Shovemiya Packiyanathan

SpongeBob Timeline Website

This interactive webpage visually documents every instance of SpongeBob SquarePants crying between 1999 and 2002. Using episode data and emotional cues from the show, the project tracks the frequency, intensity, and context of SpongeBob’s tears—transforming a beloved cartoon character’s emotions into a data-driven timeline. Please click on the link below to view the full site!

“This project was born from a simple question: Why is SpongeBob always crying? As a designer and cultural observer, I became fascinated with the emotional extremes of early 2000s animation—especially how SpongeBob SquarePants, a character known for his optimism and chaos, so often breaks into exaggerated, heartfelt sobs.By cataloging each crying moment across the show’s early seasons, I wanted to transform emotional excess into a visual system—one that’s funny, nostalgic, but also reflective of how children's media invites open emotionality. The project blends humor with critique, data with design, and memory with method. It’s not just a fan archive, but a way to map how we understood and embraced sensitivity in animated storytelling—especially in a character who’s always just a tear away from a breakdown… and a laugh.”