Building your own skills is one step in strengthening how you use visualization in your work, but fostering organizational change can be hard. Here are a few quick considerations on how to nurture data visualization as a personal skill and as an organizational value, and tips for successful collaborations on data visualization activities.
Originally presented as part of the HC3 Innovation Webinar Series on March 8, 2017.
1. Nurturing
Data Visualization
as a personal skill &
organizational value
Amanda Makulec, MPH
Visual Analytics Advisor
John Snow Inc.
Presented 8 March 2017
HC3 InnovationWebinar
15: DataVisualization
2. M y s t o r y
( a n d w h a t I ’ve l e a r n e d )
3. O r g a n i z a t i o n s h ave
c o m p l e x e c o s y s t e m s .
9. T h e Fo re s t
(Creating change where you work)
10. Show rather than tell.
0 200000 400000 600000 800000
Washington DC
Los Angeles, CA
New York, NY
Chicago, IL
Boston, MA
Mean Estimate
Mean Estimate
11. Data Visualization Hub
Find the people who are
interested…
…and connect them in a
multidisciplinary community.
Mobilize an internal network.
Data
Developers
CommsDesign
Adapted from Kotter (2012)
12. Find your champions and nurture them.
Research
Technology
Design
Communication
Adapted from: https://onthinktanks.org/articles/visualising-data-both-a-science-and-an-art/
Look for people with
different perspectives
on information design.
16. Heavy
lift
Light
touch
Quick
impact
Sustained
change
Sustained ChangeTakes Time
Bring in an
external
facilitator for
an all day viz
workshop
Identify a list of
internal viz
experts who can
help project
teams
Start an internal
data viz listserv
& send monthly
resources
Invite someone
whose data viz
work you
admire to do a
lunch
presentation
17. Heavy
lift
Light
touch
Quick
impact
Sustained
change
Sustained ChangeTakes Time
Bring in an
external
facilitator for
an all day viz
workshop
Identify a list of
internal viz
experts who
can help
project teams
Start an internal
data viz listserv
& send monthly
resources
Hire specifically for
visualization design
skills in your MERL,
comms, and
dev teams
Invite someone
whose data viz
work you
admire to do a
lunch
presentation
18. A T h r i v i n g E c o s y s t e m
5Tips for Success in DataViz Collaborations