the scientist's guide to effectively communicating results ......types of graphs to consider...

Jacqui Fenner |

The Scientist's Guide to

Effectively Communicating

Results Using Graphs

and Other Visuals

Graphic Designer

June 2017

Office of Science

& Technology

―Above all else “Above all show the daelse ta — Edwa

show theThe Visual Di datasplay of.” Quantitative Information

— Edward Tufte

The Visual Display of Quantitative Information

rd Tufte

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 2

Talk Overview • Why are Visuals Important?

• Where to Begin?

• Types of Communications Materials Getting Started

• Match the Visual to the Message

• Highlight Key Information

• Declutter to Simplify

• Summary Example

Visual Best Practices

• Programs + Workflow

• Resources

• Q+A Summary

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 3

Why are Visuals Important?

Not just “dressing up” data

A well

designed

product…

Communicates better

Engages the audience

Gives a professional, cohesive look

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 4

Where to Begin?

Craft Written Content First

• Know your key messages (1-3 main)

Keep in mind…

• Only covering a few topics

• Modified examples

• Rules are not rigid

Use Existing Resources

• Brand Guide

• Templates

• Color palettes

Build Time into Process

• Plan up front

• 1+ week at end

• Iterative

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 5

Help Your Data Go Farther

Communications Materials

Websites / Web tools

Infographics / Maps / Graphs

Reports / Tech Memos

Fact Sheets / Brochures / Flyers Posters Presentations

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 6

Visual Best Practices

Match the Visual to

Your Message

Highlight Key

Information

Declutter to

Simplify

Summary Example

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 7

Visual Best Practices

Match the Visual to

Your Message

Highlight Key

Information

Declutter to

Simplify

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 8

Match the Visual to Your Message

Consider Context

Consider Options

• Audience

• Key messages

• Product type

• Web or print

• Graph / table

• Infographic

• Photo + text

• Callout box

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 9

Types of Graphs to Consider

Tables

• PRO Can fit a lot of info, often already done

• CON Makes viewer work harder

Circle graphs

• PRO Good for parts of a whole

• CON Less effective w/ many groups, multi series, similar values

Visual

indicator

Line graphs

• PRO Good for trends, comparison, multi series (sm changes)

• CON Less effective w/in category

Bar graphs

• PRO Good for trends, comparison, multi series (lg changes)

• CON Less effective across series

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 10

Avoid Data Distortion It Can Muddy Up Your Message

1

2

3

1 2 3 ?

?

?

??

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 11

Does a Photo + Text Work Just as Well?

15% increase

in U.S. jobs generated by marine

fisheries 2011 to 2014

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 12

Photo Tips

1-3 photos – high-quality, well chosen, relevant

Consider photo direction

Avoid cheesy photos + clipart

Background photo = text must be readable

Credit properly + complete file metadata as needed

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 13

Make Sure Content Can Breathe

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 14

Consider

Photo Direction

• Photos should face content.

• Flipping photos? Avoid distortion

of words / other.

Species

People

Boats

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 15

Visual Best Practices

Match the Visual to

Your Message

Highlight Key

Information

Declutter to

Simplify

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 16

Before You Begin, Make things Consistent 1. What are the defaults? Make everything consistent (layout, fonts, colors)

2. Add visual interest with meaning to highlight key information

Tip: Left-justify text as default to simplify line of sight

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 17

Give Focal Points using Visual Indicators

15% increase in U.S. jobs generated by marine fisheries from 2011-2014

1.8M

jobs

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 18

Color is a Powerful Tool

• Start with premade palette

(Your org brand? Online?)

• Choose 2-3 main colors

(1 neutral and/or 1 cool, 1

warm/accent color)

• Use saturation levels of

same color for variety

• Use primary colors sparingly

• Come forward

Warm colors

• Fall back

Cool colors

Template Colors Main Colors

1 2

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 19

Color Sets the Mood

Color + emotion: Can improve

viewer’s memory of key information

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 20

Brand Palettes are a Great Place to Start NOAA Fisheries NOAA Logo Colors Premade palettes

brand palette embedded in

templates Acceptable Swoosh + Type Color

Base Accent Colors

Supplemental Accent Colors

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 21

Let Color Theory Basics Inform Your Choices

Terms to know: • Color = hue

• Saturation level = value

How to achieve more contrast: • Use complimentary colors

• Use colors with greater saturation

level differences

Greater contrast can make things stand out,

highlighting key messages.

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 22

Highlight Key Information in a Graph using Color, Saturation, and Visual Indicators

Emphasis

Data

Back-

ground

-X%

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 23

Insert PPT Shapes to Highlight Information

Can be used for: • Call out boxes

• Backgrounds

• Simple infographics

• Visual indicators

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 24

Remove Default Formatting on Shapes for a Cleaner Look

Text Goes Here Text Goes Here

• Copy + paste shapes

• Use Format Painter

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 25

Create Simple Infographics (PPT SmartArt)

• Item 1 • Item 2 • Item 3

Item 1

Item 2

Item 3

Right-click on bulleted list > Convert to SmartArt > More SmartArt Graphics…

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 26

Adjust Styling to Refine the Effect

Item 1

Item 2

Item 3

Item 1

Item 2

Item 3

Double-click on SmartArt graphic > Change Colors (etc.) on ‘Design’ tab(or right-click on SmartArt, convert to shapes, adjust properties for individual elements)

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 27

Visual Best Practices

Match the Visual to

Your Message

Highlight Key

Information

Declutter to

Simplify

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 28

Why Declutter?

Benefits

Creates white space

Highlights key messages

Frees up viewer’s attention

To remove / lessen excess information

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 29

Make Sure Content Can Breathe

Tips: Avoid moving written content into

the margins (leave a buffer).

