3. Make an impact
Your data must
influence your
organisation & services
4. Get your message across
Data visualisation is
key way to communicate
stories from your data
5. 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
6. How can data visualisation help
local organisations?
7. Summarise issues for service managers
and senior staff
West Midlands Apprentices, Excel dashboard
14. 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?
15. Design for your audience – evolution 1
Crime rates by
ward for single
indicator. Targets.
Detailed.
Robert Radburn, Leicestershire. Changing how we present data to
Community Safety Team Management meetings
16. Design for your audience – evolution 2
Crime indicators
for all crimes, all
wards. 3 years
17. Design for your audience – evolution 3
Crime indicators
for all crimes, all
wards. Trends by
colour
18. 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!
25. Use the right chart
Shouldn’t pie
charts add up
to 100?%
Hall of shame: “Criminal” pie-chart
via ONS Data Visualisation Centre
26. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should
Hall of shame: Pictorial representation
27. 3D charts? No!
Hides the story
How much?
When?
“3D charts are the first refuge of
scoundrels”, Brian Derry, NHS-IC
Hall of shame: Excel 3D charts
via ONS Data Visualisation Centre
29. 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
30. Learn from others – lots of resources
extremepresentation.typepad.com/blog/2006/09/choosing_a_good.html
31. 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
32. Tom Smith
Oxford Consultants for Social Inclusion (OCSI)
e: info@ocsi.co.uk
t: +44 1273 810 270
w: www.ocsi.co.uk
33. 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