Slide presentation I did last year for the Community Indicators Consortium.

1. DATA STORYTELLING WITH
INFOGRAPHICS
Taj Carson,
CEO

2. We deal with data,
not research

3. Data is hard!
I read census data
just for fun

4. Our clients don’t know how to decipher
data

5. We are researchers
who think like designers

6. Designers who understand data
We get creative
with our data

7. We are….
Data slayers, color-coders,
database whisperers,
flow-chart ninjas.
Mavericks. Data Designers.

8. What is data visualization?
Cairo - “A visualization is any
visual display intended
to reveal evidence, making the
invisible visible.”

9. What is data visualization?
Kirk - “ Data visualization is the representation
and presentation of data, using proven design
techniques to bring alive the patterns, stories
and key insights that are locked away.”

14. Most definitely.
13pt.com/projects/nyt071211/

15. Why visualize?
• To enhance detection and recognition
• Facilitate search and discovery
• To explain or explore

18. Your Brain is Lazy
24 x 8=?

19. Your Brain is Lazy

20. Use the best practices for
visualizing information
Length Width Shape Position

21. An infographic is an eye-catching data
story. While infographics can include a
variety of charts and graphs, they also use
illustrations, icons, and stock photos to
aid in storytelling.
What are INFOGRAPHICS?

22. R DE
FOR THE
FEAST
BALTIMORE
OCEAN
CITYMAY 10-11
2014
2 DAYS
140 MILES
1 CAUSE
BALTIMORE
OCEAN
CITYMAY 10-11
2014
DONATIONS
RAISED
$525k
$360k
201320122011
2 DAYS
VOLUNTEERS
122
140 MILES
1 CAUSE
3000
4000
5000
6000
201320122011
5,921
5,0634,500
NUMBER OF
DONORS
$588k
INDIVIDUAL
GOAL
$1,500
201320122011
185
201
219NUMBER OF RIDERS

23. The Path to Reading Proficiency
in Baltimore City
The Path to Reading Proficiency
in Baltimore City
Early Development (0-3 years old)Early Development (0-3 years old)
Key Indicator: Developmental Well-Being
Health supports Home supports Parenting supports
Pre-Kindergarten (4 years old)Pre-Kindergarten (4 years old)
Key Indicator: Attendance
Number of children enrolled in Pre-K
in Baltimore City by year
85%
Pivotal Milestone: Early Enrollement
Pre-K attendance is linked
to school readiness
In Baltimore City
(2010-2011 SY)
27%
of students were chronically
absent in Pre-K*
of students with
chronic absences were
“Fully Ready” for
school
of students with higher
attendance* scored as
“Fully Ready” for school.
In Baltimore City (2012-2013 SY):
75%
VERSUS
2006-2007 SY 2012-2013 SY
3414
4890
Even with poor
attendance in Pre-K
Kindergarten (5 years old)Kindergarten (5 years old)
Key Indicator: Attendance
In Baltimore City (2012-2013 SY): “Fully Ready”
children were at or above average in reading
more often than their developing peers.**
58%
School Readiness Assessment: MMSR
Percent of Children in
Baltimore City rated
“Fully Ready” on the
’12-’13 Maryland Model for
School Readiness (MMSR)
Kindergarten attendance
is linked to academic
performance in 1st grade.
In Baltimore City
(2010-2011 SY)
23%
of students were chronically
absent in Kindergarten*
1st
Grade (6 years old)1st
Grade (6 years old)
In Baltimore City
(2010-2011 SY)
58%
of students with higher
attendance* scored at
or above average on
the Stanford 10.****
2nd
Grade (7 years old)2nd
Grade (7 years old)
In Baltimore City
(2009-2010 SY)
58%
of students with higher
attendance* scored at
or above average on
the Stanford 10.****
of students with chronic
absences went on to score
at or above average in
reading on the Stanford
10 in the 1st grade.
of students with higher
attendance* went on to
score at or above average
in reading on the Stanford
10 in the 1st
grade.
In Baltimore City (2010-2011 SY):
36%
VERSUS
1st
Grade
Fully Ready Developing
2nd
Grade 3rd
Grade
88%
60%
86%
60%
80%
60%
Fully Ready
Developing
77.6%
22.4%

