data viz - telling stories with data
DESCRIPTION
OCSI's Tom Smith presentation to the iNetwork conference "Getting out the Facts: Open Data & Data Visualisation"TRANSCRIPT
Data viz – telling stories with data
Tom Smith, OCSI
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: [email protected]: +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