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Data Visualisation Worksheet 1

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18 views4 pages

Data Visualisation Worksheet 1

Uploaded by

egorboy2004
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Worksheet: Creating a data visualization

This worksheet has been arranged into a series of steps to help guide your data visualization process. However, the data
visualization process isn’t always a linear one – the first two steps, Understand your data and Define your purpose are a bit like
a chicken and an egg. Sometimes you start with a purpose then examine the data and other times your data drives your
purpose. Complete the steps in whichever order makes the most sense to you.

STEP 1: Understand your data


Questions Answers
1. What type of data do you have?
Is it quantitative (mostly numbers) or
qualitative (mostly text)?

2. What is your data telling you?


What are your key findings? Which data
supports your key message?

3. Are there any limitations on sharing your


data?
What can and can’t you share with
different audiences?

PROTIP: You’ll likely have a lot of data to sift through. Take your time doing this. Focus on data points
that add value to your message or are important for your audience.

STEP 2: Define your purpose


Questions Answers
1. What are you trying to accomplish with
this visualization?
Do you want to share knowledge, generate
conversation, inspire action, or something
else?

2. What tone are you trying to convey?


Is it reading (e.g. facilitating understanding
with a high degree of precision or detail)
or feeling (e.g. more emphasis on the gist
or the sense that comes from your visual)?
Is it serious or funny?

3. What data will you include in your visual?


Which of your key findings serve your
purpose? Be selective. Think about what
will be useful and add value.
STEP 3: Define your audience
Questions Answers
1. Who are you creating this visualization
for?
Who is your target audience?

2. How comfortable is your target audience


with interpreting data?
Do they have a high or low level of data
literacy? This will help you decide how
simple or complicated your visual should
be.

3. How will they access your visualization?


How will you be sharing your visualization
with them (e.g. in-paper, presentation,
online, in-print, etc)?

4. What does your target population care


about?
(e.g. health, money, social justice, liability,
etc.)? What questions are important to
your target audience? What will they find
useful, interesting or inspiring?

5. How will you combine your target


audience’s interests and the findings from
the data to frame your key messages?
Write out your key messages.

PROTIP: You might have multiple audiences with varying levels of comfort, experience and knowledge
with the topic or data you are presenting. A one-size-fits-all approach to data visualization is limiting.
Complete the steps on this list for each of your target audiences.

STEP 4: Begin formulating your idea


Questions Answers
1. What keywords come to mind when you
think about your visual?
Brainstorm keywords that relate to your
key messages and data.

2. What mental images come to mind?


Brainstorm images that relate to your key
messages and data.

3. What inspiration can you draw from


elsewhere to help shape your visual?
Look for inspiration from other sources –
google is your friend!

PROTIP: This step is most important when creating an infographic or a PowerPoint Presentation, but might
apply less to stand alone charts or whole reports. Take your time brainstorming ideas for your infographic or
slides. Put your creative cap on and start visioning – no idea is a bad idea!
STEP 5: Develop your visual solution
Questions Answers
1. Which type of chart/graphic works best
for your type of data, purpose, message
and audience?
Use the chart chooser to help you select
the right type of visualization.

2. What annotations are needed? (e.g. titles,


labels, legends, captions, etc.)
Use the chart design checklist to help you
include the proper annotations.

3. What colours are appropriate?


Use the agency style guide for internal
projects.

4. How should your visual be transformed to


make it as clear and accessible as possible?
Use the chart design checklist to help you
simplify your visual as much as possible.
5. How should the layout be arranged?
Use the chart design checklist to help you
think about: placement, size, scale,
orientation, etc. It helps to sketch out your
visual before creating it in Excel, Word,
PowerPoint or Piktochart. Remember,
white space and alignment is important.
Don’t overcrowd your visual.

6. What program should you use to


accomplish your ideas?
Use the chart design checklist to help you
choose from: Excel, PowerPoint,
Piktochart, Wordle, etc.

7. Create it!
Use an agency template, if available and
appropriate. Creating visuals, especially
infographics, take time. Set aside plenty of
time to play around with the content and
layout of your visual.

PROTIP: When designing infographics, start with your most powerful piece of data so that your audience
is hooked. Order your supporting information so that it has a surprise in the middle, and builds towards a
clear conclusion and call-to-action at the end. It’s a good idea to either focus your information on a central
image or to arrange your information in rows with two, three, or four columns.

STEP 6: Test, modify, and share!


Questions Answers
1. What feedback do your colleagues have
about your visual?
Pay attention to what others pay attention
to in your visual, the observations they
make, the questions they have, and the
ideas they have for better getting your point
across.

2. What feedback do people in the target


audience have about your visual?
Test your visual with your target
population, if you have time. Pay attention
to the same things that you did with your
colleagues.

3. How does your visual need to be changed


in order to accommodate the feedback?
Consider feedback and make changes to
your visual.

4. Share your visual!


Share your visual in a way that is accessible
to your target audience.

PROTIP: Collect feedback then spend some time away from your visual so that you can look at it with
fresh eyes. Ask yourself: Is the main message clear? Are the charts effective and easy to understand? Is it
on brand? Is it visually appealing?

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