19 Build Viz

Goals

Review principles for creating visuals for effective communication
Understand the expectations for orally presenting visualizations

Additional Resources

For more information about the topics covered in this chapter, refer to the resources below:

Effective visuals for Decision Making by Posit

WHERE ARE WE?!? Data Storytelling

Data Storytelling is the process of creating a narrative around a dataset. This narrative can be used to inform, persuade, or entertain. It is a way to communicate the insights we’ve gained from our data to others.

19.1 Warm-up

Effective communication = effective visuals + clear narrative

Effective Visuals

Let’s review from the beginning of semester.

Professionalism
- meaningful axis labels
- figure caption
Accessibility
- alternative text
- color blind friendly colors
Design details
- consider glyph choice
consider color choices
facilitate comparison
use contrasts to draw attention
Ethics
Don’t mislead
Consider visibility, privacy, power, emotion & embodiment, pluralism, context

Let’s consider a few other visuals. What is effective? What could be improved?

Clear Narrative

When preparing to present a visualization, consider the following:

Motivation & Context
- What is the question you are answering, and why is it important?
- What data context does the audience need to understand the visual? (W’s?)
Orientation
- What aspects of the visual should you explain to provide necessary orientation?
- Walk through guides (axes, color legend, etc.)
Highlights
- Hone in on one or two interesting data points and tell the story behind them.
- Explain how the visual aspects of the viz reflect that story (this reinforces how they should interpret the viz).
Big Picture
- What are the overall trends or takeaways?
- What are the implications for them? Why does it matter?
- What comparison are you wanting to highlight?

Presenting Visualizations

Speak slowly
- It takes people some time to wrap their heads around a new viz.
Practice ahead of time with a friend. Practice by yourself. Refine the viz if necessary!

19.2 Exercises

Exercise 1 - Confer with Team

Each person in a project team should make their own unique visualization. Talk with your team about your ideas for a visual.

Exercise 2 - Create a Visualization

Create 1 effective visualization from your project data that tells a story.

Exercise 3 - Team Feedback

Once you make a draft visual, share it with your team Discuss ways to improve the visualization to make it more effective.

Exercise 4 - Prepare a Presentation

Prepare a 2 minute oral presentation (motivation, orientation, highlights, big picture) of your visualization in order to present to 4 classmates outside your project team:

you’ll present your visualization (2 minutes)
discuss as a team ways of improving the visualization to make it more effective (8 minutes)

Each of the 4 individuals will take a turn to present.

--- title: "Build Viz" number-sections: true execute: warning: false fig-env: 'figure' fig-pos: 'h' fig-align: center code-fold: false --- ::: {.callout-caution title="Goals"} - Review principles for creating visuals for effective communication - Understand the expectations for orally presenting visualizations ::: ::: {.callout-note title="Additional Resources"} For more information about the topics covered in this chapter, refer to the resources below: - [Effective visuals for Decision Making](https://posit.co/blog/effective-visualizations-for-credible-data-driven-decision-making/) by Posit ::: **WHERE ARE WE?!? Data Storytelling** - **Data Storytelling** is the process of creating a narrative around a dataset. This narrative can be used to inform, persuade, or entertain. It is a way to communicate the insights we've gained from our data to others. \ \ \ \ ## Warm-up Effective communication = effective visuals + clear narrative ### Effective Visuals {-} Let's review from the [beginning of semester](07-effective-viz.html). - Professionalism - meaningful axis labels - figure caption - Accessibility - alternative text - color blind friendly colors - Design details - consider glyph choice - consider color choices - facilitate comparison - use contrasts to draw attention - Ethics - Don't mislead - Consider visibility, privacy, power, emotion & embodiment, pluralism, context Let's consider a [few other visuals](https://viz.wtf/). What is effective? What could be improved? ### Clear Narrative {-} When preparing to present a visualization, consider the following: - Motivation & Context - What is the question you are answering, and why is it important? - What data context does the audience need to understand the visual? (W's?) - Orientation - What aspects of the visual should you explain to provide necessary orientation? - Walk through guides (axes, color legend, etc.) - Highlights - Hone in on one or two interesting data points and tell the story behind them. - Explain how the visual aspects of the viz reflect that story (this reinforces how they should interpret the viz). - Big Picture - What are the overall trends or takeaways? - What are the implications for them? Why does it matter? - What comparison are you wanting to highlight? ### Presenting Visualizations {-} - Speak slowly - It takes people some time to wrap their heads around a new viz. - Practice ahead of time with a friend. Practice by yourself. Refine the viz if necessary! ## Exercises ### Exercise 1 - Confer with Team {-} Each person in a project team should make their own unique visualization. Talk with your team about your ideas for a visual. ### Exercise 2 - Create a Visualization {-} Create 1 effective visualization from your project data that tells a story. ### Exercise 3 - Team Feedback {-} Once you make a draft visual, share it with your team Discuss ways to improve the visualization to make it more effective. ### Exercise 4 - Prepare a Presentation {-} Prepare a 2 minute oral presentation (motivation, orientation, highlights, big picture) of your visualization in order to present to 4 classmates outside your project team: - you'll present your visualization (2 minutes) - discuss as a team ways of improving the visualization to make it more effective (8 minutes) Each of the 4 individuals will take a turn to present.