data viz - telling stories with data

Data viz – telling stories with data

Tom Smith, OCSI

About OCSI

www.ocsi.co.uk +44 1273 810 270 info@ocsi.co.uk

Make an impact

Your data mustinfluence your

organisation & services

Get your message across

Data visualisation is key way to communicate

stories from your data

Information from data. Order from chaos

• “data graphics can do much more than … substitute for statistical tables…. [They] are instruments for reasoning about quantitative information”, Tufte, 1983

How can data visualisation help local organisations?

Summarise issues for service managers and senior staff

West Midlands Apprentices, Excel dashboard

Engage the public with your information

Causes of death for under 75s

Engage the public (2)

• Contribution of different diseases to inequalities in life expectancy

Communicate key messages to ... staff, commissioners, funders, volunteers ...

Data visualisation principles

Visualisation is communication

1. Design for your audience

2. Keep it accurate

3. Keep it clear

Good communication

Principle 1: Design for your audience

• Key points for this visualisation for this audience– Limit what you show. Be selective

• Know your audience – What information does your audience want/ need?– What will they quickly understand?– What do they need to help them see the data story

• Test your visualisation - colleagues? managers?

Design for your audience – evolution 1

Robert Radburn, Leicestershire. Changing how we present data to Community Safety Team Management meetings

Crime rates by ward for single

indicator. Targets.

Detailed.

Design for your audience – evolution 2

Crime indicators for all

crimes, all wards. 3 years

Design for your audience – evolution 3

Crime indicators for all

crimes, all wards. Trends

by colour

Principles 2 & 3: Keep it accurate & clear

• Focus on the message(s) for the audience

• Show the data without distortion– Avoid common pitfalls (do’s and dont’s)

• Don’t obscure the information– Use the right type of chart

• Learn from others– Look at examples and resources – there’s lots out

there!

Data visualisation practical

Do’s and Don’ts

Simplify to emphasise key message(s)

OCSI analysis of Amaze UK cost-benefits

Annotate to emphasise the story

Warwickshire Quality of Life 2011

Additional visuals to strengthen the story

Metropolitan Police

Show the whole truth (trends)

3 points is not a trend ...

Same dataset, longer time

series, different story

Repeated elements for similar aspects

Warwickshire Quality of Life 2011

Use the right chart

Hall of shame: “Criminal” pie-chartvia ONS Data Visualisation Centre

Shouldn’t pie charts add up to

100?%

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should

Hall of shame: Pictorial representation

3D charts? No!

“3D charts are the first refuge of scoundrels”, Brian Derry, NHS-IC

Hall of shame: Excel 3D charts

via ONS Data Visualisation Centre

Hides the story

How much? When?

Keep it simple

Learn from others – lots of resources

• www.improving-visualisation.org.uk/links visualisation support for public sector researchers

• www.visualisingdata.com (lots of links, tutorials, tools)

• Flowing Data, www.flowingdata.com (examples)

• www.gapminder.org (Hans Rosling videos)

• ONS Data Viz centre www.ons.gov.uk/ons/interactive/index.html

Learn from others – lots of resources

extremepresentation.typepad.com/blog/2006/09/choosing_a_good.html

Summing up

• Your data must influence your organisation & services– Make an impact

• Data visualisation is key way to communicate stories from your data– Get your message across. Lots of uses in local organisations

• Principles - design for audience, keep it accurate & clear

• Practicals - do's & don'ts

• Learn from others - resources

• Have fun

Tom SmithOxford Consultants for Social Inclusion (OCSI)

e: info@ocsi.co.ukt: +44 1273 810 270w: www.ocsi.co.uk

Data viz and photo credits

• Warwickshire Quality of Life 2011 report• Brighton & Hove Annual Director Public Health 2012 report• Leicestershire Research & Intelligence analysis and reports• OCSI analysis for Amaze UK disability charity• West Midlands Regional Observatory Apprentice Dashboard• Guardian Public Spending wallchart• David McCandless Map Venn diagram • ONS Data Visualisation Centre , visuals and hall of shame• DCLG / OCSI, Improving Visualisation for public sector

researchers• Chart Chooser• Flowing Data • Wikimedia Commons