11. Human brains are wired to speak
and understand spoken language.
People have to be taught to read
and write.
Understanding the written word is not a natural
human ability; but human brains do innately
process shapes.
Dataviz & the Human Brain
15. Keep it Simple
(Stupid!)
What I Did Wrong…
-Created a non-intuitive visual
-Tried to stuff too much into a single visual
-Didn’t have a strong story
What I Would Do Differently…
-Either remove percentages or break each type into a
different chart type
-Simplify the story
16. Be Purpose Driven
What I thought they wanted
A network map of relationships
(the data, pure and simple)
What they really wanted
A list of organizational relationships
(the data, reduced to their question)
What I learned
Be purpose driven, not data or
method driven
17. Focus on the
End User The 3 Questions I Always Ask…
What do they care about?
What do they need to know?
What do I want them to do with this information?
19. Dataviz Design Process
1
Reduce the clutter
2
3
4
Directly label
Emphasize key findings with color
Summarize your story in the title
5
Select your story
6
7
Are you doing it right?
Share
20. Which chart is best
for my data?
Select your story
Choose 1 finding (of many possible options) to highlight
1
40. 1 Reduce the clutter
Remove or reduce the border, grid lines, and tick marks
2
0
20
40
60
80
100
0 20 40 60 80 100
0
20
40
60
80
100
0 20 40 60 80 100
41. Directly label
Lose the legend—place details right next to the data
3
DC
Maryland
Virginia
Category 1
Category 2
Category 3
42.
43. Directly label
Lose the legend—place details right next to the data
3
DC
Maryland
Virginia
Category 1
Category 2
Category 3
DC
Maryland
Virginia
Category 1
Category 2
Category 3
44. 1 Emphasize key findings with color
Guide the reader’s eye with your action color
4
80. Dataviz Design Process
1
Reduce the clutter
2
3
4
Directly label
Emphasize key findings with color
Summarize your story in the title
5
Select your story
6
7
Are you doing it right?
Share
88. '07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12
Number of Youth Served by Year
Number of Youth Served
1 Reduce the clutter
Remove or reduce the border, grid lines, and tick marks
2
89. '07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12
Number of Youth Served by Year
Number of Youth Served
1 Reduce the clutter
Remove or reduce the border, grid lines, and tick marks
2
90. '07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12
Number of Youth Served by Year
Number of Youth Served
1 Reduce the clutter
Remove or reduce the border, grid lines, and tick marks
2
91. '07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12
Number of Youth Served by Year
Number of Youth Served
1 Directly label
Lose the legend—place details right next to the data
3
92. '07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12
Number of Youth Served by Year
1 Directly label
Lose the legend—place details right next to the data
3
93. 202
278
410 416
450
470
'07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12
Number of Youth Served by Year
1 Directly label
Lose the legend—place details right next to the data
3
94. 202
278
410 416
450
470
'07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12
Number of Youth Served by Year
1 Directly label
Lose the legend—place details right next to the data
3
95. 202
278
410 416
450 470
'07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12
Number of Youth Served by Year
1 Directly label
Lose the legend—place details right next to the data
3
96. 1 Directly label
Lose the legend—place details right next to the data
3
202
278
410 416
450 470
'07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12
Number of Youth Served by Year
97. 1
202
278
410 416
450 470
'07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12
Number of Youth Served by Year
Emphasize key findings with color
Guide the reader’s eye with your action color
4
98. 1
202
278
410 416
450 470
'07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12
Number of Youth Served by Year
Emphasize key findings with color
Guide the reader’s eye with your action color
4
99. 1
202
278
410 416
450 470
'07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12
Number of Youth Served by Year
Emphasize key findings with color
Guide the reader’s eye with your action color
4
100. 1
202
278
410 416
450 470
'07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12
Number of Youth Served by Year
Emphasize key findings with color
Guide the reader’s eye with your action color
4
101. 1
202
278
410 416
450 470
'07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12
Number of Youth Served by Year
Emphasize key findings with color
Guide the reader’s eye with your action color
4
102. 1
202
278
410 416
450 470
'07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12
Number of Youth Served by Year
Emphasize key findings with color
Guide the reader’s eye with your action color
4
103. 1
202
278
410 416
450 470
'07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12
Number of Youth Served by Year
Emphasize key findings with color
Guide the reader’s eye with your action color
4
104. 1
202
278
410 416
450 470
'07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12
Number of Youth Served by Year
Emphasize key findings with color
Guide the reader’s eye with your action color
4
105. 1
202
278
410 416
450 470
'07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12
Number of Youth Served by Year
Summarize your story in the headline
Add captions or annotations when more details are needed
5
106. 1
202
278
410 416
450 470
'07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12
Number of Youth Served by Year
5 Summarize your story in the headline
Add captions or annotations when more details are needed
107. 202
278
410 416
450 470
'07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12
1 Summarize your story in the headline
Add captions or annotations when more details are needed
5
108. 202
278
410 416
450 470
'07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12
1
ABC Nonprofit has more than doubled its services
Summarize your story in the headline
Add captions or annotations when more details are needed
5
109. 202
278
410 416
450 470
'07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12
1
ABC Nonprofit has more than doubled its services
Just six years after opening its doors, ABC Nonprofit is serving 470 students
each year in the community—more than double the number of students they
helped in 2007.
