Case studies in research report design, based on nonprofit reports archived in the IssueLab collection.

1. bringing nonprofit research into focus IssueLab Gabriela Fitz Co-Director, IssueLab [email_address] Case Studies in Design How good design can support good research

2. bringing nonprofit research into focus IssueLab Case Studies in Design Independent of the subject, the purpose (of information visualization) should always be centered on explanation & unveiling , which in turn leads to discovery and insight. - The Information Visualization Manifesto

3. bringing nonprofit research into focus IssueLab Case Studies in Design Regardless of how much money or time your organization has, good design builds on the basic principles of good communications.

6. bringing nonprofit research into focus IssueLab Case Studies in Design

7. bringing nonprofit research into focus IssueLab Case Studies in Design Does the cover make me want to click on it or pick it up?

8. bringing nonprofit research into focus IssueLab Case Studies in Design Is the report easy to read? Consider your use of fonts, consider the age of your audience, consider whether you are laying something out for print or web navigation.

9. bringing nonprofit research into focus IssueLab Case Studies in Design Is the report easy to navigate? Can I find what I am looking for and can I move through the information easily?

10. bringing nonprofit research into focus IssueLab Case Studies in Design Does the design confuse the information or elucidate it?

11. bringing nonprofit research into focus IssueLab Case Studies in Design Focusing the reader: Call outs, Sidebars, Key Points Presenting the data: Charts, Graphs, Maps, Tables Supporting the content: Pictures, Illustrations, Font Treatments

12. bringing nonprofit research into focus IssueLab Case Studies in Design Common mistakes: Too many pages of introductory text Key findings or summaries that are way too long Tables that don't easily communicate findings

13. bringing nonprofit research into focus IssueLab Case Studies in Design

14. bringing nonprofit research into focus IssueLab Case Studies in Design Basic Design Help Wanted: Research Brief Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board

15. bringing nonprofit research into focus IssueLab Case Studies in Design (p.4) Headers in plain English that ask questions which the content itself answers.

16. bringing nonprofit research into focus IssueLab Case Studies in Design (p.8) Some very basic data visualization that allows the reader to skim for key points.

18. bringing nonprofit research into focus IssueLab Case Studies in Design (p.12) These are paired with more comprehensive tables, showing that you don’t have to sacrifice detail for clarity.

19. bringing nonprofit research into focus IssueLab Case Studies in Design Basic Design ReGeneration: Young People Shaping the Environmental Justice Movement Movement Strategy Center

20. bringing nonprofit research into focus IssueLab Case Studies in Design (p.17) One of the real strengths of this layout is how clearly the findings are presented and each supported by a quote. This is something any of us can do, with or without pictures.

21. bringing nonprofit research into focus IssueLab Case Studies in Design (p.57) Includes re-purposable pages such as the do's and don’ts of a national strategy. This shows the organization’s knowledge about both who their audience is and what that audience might need as a take away.

22. bringing nonprofit research into focus IssueLab Case Studies in Design (p.58) The very next page speaks to the fact that most reports have multiple audiences which may require multiple pieces of content. The organization doesn’t shy away from this reality – they simply provide folks with what they need in a clearly titled and digestible format.

23. bringing nonprofit research into focus IssueLab Case Studies in Design Interactive Design 6 Questions, 2340 Answers McKnight Foundation http://www.mcknight.org/cost_culture/survey_2.htm Superfund 365 http://turbulence.org/Works/superfund/sites.php

24. bringing nonprofit research into focus IssueLab Case Studies in Design Design Heavy Design Better Ballots Brennan Center for Justice

25. bringing nonprofit research into focus IssueLab Case Studies in Design (p.8) Exemplary key findings section.

26. bringing nonprofit research into focus IssueLab Case Studies in Design (p.16) Elements you can repurpose, like the checklist.

27. bringing nonprofit research into focus IssueLab Case Studies in Design (p.20) Clear illustration that relies on simplicity, supported by data in an easy to read format, and accompanied by a pull quote that reinforces the point with a first person story.

29. bringing nonprofit research into focus IssueLab All reports showcased in this presentation (plus many many more) can be found at www.issuelab.org