The document discusses using data visualization as a narrative tool for persuasion and discusses challenges and opportunities. It notes that traditional persuasion relied on images and sounds but data citation now influences emotions. Myths about violence and Africa are countered with facts and charts. Examples showing data stories for mass audiences include Hans Rosling's Gapminder and visualizations of gun deaths. Principles for effective mass data stories are discussed like being easy to understand with narrative. Questions are raised about countering violence myths, methodologies, users, and pitfalls of the approach.

1. RESEARCH
PRESENTATION
IML 502
BESSIE CHU | JANA JUGINOVIC

3. PURELY VISUAL
Traditional modes for narrative and
persuasion largely centered on the the
raw powers of image and sound
But what comes next?

4. The Vietnam War became referred to as McNamara’s
War because of his persuasion of Congress and
American people often with charts and graphs.

5. DATA PERSUASION
Similar narrative modes we see more
often cite data to entices the emotional
rather than the rational for
understanding
Perpetuating Myths?

6. DATA
VISUALIZATION
Can it be used as a narrative mode of
persuasion for a mass audience?

7. MYTH # 1
Living in a ever-increasingly
violent world

9. FACT
Living in a Less violent World
Violent gun crime has dropped dramatically in the
past two decades, but the majority of Americans
think it's more of a problem now than ever.
Source: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/07/gun-crime-drops-but-americans-think-its-
worse/2139421/

10. FACT
Living in a Less violent World
The number of people killed in battle – calculated
per 100,000 population – has dropped by 1,000-fold
over the centuries as civilizations evolved. Before
there were organized countries, battles killed on
average more than 500 out of every 100,000 people.
In 19th century France, it was 70. In the 20th century
with two world wars and a few genocides, it was 60.
Now battlefield deaths are down to three-tenths of a
person per 100,000.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/22/world-less-violent-stats_n_1026723.html

11. MYTH # 2
A Homogenous Unchanging Africa
In Poverty

13. FACT
• Equatorial Guinea per capita income $36,600
• South Africa per capita income $10,000
• Swaziland per capita income $4,500
• Burundi per capita income $300
A Complex Continent In Movement
“Of course, these regional averages obscure big differences
among countries. In Ethiopia, income is only $800 a year per
person. In Botswana it’s nearly $12,000. You see this huge
variation within countries too: Life in a major urban area like
Nairobi looks nothing like life in a rural Kenyan village. You should
look skeptically at anyone who treats an entire continent as an
undifferentiated mass of poverty and disease.”http://annualletter.gatesfoundation.org/
Source: CIA World Factbook

14. FACT
A Complex Continent In Movement
NAIROBI 1969 NAIROBI 2009
http://annualletter.gatesfoundation.org/

15. FLAT FACTS
Numbers and text are not compelling
without a visual narrative?
Not convincing enough?

16. COUNTER
NARRATIVES
What Are Some Examples of Data
Visualization To Create Counter Narratives
That Can Have Mass Appeal?

17. CURRENT USES
Most Data Visualization in popular
understanding are Infographics or used
internally for companies to solve
problems
Too Shallow and Too Deep?

18. MARKET-Y INFOGRAPHICS

19. INTERNAL (EXPERT) USE ONLY

20. MASS APPEAL
DATA VIZ?
Is There a Methodology We Can Create
Use to Create Visualization for Mass Public
Consumption?

21. Storytelling for
(Almost)
Everyone

22. HANS ROSLING GAPMINDER
Storytelling with Data
http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_shows_the_best_stats_you_ve_ever_seen

23. POST-SANDY HOOK DEATHS
Visualizations from news organizations
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/22/gun-deaths-us-newtown_n_2935686.html

24. PRIO
Interactive Small Arms Trafficking Data
http://nisatapps.prio.org/armsglobe/index.php

25. Principles
Easy to Understand
Clearly labeled and Informative
Narrative
Either with Movement, Audio, etc.
Remember
Contrast, Repetitive, Alignment, Proximity
1
2
3

26. Income Inequality in the 21st Century
Capital grows faster than labor
income. Wealthy people control the
majority of capital ergo wealthy
people increase their wealth more
quickly than wage earners and
income inequality rises. If this
trend continues, the future will
look like the 19th century, where
elites have predominantly inherited
their wealth rather than earned it.

27. Income Inequality, Europe versus United
States

28. Wealth Distribution of Capital, 1870-2100

29. Top Inheritance Tax Rates, 1900 - 2011

30. IML 502 EXPERIMENTAL
Where the Top 100 Richest Have Citizenship

31. IML 502 EXPERIMENTAL
Source of Wealth from of World’s 100 Richest

32. Thank You

33. A Few Follow-Up Questions…
• How can we create a counter narrative to
the violent world with data viz?
• What are some of the other
methodologies to employ for a mass
audience?
• Who should use these tactics?
• What are some of the pitfalls and
dangers?