Summarize your story in the headline
Add captions or annotations when more details are needed
5
110. 202
278
410 416
450 470
'07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12
1
ABC Nonprofit has more than doubled its services
Just six years after opening its doors, ABC Nonprofit is serving 470 students
each year in the community—more than double the number of students they
helped in 2007.
Number of youth served by year, 2007-2012
Summarize your story in the headline
Add captions or annotations when more details are needed
5
111. 1
202
278
410 416
450 470
kids
helped
in 2012
'07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12
ABC Nonprofit has more than doubled its services
Just six years after opening its doors, ABC Nonprofit is serving 470 students
each year in the community—more than double the number of students they
helped in 2007.
Number of youth served by year, 2007-2012
Summarize your story in the headline
Add captions or annotations when more details are needed
5
116. 0
5
10
15
20
25
30
2009 2010 2011 2012
# of publications/presentations
Newsletters
Papers
Blog Posts
Conference Presentations
Select your story
Choose 1 finding (of many possible options) to highlight
1
117. 0
5
10
15
20
25
30
2009 2010 2011 2012
# of publications/presentations
Newsletters
Papers
Blog Posts
Conference Presentations
Reduce the clutter
Remove or reduce the border, grid lines, and tick marks
2
118. 0
5
10
15
20
25
30
2009 2010 2011 2012
# of publications/presentations
Newsletters
Papers
Blog Posts
Conference Presentations
Reduce the clutter
Remove or reduce the border, grid lines, and tick marks
2
119. 0
5
10
15
20
25
30
2009 2010 2011 2012
# of publications/presentations
Newsletters
Papers
Blog Posts
Conference Presentations
Reduce the clutter
Remove or reduce the border, grid lines, and tick marks
2
120. 2009 2010 2011 2012
# of publications/presentations
Newsletters
Papers
Blog Posts
Conference Presentations
Reduce the clutter
Remove or reduce the border, grid lines, and tick marks
2
122. Directly label
Lose the legend—place details right next to the data
3
# of publications/presentations
Newsletters
Papers
Blog Posts
Conference Presentations
123. Directly label
Lose the legend—place details right next to the data
3
# of publications/presentations
124. Directly label
Lose the legend—place details right next to the data
3
# of publications/presentations
Blog posts
Newsletters
Presentations
Papers
125. Directly label
Lose the legend—place details right next to the data
3
24 24
18
12
6 6
4 4
2
12
18
24
4
8
9
8
# of publications/presentations
Blog posts
Newsletters
Presentations
Papers
126. Directly label
Lose the legend—place details right next to the data
3
24
12
6
4
2
24
4
8
# of publications/presentations
Blog posts
Newsletters
Presentations
Papers
133. 24
12 Newsletters
6
4 Papers
2013
4
8 Presentations
# of publications/presentations
24 Blog posts
Emphasize key findings with color
Guide the reader’s eye with your action color
4
2009
2 Blog posts
134. 24
12 Newsletters
6
4 Papers
2013
4
8 Presentations
# of publications/presentations
24 Blog posts
2009
2 Blog posts
Summarize your story in the title
Add a caption and annotations when more details are needed
5
135. 24
12 Newsletters
6
4 Papers
2013
4
8 Presentations
24 Blog posts
2009
2 Blog posts
Summarize your story in the title
Add a caption and annotations when more details are needed
5
136. 24
12 Newsletters
6
4 Papers
2013
4
8 Presentations
24 Blog posts
2009
2 Blog posts
Summarize your story in the title
Add a caption and annotations when more details are needed
5
137. 24
12 Newsletters
6
4 Papers
2013
4
8 Presentations
24 Blog posts
2009
2 Blog posts
Summarize your story in the title
Add a caption and annotations when more details are needed
5
Our communications strategy now focuses on blogging
138. Summarize your story in the title
Add a caption and annotations when more details are needed
5
24
12 Newsletters
6
4 Papers
2013
4
8 Presentations
24 Blog posts
2009
2 Blog posts
Our communications strategy now focuses on blogging
Our readers are more receptive to social modes like blogging than passive modes like
newsletters. Since 2009, we’ve produced half as many newsletters and put that content
and energy into blogging.
140. Dataviz Design Process
1
Reduce the clutter
2
3
4
Directly label
Emphasize key findings with color
Summarize your story in the title
5
Select your story
6
7
Are you doing it right?
Share
149. 34 states and DC
were represented
At ABC Foundation’s national
convening last month, the
attendees represented 34 states
and DC. Michigan, Illinois, and
Texas were heavily represented,
with 91, 47, and 46 attendees
each.
Maps
presentationmagazine.com/editable-maps