interactive charts to highlight patterns and trends of the global refugee crisis.
MY ROLE: Data sourcing, data analysis, data visualizations, writing.
Abortion Rights in The United States.
This resource compares the laws protecting or limiting women's access to abortion in the different US States. The information is organized in sections, each covering one issue that the World Health Organization identifies as an obstacle to women's human right to access abortion.
NOTE: Silk has been discontinued and the project is no longer online. Reach out if you are interested in the research.
NOTE: Silk has been discontinued and the project is no longer online. Reach out if you are interested in the research.
MY ROLE: Data sourcing, data analysis, data visualizations, writing.
NSA Patents.
A Searchable, Interactive, and Fully-Visualizable Database of Patents Filed by the National Security Agency. Featured in KDnuggets and Schneier on Security.
MY ROLE: Data sourcing, data analysis, data visualizations, writing.
2014
Oscar 2014: le donne vincono solo una statuetta su cinque
Latest data on gender diversity at the Academy Awards.
MY ROLE: Data sourcing, data analysis, data visualizations, writing.
Privacy: ecco come Google, Facebook e gli altri fanno la spia
Part of a series of analyses aggregating transparency reports from multiple tech companies. (In Italian). Written together with Davide Mancino.
MY ROLE: Data sourcing, data analysis, data visualizations, writing.
The Transparency Report Database
This project collects all Transparency Reports from major service providers, normalized into a comprehensive data resource for comparing and investigating worldwide government requests for users’ data. Featured by The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and The Center for Democracy & Technology.
NOTE: Silk has been discontinued and the project is no longer online. Reach out if you are interested in the research.
NOTE: Silk has been discontinued and the project is no longer online. Reach out if you are interested in the research.
MY ROLE: Data sourcing, data analysis, data visualizations, writing.
Privacy: quando il Web fa lo spione
Part of a series of analyses aggregating transparency reports from multiple tech companies. (In Italian). The main article was featured in the February paper issue of Wired Italy, as well as in a series of online interactives like this one. Written together with Davide Mancino.
MY ROLE: Data sourcing, data analysis, data visualizations, writing.
WikiLeaks Spy Files. The interactive searchable database
On the 15th of September 2014, WikiLeaks released its last batch of leaked Spy Files - which it had started releasing in 2011. I cleaned and structured the data to build an interactive database combining the four Spy Files releases. The project has been featured by The International Business Times, Schneier on Security, and Netzpolitik.
NOTE: Silk has been discontinued and the project is no longer online. Reach out if you are interested in the research.
NOTE: Silk has been discontinued and the project is no longer online. Reach out if you are interested in the research.
MY ROLE: Data sourcing, data analysis, data visualizations, writing.
2013
Mappa del caso Shalabayeva-Abylazov: dal Viminale all'Interpol, le cose non quadrano
INTERPOL's sketchy mechanism puts activists among the world’s 'Most Wanted'. A closer look at the agency’s database reveals suspicious Red Notice requests. But even more suspicious is what INTERPOL does not reveal. The piece has been developed during my internship at NRC.Next and then published on Wired Italy. See here for the English version
MY ROLE: Data sourcing, data analysis, data visualizations, writing.
#oliocontante, i finanziamenti privati ai partiti italiani
Using data made publicly available by the Italian Parliament and a interactive network visualization, this article explores the relationships between politicians, political parties, entrepreneurs, companies, and private individuals. Written together with Davide Mancino.
MY ROLE: Data sourcing, data analysis, data visualizations, writing.
Blossoming Books
Personal project visualizing data on my books, to learn more about APIs, Google Sheets importXML, Gephi, and Sigma.js.
MY ROLE: Data sourcing, data analysis, data visualizations, writing.
2013
EU surveillance research: Trends in FP7 surveillance projects
Project for Precision Journalism class during my MA at Tilburg University. The article investigates privacy-invasive surveillance technology funded by the EU. The project has been done together with Adriana Homolova
MY ROLE: Data sourcing (scraping), data analysis, data visualizations, writing.
2013
We blog about Oscars
Project for Interactive Journalism class during my MA at Tilburg University. The article investigates gender diversity among Oscar winners and nominees.
MY ROLE: Data sourcing (scraping), data analysis, data visualizations, writing.
2013
Even more projects...
During my time at Silk (2014 - 2016) I crunched numbers daily, creating hundreds of data journalism articles and data-driven reports on a wide range of topics: from school shootings to US foreign aid to Israel; from gender gap data to EPA violations; from FIFA world cup data to Eurovision voting strategies; from Title IX Violations in the USA to global legislation on self-driving cars.
While at Silk, I have also worked with clients in finding, structuring, analyzing, and visualizing data for their own projects. I have supported Human Rights Watch in their reports "Outlawed: Legal Discrimination against Gays and Lesbians" and UN Rights Council: Voting Records Exposed; I have helped the Annals of Improbable Research put their Ig® Nobel Prizes in a structured database; and have collaborated with Greenpeace on data for their 2014 reports of the Detox Fashion campaign.
Unfortunately, in 2016 Silk was brought by Palantir and the platform was shut down, taking down all the content it hosted. Please reach out if you are interested in any of the data or analysis I have done while at Silk: I have fought obsolesce with Word docs :-) .