The document summarizes a lightning talk given at an open government data conference about Visual Budget, a tool for making budget data easy to understand through visualizations and interactive design. It discusses the goals of using beautiful and dramatic graphics to tell the human story behind data, demonstrating statistical trends clearly, and connecting large numbers to personal experiences to help audiences understand complex budget information.

1. Making Open Data Easy to
Understand: Visual Budget
International Open Government Data Conference 2012
Lightning Talk - Friday, July 6, 9:45am ET
Eric Hochhalter - Creative Director, Visual Budget
Neil Halloran - Creator, Visual Budget

3. The Engaging Data
Manifesto

4. A Data Presentation Masterclass
http://youtu.be/DNFwYiWY5KA

5. Math Is Easy,
Design Is Hard.

6. Math Is Easy,
Design Is Hard.
Resolution:
We will create beautiful graphics which
instantly and clearly tell the human story of
the data.

7. Tools Are Awesome.
Tools Are Boring.

8. Tools Are Awesome.
Tools Are Boring.
Resolution:
We will build views of data that clearly
demonstrate statistically significant trends
and inflections.
Our interactive tools will allow for deep
analysis and comparison of related views
and data sets.

9. Data Tell Stories.
Stories Need Great Storytellers.

10. Data Tell Stories.
Stories Need Great Storytellers.
Resolution:
We will find the human element in every
data story, and we will present it with the
drama and charisma of a storyteller.
We will structure our presentations with a
beginning, a middle, and an end.
With the audience’s curiosity piqued, we
will relinquish control to the user to explore
the data using our tools as a sandbox.

11. Big Numbers Break Our Brains

12. Big Numbers Break Our Brains
Resolution:
We will always connect large numbers to
personal experiences.
We will present numbers in human terms
such as per-capita or percent.
We will use animation to transition
between scales and scopes so we never
lose the overall context.

13. http://youtu.be/nmIN0vndu_k

15. Appendix - Visualizations We Admire
● Hans Rosling's Gapminder
http://www.gapminder.org/world
● New York Times - Budget Deficit Puzzle
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/11/13/weekinreview/deficits-graphic.html
● New York Times - 2013 Presidential Budget
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/02/13/us/politics/2013-budget-proposal-graphic.html
● Visualizing large numbers - with tanks
http://www.lesfreresmoustache.com/#softwar
● Cook County Illinois Budget
http://lookatcook.com/
● Money We Spend vs. Money We Talk About
http://www.pitchinteractive.com/usbudget/
● I.O.U.S.A - Documentary Film Explaining Federal Budget
http://www.iousathemovie.com/

16. Appendix - Who We Are
Higher Media
highermedia.com
Higher Media is a web and database development
firm that’s been creating advanced data solutions for
business clients for over 10 years. We also create
non-profit data visualizations for the public good. Our
previous project, OurBombs.com visualizes the use of
US airpower since the beginning of war in
Afghanistan. It was nominated for a SXSW Web
Award in 2010.