Andy Kirk's talk slides at the Information Plus Conference 2016 - "Developing Visualisation Literacy: Experiences From the Front Line"

2. THE SETTINGS
THE SUBJECT
THE STUDENTS
THE SESSIONS
THE TEACHER

3. THE SETTINGS

4. COMMERCIAL TRAINING: 168 events, 3,459 delegates
November 2011to June 2016

5. COMMERCIAL TRAINING: 77 public events (46%)
DATAVISUALISATION AND INFOGRAPHIC DESIGN
Training Workshop
The agenda is constantly refined to accommodate the most contemporary thinking
and references. The final itinerary may be slightly different, and the precise times
may vary, but here is an indicative outline of the typical 1-day agenda.
9:30 INTRODUCTION & FUNDAMENTALS
Welcome to today’s workshop
What is data visualisation?
Key principles of good visualisation design
10:10 Exercise – Instinctive critical evaluations | Review
10:50 THE DATA VISUALISATION DESIGN WORKFLOW
1. Formulating your brief
Exercise – A question of context | Review
11:10 BREAK
11:25 2. Working with data
Exercise – Data familiarisation | Review
12:10 3. Establishing your editorial thinking
Exercise – Editorial brainstorming | Review
12:30 LUNCH
13:30 4. Developing your design solution
Data representation - data encoding and chart type gallery
Exercise – Making data representation choices | Review
14:20 Interactivity
Exercise – Design forensics
14:45 BREAK
15:00 Annotation, colour, composition
Exercise – Design forensics (cntd.)
16:00 Exercise – Design forensics: Makeovers | Review
16:45 Data visualisation capabilities: Tools, resources and the ‘7 hats’
17:00 FINISH
People attending these workshop sessions come from all backgrounds, organisation
types and domain areas. These events are intended for all audience types and
levels. You might be an analyst, statistician, or researcher looking to enhance the
creativity and impact of your communications. Perhaps you possess a creative
flair, as a designer or developer, and you’re seeing to enhance your capabilities in
relation to data-driven activities. Maybe you do not personally get involved in the
analysis or communication of data but coordinate others who do. You might be a
frequent consumer of visualisation and infographic work looking to increase the
sophistication of how you read, interpret and evaluate the effectiveness of such
designs.
The most critical attribute is curiosity: an instinct for discovering and sharing
insights from data, and an interest in approaching your data visualisation and
infographic work with a fresh perspective. You should have a willingness to
contribute to discussions during exercise activities and do so in a respectful and
constructive manner.
To view a selection of testimonials from previous workshop participants visit
www.visualisingdata.com and click on Training.
The ‘Introduction to Data Visualisation and Infographic Design’ 1-day workshops
aim to provide delegates with an accessible and comprehensive introduction to data
visualisation and infographic design.
The focus for this training is the craft of this discipline, helping delegates to know
what to think, when to think about and how to resolve all the analytical and
design decisions involved in any data-driven challenge. There are four over-riding
objectives for these workshops:
To challenge your existing thinking about creating and consuming visualisation
works, refining the clarity of your convictions about good visualisation design.
To enlighten you about the range of analytical and design options, such as chart
types, features of interactivity, annotation, colour applications, and composition.
To equip you with an efficient workflow giving you the confidence to make the best
choices based on a foundation of design principles and practical guidelines.
To inspire you by broadening your visual vocabulary, by exposing you to latest
techniques and contemporary resources, and by giving you a road map for
developing your data visualisation capabilities.
Andy Kirk is a UK-based data visualisation specialist: A design consultant, training
provider, lecturer, author, speaker, researcher, and editor of an award winning
website.
Since becoming a freelancer in 2011, Andy has delivered over 160 public and
private training events in 17 countries across five continents. Recent clients include
Penn Medicine, Standard Chartered, Astra Zeneca, Hershey, and CERN.
Andy’s teaching activities extend to visiting lecturers positions at the Maryland
Institute College of Art (MICA) in the US and at Imperial College in the UK,
delivering data visualisation modules on two respective Masters programmes.
The workshop session is structured around a proven design methodology where we
will build up, stage by stage, a detailed understanding of all the different aspects of
decision-making that goes into all data visualisation or infographic design work.
Whilst the event is described as an ‘Introduction’, this does not mean it is pitched at
a ‘basic’ level: data visualisation and infographic design teaching is really framed by
the time available - and the breadth/depth achievable - rather than any meaningful
distinction made between beginner, intermediate and advanced topics.
The content is delivered through a blend of teaching, discussion, and group
practice. The practical exercises vary in nature from evaluating works, conceiving
ideas, identifying best-fit solutions and exploring data. The most technical of the
exercises will involve looking at data in Excel. There may be some sketching tasks
but these are not a test of artistic capability, rather conceptual thinking.
These workshops are designed to be technology neutral, they are not focused on
or based around any specific tool or programme. There will be a short section
providing an overview of some of the most essential and common visualisation
tools currently in the market but the emphasis is on the craft.
All materials will be issued digitally (dropbox/USB stick) containing all training
content, exercise files and a range of useful references. Attendees are encouraged to
bring laptops to use as a workspace for the session. The only software requirements
are Excel, a browser and a pdf reader. No other technical prerequisites exist.
TRAINING OBJECTIVES
THE WORKSHOP
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
TYPICALAGENDA
TRAINER PROFILE
2015 Winner ‘Best Dataviz Website’
1-day event

