Designing Vibes in a Science Museum: from @Science to @🤗

While feminist and critical data theories have long critiqued the use of data to uphold a positivist-informed view about science, few examples offer alternative methods to display scientific constructs. In response, we present Data & Me: an exhibit informed by feminist and critical data theories, which we designed and launched at a local science museum. Data & Me introduces museum visitors to data using a @🤗 vibe – a vibe that signals that data can be #slow, #handmade, and #personal. We designed this vibe to be noticeably different than the @Science vibe in the rest of the museum. Throughout our design process, we adapted visualization vibes as an analytic and generative tool in the context of a science museum. We present four design choices that enable the design of a vibe: visual, topical, material, and crediting. We discuss how our exhibit aligns with ongoing discussions about alternative research outcomes and calls for plurality in HCI.