Does meeting your organization's goals and mission depend on effectively integrating data visualization into your communications? Does gaining buy-in for the ideas your brand stands for hinge on the quantitative facts behind the story? Do you struggle with turning endless streams of complex data into useful and actionable information? Learn the fundamentals of data visualization—it's history, how it works and best practices for maximizing its impact on your organization and mission through your communications—in this presentation unveiled at The Grant Managers Network 9th Annual Conference in 2014. Matt Schwartz, Founder and Director of Strategy at Branding & Interactive Agency, MSDS shares insights on data visualization gained over 14 years of designing branding and user experience for nonprofits and universities, including: • A Brief History of Dataviz • The 2 Key Audiences You Need to Connect With • The 3 Primary Intents & Usages of Data Visualization • Dataviz Do's & Dont's • Tying It All Together: A Case Study You'll walk away with a new perspective into how dataviz can help your brand turn complex dynamics into a powerfully simple story—creating a deeper understanding of the issues, delivering fresh insights, and ultimately generating action.

1. Designing A New Way Forward
No More Noise!
Communicating Effectively
Through Data Visualization

2. Hello From NYC!

3. How Will We Be Spending Our Time?
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5
20 10
30
5
History of Dataviz Audiences & Intents Dos & Don'ts Case Study Summing Up Discussion

4. A Brief History of
Data Visualization
PART ONE

5. Babylonian Map of the World, the oldest known data visualization
600 BCE 1939 Today

6. 600 BCE 1939 Today
Willard C. Brinton pens the defining work on data visualization

7. The information age: data visualization of Tweets across the globe
600 BCE 1939 Today

8. Data Visualization:
Audiences & Intents
PART TWO

9. Understanding Your Audience
Lay Audiences
• Limited experience
in related field
• General awareness
of underlying issues
• Basic familiarity
of data visualization
Expert Audiences
Extensive experience
in related field
In-depth understanding
of underlying issues
Advanced facility
with data visualization
!
•
•
•

10. The Three Primary Intents of Dataviz
RESEARCH
COMMUNICATIONSANALYTICS

11. RESEARCH

12. Google Spreadsheet: OECD Factbook 2012

13. Google Public Data Explorer: OECD Factbook 2013

14. Wired Magazine: “What a Hundred Million Calls to 311 Reveals about NYC

15. ANALYTICS

16. Google Analytics
Google Analytics: Dashboard

17. Campaign Monitor Analytics

18. Tableau: Dashboard

19. COMMUNICATIONS

20. Pollution Atlas: Data-Centric Communication

21. Dropout Epidemic By The Numbers: Narrative-Influenced Communication

22. Dangers of Fracking: Narrative Communications Supported by Data

23. Some Do’s & Dont’s
PART THREE

28. Tying It All Together
The Yale Environmental Performance Index
www.epi.yale.edu
PART FOUR

35. Summing Up
PART FIVE

36. Best Practices
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
Effective data visualizations cater to the audience, so it’s important to understand
where your audiences fall on the lay person / expert spectrum.
SIMPLER IS BETTER
Don’t overcomplicate your visualization; the simpler you keep things, the more
efficient the visualization will be in getting a point across.
CONSISTENCY = LOGIC
A consistent design system of colors, fonts, illustration and charts helps
audiences navigate the visualization and speeds comprehension.
RESPECT THE DATA
Accuracy is critical when translating data into a visual language, but it’s also
important to ensure that underlying meaning isn’t lost in translation.

37. Top-Level Takeaways
• Data Visualization is not new, but it is enjoying a renaissance
• Dataviz helps us research and achieve a deeper understanding of abstract
phenomena that can’t be easily explained
• Visual analytics help us to synthesize data dynamics and understand
complex systems through different lenses
• Dataviz communications help us translate data into more compelling
stories to wider audiences, raising awareness and generating action
• Effective Data Visualization best practices balance the need for visual
interest to engage audiences, while maintaining respect for the data.

38. No More Noise!
Get in Touch
Designing A New Way Forward
Matthew Schwartz
Matthew.Schwartz@ms-ds.com
212-925-6460 ext. 124
On Twitter @msdsbranding
www.ms-ds.com