Images can bleed fully to the edge if desired,

but avoid no-man’s land (as pictured on left).

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 30

Remove Visual Clutter from Graphs Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit tempor incididunt ut labore et. consectetur adipiscing elit, sed

X%

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 31

Remove Visual Clutter from Graphs Use Color, Saturation, and Visual Indicators Meaningfully

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elitdo eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et. consectetur sed

X%

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 32

Reduce Amount of Text on PPT Slides

• People can read or listen, not both

at same time. 6x7 rule

max 6 lines

max 7 words per line

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 33

6x7 Rule in Action

• Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, ante elit.

• Orci in scelerisque sollicitudin nonummy,

turpis sapien.

• Feugiat nisl dictum quam, ullamcor nec amet, gravida.

• Aliquet ut hendrerit duis, vivamus nam vel.

• Ligula ac adipiscing. Vestibulum turpis fusce, justo.

• Ultricies, fusce dolor wisi adipiscing, est amet.

• OK to break this rule

• Alternate text-heavy / text-light slides

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 34

Example: Reducing PPT Text

greater than

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 35

Example: Reducing PPT Text

Detailed info:

• Say out loud

• Move to…

1) PowerPoint notes

2) Appendix slides

3) Reference docs

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 36

Summary Example

Match the Visual to

Your Message

Highlight Key

Information

Declutter to

Simplify

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 37

Example: Original (modified)

Graph Title Goes Here

G1 (Group 1) G2 (Group 2)

Medium High High 13%

Low 61%

Medium 14%

Medium 14%

Medium High 9%

High 13%

Low 47%Medium High

High 14%

Low 59%

Low 61%

Medium 16% 10%

Indicator 3

Indicator 2

Indicator 1

Indicator 5

Indicator 4

High 21%

Medium High 9% Medium High 11%

High 15% High 17%

High 13% High 10% Medium High

10% Medium High 13%

Medium 18% Low 43%

Medium 24%Low 65%

Medium 22% Low 52%

Medium High 14%

16%

Low 56%

Low 44% Medium 16%

High 22%

High 25% Low 22%

Medium 22%

Medium High 13%

Indicator 3

Indicator 2

Indicator 1

Indicator 5

Indicator 4

Medium 22% Medium 20%Medium High 33%

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 38

-

Example: Draft 1 (modified)

Graph Title Goes Here

Indicator 1 Indicator 2 Indicator 3 Indicator 4 Indicator 5

Rankings 14% 25%

16%

33%

22%

20%

13%

9%

14%

22%

14%

22%

13% 21%

10%

16% 13%

22%

15% 17%

9% 11%

14% 16%

13% 10%

13%10%

18% 24% HIGH

MED

HIGH

MED

LOW

G1 G2 G1 G2 G1 G2 G1 G2 G1 G2

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 39

MED

to

HIGH

LOW

G1 G2 G1 G2 G1 G2 G1 G2 G1 G2

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 40

Example: Final (modified)

Graph Title Goes Here

Percentage of “Medium” to “High” Rankings by Indicator

53%

78%

45%

Groups

G1 G2

57%

39%

66%

39% 44%

41%

48%

Indicator 1 Indicator 2 Indicator 3 Indicator 4 Indicator 5

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 41

Low 61%

Medium 14%

Medium High 9%

High 15%

Low 65%

Medium 14%

Medium High 9%

High 13%

Low 47%Medium 22%

Medium High16%

High 14%

Low 59%

Medium 18%

Medium High10%

High 13%

Low 61%

Medium 16%

Medium High10%

High 13%

G1 (Group 1)

Indicator 3

Indicator 2

Indicator 1

Indicator 5

Indicator 4

Low 56%

Medium 16%

Medium High 11%

High 17%

Low 43%

Medium 22%

Medium High 14%

High 22%

Low 22%Medium 20%Medium High 33%

High 25%

Low 52%

Medium 24%

Medium High 13%

High 10%

Low 44%

Medium 22%

Medium High 13%

High 21%

G2 (Group 2)

Indicator 3

Indicator 2

Indicator 1

Indicator 5

Indicator 4

Graph Title Goes Here

Example: Before + After

Graph Title Goes Here

Percentage of “Medium” to “High” Rankings by Indicator

53%

78%

45%

Groups

G1 G2

57%

39%

66%

39% 44%

41%

48%

Indicator 1 Indicator 2 Indicator 3 Indicator 4 Indicator 5

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 42

Programs + Workflow

Microsoft Office Suite

Adobe Creative Suite

(InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop)

Google Suite

Common Programs

• Not only one workflow. Find one to suit your needs.

• If graph produced in analysis software, consider styling elsewhere.

• Don’t have strong visual skills? Consider training 1-2 visual point people in

your office in basic visuals skills/programs.

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 43

Resources

NOAA Fisheries Resources

• Intranet Brand Guide + Templates

• Plain Language Guidance

• NOAA Photos on Flickr

Reading Materials

• Slideology by Nancy Duarte

• Resonat by Nancy Duarte

• The Visual Display of Quantitative Information by Edward Tufte

Web + PowerPoint Resources

• Lynda.com (paid) or YouTube (free)

• PowerPoint:

• SmartArt graphics

• Add or Format shapes

• Change order of objects

• Edit or Crop images

• Shorten links

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 44

Acknowledgements

• Communications Office

• Office of Science and Technology (ST)

• ST Communications Team esp. Avi Litwack, Laura Oremland, Cara Mayo

Rita Curtis, John Thibodeau

• ST Staff who provided examples

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 45

Q+A Contact jacqui.fenner@noaa.gov

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 46