6. COMMERCIAL TRAINING: 91 private events (54%)
25% of the logos shown wereclients in other capacity (design, consultancy) | The chart shows 75 unique clients across the 91 events.

7. COMMERCIAL TRAINING: Class sizes
November 2011to June 2016.Class sizes arefor all event types
TOO FEW
FOR ME
TOO MANY
FOR THEM46%
78 events

8. COMMERCIAL TRAINING: Classroom

9. ACADEMIC TEACHING: MICA (MPS) & Imperial (MSc)
MSc, since 2015/16
Core module
Large class size (57)
10 x 2hr lectures
Shared teaching role
Online MPS, since 2012/13
Dedicated programme
Small class size (5-15)
10 x 2hr lectures

10. ACADEMIC TEACHING: MICA (online) & Imperial (theatre)

11. THE SUBJECT

12. CONTENT TENSIONS: Dogmatic clarity vs. Human factors
Developreasoning beyond the common entry-points that (legitimately) shape early convictions

13. Data froman online survey conducted between 7th and 9th June 2016and hosted via http://www.visualisingdata.com/2016/06/short-survey-data-
visualisation-tool-skills witha total of 348 participants. This is NOT a survey of people attending/interested in data visualisation training.
CONTENT TENSIONS: Technical? Which tools? What level?

14. To make the best decisions you need to be familiar with all your
options and aware of the things that will influence your choices
TEACHING FOCUS: Critical thinking
THINGS YOU
COULD DO
THINGS YOU
WILL DO

15. Design workflow
1. Formulatingyour brief
CRITICAL THINKING: Organised decision-making
Give everything a ‘home’: All matters of context

16. 1. Formulatingyour brief
2. Workingwith data
CRITICAL THINKING: Organised decision-making
Give everything a ‘home’: All matters of data

17. 1. Formulatingyour brief
2. Workingwith data
3. Establishingyour
editorialthinking
CRITICAL THINKING: Organised decision-making
Give everything a ‘home’: All matters of editorial eloquence

18. 1. Formulatingyour brief
2. Workingwith data
3. Establishingyour
editorialthinking
4. Developingyour
design solution
CRITICAL THINKING: Organised decision-making
Give everything a ‘home’: All matters of design

19. CONTENT TENSIONS: History and context?

20. CONTENT TENSIONS: Inspirational balance?

21. THE STUDENTS

22. FEMALE 52.2%
MALE 47.8%
DEMOGRAPHICS: Gender breakdown
Of the last 500 registered delegates for public workshops

23. CONSUMERS
COORDINATORS
COMMISSIONERS
Visualisation literacy is more than just ‘making’
CREATORS
DEMOGRAPHICS: Roles

24. DEMOGRAPHICS: Challenging sensibilities

25. Frame their natural creative
instincts around need to
appreciate role/rigour of data
DATA WRANGLER
‘SCIENTIST’
OLDER
DESIGNER
TECHNOLOGIST
YOUNGER
Encourage them to embrace
more options, expand their
creative thinking
DEMOGRAPHICS: Challenging sensibilities

26. “PC”
Why?
“MAC”
Why not?
ACADEMIC
Says who? Says where?
STUDENT
How? HOW!?
DEMOGRAPHICS: Challenging sensibilities

