Reframing data as living taonga through design
My project explored Māori data sovereignty through design, asking how tikanga Māori could shape the way data is stored, shared, and visualised.
The core idea was that data is not neutral, it carries whakapapa, mana, and mauri. Treating data as taonga means it must be cared for under tikanga, with respect for tapu, noa, and collective consent. The project also responds to ongoing misuse of Māori data within Western systems that extract and separate information from its cultural context.
I developed a prototype website, publication, and poster series that visualise data as a living ecosystem rather than a static archive. The project is significant because it reframes design as guardianship rather than extraction, proposing a model where technology upholds cultural responsibility and relational ethics.
