Final Thoughts at the end of a Master Course
In late 2014 a friend forwarded to me a course information evening invite to hear about a new Master of Data Science and Innovation course at UTS. I had been creating data visualisations and data graphics for the previous few years, but I knew I needed to get deeper into data to make it a more meaningful career. I didn’t want to be stuck in infographic hell for the rest of my life, so I went along to find out more.
It’s now the end of 2017 and I can look back on the last three years with satisfaction. In no particular order, here are my reflections on the time at UTS and what I have come away with.
- Trans is better than mono
I am never going to be a technical hero. I can get around R well enough. I am good with basic stats and modelling. My passion is in storytelling and visualisation, and I am very good at understanding data systems. I love to work with technical people and help tell their stories to others. I also like to help them see the bigger picture of what they are creating, and the systems that they are working within. The core subjects gave me a good foundation so I know enough to be able to work with technical practitioners and let them get on with what they are good at. I can help them communicate that, and I am very good at Visualising data. The electives I took in Visualisation, Interaction Design, and Investigative Research built my skills in the areas I am passionate about and want to focus on. If MDSI was a hard core technical course there is no way a) I would have gotten in, nor b) would it have interested me. But the way I look at it is, universty is meant for us to be challenged and think about the bigger picture. It’s not coursera or data camp. It’s where we learn to be leaders in Data Science, not analysts. The ability for us to pick our electives, while giving us a good foundation in the fundamentals of Data Science is a major advantage of this course. Long live transdisciplinary studies!
2. It’s good to experiement
Maybe it’s because I’m older, and I’m working in the field I want to work in, but for me this last iLab was a chance to really stretch and play, and deeply think about a topic rather than focus on a specific project or skill. If I had a “dream job” it may be a Data Researcher like Miriam Quick or especially like Mimi Onuoha. It would be lovely to be able to think about data and systems and create tools and works that respond to that, and work somewhere like The Office for Creative Research. In the meantime, I was more than happy to play in this space with these projects, deeply appreciate the experience and know that I created something I am very proud of. I also know I learnt a lot of things that I can take into my “real job”.
3. Creative play makes me happier at work
I get to work on some really good projects in my job, and get access to highly skilled people and good resources. My team are a bunch of very smart, creative, motivated people. We work on great projects and deliver great work. But, and there is always a but, I need to expand my mind beyond the world of corporate data visualisation, or I won’t be happy. This iLab project has given me that opportunity to think and reflect about data visualisation, investigate and research topics, map and link themes and create. How does my professional career benefit? It helps me think about different areas we could be better at (like thinking a lot more about data as a system). It also motivates me to do more with the wider community at work and hare my passion for Data Visualsation. Last month I ran a session called “Pencils before Pixels” with 28 analysts to share some sketching techniques, and get them drawing before committing anything to code. I received very good feedback and have been asked to run the same session to another division or analysts in the organisation. I have also been running a Visualisation community of practice this year, and we’ve heard some great talks and are starting to form a nice little community face to face and online to share ideas, links and ask questions. So while a link to this iLab project and my professional career may not be crystal clear, trust me, it’s there and really necessary. I am also very interested in how I can take some of Giorgia Lupi’s work on Data Humanism into a corporate space. It may have to be a subliminal effort. The notion of spending time on data and not saving time would be akin to declaring a workers revolt ;-) Depicting data complexity though, versus always smoothing out all the kinks and simplifying it is a battle I am willing to wage.
4. Friendships forever
I like to think that the people I have met on this course will be connections for a while to come. I like to think we’ve shared some fun times, tough challenges (hello “Digging for Gold” and Kailash — or is it still too soon to joke about it?), and formed a pretty strong community of Data Scientists. And I hope we keep each other accountable. I hope none of us are going to exploit our super powers for pure greed. I know that there are people whose judgement I trust implicitly, and that’s because I have worked with them on group assignments or have seen in action working with others. The group assignments drove me insane at times but they made me see who I could work with in the future. I think their main benefit is not so much about giving us experiences working with others (most of us do that in our jobs) but gave us a good steer on who the good people are who have sound judgment and are enjoyable to work with. I recruited someone into my team after I saw the way she worked with a group and presented her work to others.
5. The work is never done
I’m hoping I can somehow keep this up. Finding out about Mimi Onuoha at this late stage in my masters was bitter sweet. I was watching her recording as she presented at Eyeo and was excited by everything she was talking about, but all I could think of was “Man, I wish I’d read her stuff earlier!” I want to follow her work further. The beauty about studying is it forces you to be accountable to read and think and create. I would like to be able to work out a way to continue this after this is all over.
Plus my library card. I want to continue that too.