27. Lecture 1: Fundamentals of data visualisation
Lecture 2: Visualisation design workflow
Lecture 3: Formulating your brief
Lecture 4: Working with data
Lecture 5: Editorial thinking
Lectures1 – 5: Andy Kirk
Lecture 6: Conceiving the visualisation design
Lecture 7: Data encoding
Lecture 8: Constructing the visualisation solution
Lecture 9: Data-Driven Documents (D3.js)
Lecture 10: Case studies and current research
Lectures6 – 10: Ass. Prof.Marc Streit
DEMOGRAPHICS: Challenging sensibilities

28. EARS
Quiet people
MOUTH
Vocal people
DEMOGRAPHICS: Accommodating personalities

29. THE SESSIONS

30. TEACHING
45%
EXERCISE
21
DISCUSSION
14
BREAK
20
TEACHING
35%
EXERCISE
28
DISCUSSION
17
BREAK
20
1DAY2DAY
2DAY1DAY
WORKSHOP TEACHING: 1-day & 2-day events

31. WORKSHOP TEACHING: 1-day events
30 mins 25 mins

32. WORKSHOP TEACHING: 1-day events
FOUNDATIONS
Definitions
Distinctions
Key principles
HIDDEN THINKING
Formulating brief
Working with data
Editorial thinking
DESIGN THINKING
Data representation
Interactivity, Annotation
Colour, Composition
CAPABILITIES
Tools
Resources

33. FOUNDATIONS
Definitions
Distinctions
Key principles
DESIGN THINKING
Data representation, Interactivity,
Annotation, Colour, Composition
CAPABILITIES
Tools
Resources
HIDDEN THINKING
Formulating brief
Working with data
Editorial thinking
WORKSHOP TEACHING: 2-day events

34. FOUNDATIONS
Evaluations
HIDDEN THINKING
Contextual questions
Data familiarisation
Editorial brainstorming
DESIGN THINKING
Chart vocabulary
Design forensics
Design makeover
WORKSHOP ACTIVITIES: 1-day events

35. WORKSHOP ACTIVITIES: 1-day & 2-day events
CRITICALEVALUATIONS CHART VOCABULARY

36. FOUNDATIONS
Evaluations
Decision forensics
DESIGN THINKING
Chart vocabulary (extended)
Design forensics (extended)
Design makeover (extended)
HIDDEN THINKING
Responding to contextual scenarios
Data familiarisation x 3
Editorial brainstorming x 2
WORKSHOP ACTIVITIES: 2-day events

37. WORKSHOP ACTIVITIES: Private events
WORKPLACECHALLENGES/SURGERY

38. Lecture 1: Fundamentals of data visualisation
Lecture 2: Visualisation design workflow
Lecture 3: Formulating your brief
Lecture 4: Working with data
Lecture 5: Editorial thinking
Lectures1 – 10 across10 weeks,Live classesSunday evenings
Lecture 6: Data representation
Lecture 7: Interactivity
Lecture 8: Annotation
Lecture 9: Colour & Composition
Lecture 10: Assignment presentations & Review
ACADEMIC ASSESSMENT: Credited and non-credited
SHORT, FOCUSED ASSIGNMENTS
MODULE-LENGTHASSIGNMENTS
IN-CLASS EXERCISES
SPOT CHALLENGES

39. RESPONDINGTOCONTEXTUAL SCENARIOS
ACADEMIC ASSESSMENT: Credited and non-credited

40. THE TEACHER

41. TIME
CONVICTION
Understandable desire
for simplicity, reliance
on reductive principles
Realisation of the
limitation of some rules,
awareness of gaps
Recover from
uncertainty through
learning & appreciation
of nuances
As the field evolves, complacency
grows, become too rigid
Challenge, learn
& embrace new
ideas
Recognise
increasing confidence
& knowledge
1
3
4
6
7
2
5
Theory becomes practice,
talent becomes second nature
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT: Refining convictions
Developing more sophisticated convictions takes time

42. I wanted to learn tools
I didn’t want to be here
Had too much work to do
Not enough about networks
The room was too cold
Didn’t like my team
Didn’t like his font
The coffee tasted like sausage
TEACHING SKILLS: I don’t value evaluation forms…
Unstructured, informal feedback through discussions more valuable