24. Creating an Infographic
Determine your
message and identify
the data necessary to
communicate it.

25. When forced to work within a
strict framework the
imagination is taxed to its
utmost — and will produce its
richest ideas. Given total
freedom the work is likely to
sprawl.
—-T.S. Eliot

26. What are your burning questions?
Who?
What?
Where?
Why?
When?

27. What are your burning questions?
What is the new development?
What is unknown?
What are my assumptions?
What are the implications?

28. What are your burning questions?
What is the new development?
What is unknown?
What are my assumptions?
What are the implications?

29. What are your burning questions?
What is the new development?
What is unknown?
What are my assumptions?
What are the implications?

30. What are your burning questions?
What is the new development?
What is unknown?
What are my assumptions?
What are the implications?

31. What are your burning questions?
What is the new development?
What is unknown?
What are my assumptions?
What are the implications?

32. What are your burning questions?
What is the new development?
What is unknown?
What are my assumptions?
What are the implications?

35. Even with poor
attendance in Pre-K
and K, improved
attendance in grades 1
and 2 can minimize the
negative impact of
earlier chronic
absence.***
or above average on
the Stanford 10.****
or above average on
the Stanford 10.****
3rd
Grade (8 years old)3rd
Grade (8 years old)
In Baltimore City
(2012-2013 SY)
65%
of students scored at
or above proficient in
reading on the MSA.**

36. Design skills
Now become a graphic designer….

37. Just kidding. Sort of.

38. What’s the short version?
• Use simple, legible fonts.
• Use no more than five colors
• Embrace negative space. Nothingness is good.
• Use the grid
• Get to know color theory

39. Unchunked
Helvetica meh direct trade,
tattooed taxidermy chia 8-bit
beard four dollar toast Banksy
before they sold out chambray
Brooklyn fap. Mixtape mlkshk
gastropub listicle, street art
fingerstache wayfarers pop-up
chambray Marfa. Meditation
retro sartorial ethical jean
shorts meggings. Kogi Blue
Bottle American Apparel,
crucifix street art fap trust fund
mumblecore. Portland
mumblecore mlkshk banh mi
taxidermy meggings, locavore
flexitarian paleo bespoke Echo
Park Tumblr tote bag you
probably haven't heard of them
bicycle rights. Kickstarter next
level flannel fap.
Chunk!it!!
Helvetica meh direct trade,
tattooed taxidermy chia 8-bit
beard four dollar toast Banksy
before they sold out chambray
Brooklyn fap.
Tumblr tote bag you probably
haven't heard of them bicycle
rights. Kickstarter next level
flannel fap. Hoodie distillery
umami Austin, artisan disrupt
taxidermy raw denim before
they sold out.
Mixtape mlkshk gastropub
listicle, street art fingerstache
wayfarers pop-up chambray
Marfa. Meditation retro sartorial
ethical jean shorts meggings.
Kogi
“Chunking is a strategy used
to manage cognitive load. By
creating breaks, Chunking
reduces cognitive load by
giving the viewer time to
process and reflect on
information.
The same rationale applies
to the concept of white
space.

40. No. Just no.

42. Now, about the data.

43. Source: Stephen Few’s Show Me The Numbers
Encoding

44. Don’t: Crazy Gradients

45. Do: Subtle Shading

50. We all love PIE….however….

51. More pie is not always better

52. And some time no pie at all is best

53. NOW determine the best design
and put it all together

54. Tools

55. SURVEYS
62% OF STUDENTS
WERE ENROLLED IN
THE ELEV8 OUT OF
SCHOOL TIME
PROGRAM
41% NEVER MISSED A
DAY OF SCHOOL IN THE
LAST SCHOOL YEAR
COLLECTIVELY,
PARENTS THINK THEIR
CHILDREN’S BEHAVIOR
IS ONLY MILDLY
PROBLEMATIC
35%
70%
85%
HAVE MORE THAN $10,000
IN DEBT
HAVE AN ANNUAL INCOME
OF LESS THAN $25,000
SAY MONTHLY EXPENSES
EXCEED INCOME
DEMOGRAPHICSOUTREACH
ELEV8
FAMILIES &
CAREGIVERS
REACHED
438 OUTREACH
EVENTS CONDUCTED
OR ATTENDED BY
HUMANIM STAFF
50 DISCHARGED
CLIENTS25CURRENTLY
ACTIVE20
ENROLLMENT
HUMANIM HAS MORE THAN DOUBLED
THEIR ENROLLMENT SINCE THE START
OF THE PROGRAM IN JULY 2012
IN THE LAST FISCAL YEAR OF CURRENTLY ACTIVE CLIENTS
40%
HAVE A SAVINGS
ACCOUNT
OF ACTIVE CLIENTS
ARE CURRENTLY
EMPLOYED
65%
NOW HAVE A
FINANCIAL PLAN
60%
HAVE REVIEWED
THEIR CREDIT
REPORT
90%
20%
EXPERIENCED
AN INCREASE
IN INCOME
HAVE BARRIERS
TO EMPLOYMENT
60%
PARTICIPATED IN
JOB COACHING
EVENTS
55% LACK OF
TRANSPORTATION IS
THE BIGGEST BARRIER
TO EMPLOYMENT
16 PARENT SURVEY RESULTS
ARE GENERALLY POSITIVE WITH
SMALL IMPROVEMENTS IN FAMILY
FUNCTIONING AND PARENTING
TECHNIQUES EVIDENT.
OF ACTIVE
CLIENTS ARE
JOB READY
PROGRAM
SUCCESSES 85%
21 STUDENTS SURVEYED IN THE
2012–2013 SCHOOL YEAR

56. Design has its own set of tools

58. 75#
65# 60# 55#
0#
25#
50#
75#
100#
Region#A# Region#B# Region#C# Region#D#

60. Courtesy of Justin Procopio

62. 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012
Year
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
1100
1200
Value
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
PropertyCrimeRate
Crime, Police and Prison
Measure Names
Imprisonment Rate
Police (1,000)
Property Crime Rate
Violent Crime Rate
The trends of Imprisonment Rate, Police (1,000), Violent Crime Rate, Property Crime Rate and Property Crime Rate for Year. Color shows details about Imprisonment Rate, Police
(1,000), Violent Crime Rate and Property Crime Rate.

63. 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
1100
1200
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
PropertyCrimeRate
723,923 Law Enforcement Officers
792,831 Officers
950,877 Officers
1,065,078 Officers
1,163,142 Officers
Property and Violence Crime Rates, Imprisonment Rates, and Total Sworn Police Officers, 1978-2012
Measure Names
Imprisonment Rate
Property Crime Rate
Violent Crime Rate
ViolentCrimeRate
The
Turning
Point
Crime
continues
to decline.
Imprisonment
and number
of officers
continues
to rise.

64. Elev8 Dash b oa rd

67. Do you like it?
Does it tell a story?
Does it make the data easier to understand?
Does it draw you in?
Does it fit the audience?

68. “In information graphics, what you show is as
important as what you hide”
-Alberto Cairo

69. Remember
“The first and main goal of any graphic or visualization is to
be a tool for your eyes and brain to perceive what lies
beyond their natural reach”
-Alberto Cairo

70. You can learn more about us by visiting our website:
http://www.carsonresearch.com/
Elev8 dashboard:
http://www.elev8baltimore.org/results/
Baltimore Dashboard:
http://www.crcdataviz.com/#!baltoeconomicdemo-front/
ca8r
Me:
taj@carsonresearch.com
@TajCarson