Designing with Data #1: Learning the Tools
After the great reception from folks I received after writing the post “So I accidentally became a data visualization designer”, I decided why not chronicle some of my learnings, process, and random data shenanigans in a blog series?
Let’s kick this off, shall we?
In entry #1, I want to start with tooling. I want to preface this by saying two things:
- My primary focus in my job is Visual Design. Although I do have some technical skills, they have their limits. (I’ll get into what those are soon.)
- I don’t know about or use every data viz tool out there, and I’m sure my process is unique to me and the agency I work for. Mileage may vary!
Vectors, Vectors, Vectors
Primarily, I use vector-based tools to create daily. A lot of the work I do lives online either as infographics on client blogs or as data story microsites.
Figma is my tool of choice since it does almost everything I need it to, and can easily supplement where it lacks with plugins from the community. I can do all my brainstorming, interface design work, and prototyping all in one. Getting the team and client feedback is also a breeze.
Since Figma is a vector tool, it’s easy to drop in SVGs generated elsewhere and use them in my designs. This is powerful because I can (or my teammates can) easily populate data visualizations in other tools and drop them in for me to manipulate.
This brings me to the following few points.
Code or No-Code?
So, a lot of people ask me — can I get by in this specialization that requires technical data and development skills? Do I need to be a code whiz to work with data?
No…maybe…sometimes?
Since I’m not proficient in JavaScript, (although some understanding of it is helpful) I use no-code tools a lot to do my work. If you’re new here, my current tool of choice is RawGraphs. It helps me create a lot of different chart types and all it takes is importing a clean data set, dragging and dropping some variables, and voila! It generates a quick and dirty visualization for me to download and polish up.
I think this is a nice go-between If you’re like me, a visual learner, and less technically inclined.
There are also tools like Flourish and the Chart plugin for Figma.
But it doesn’t end there! What if there are things you can’t achieve on your own — say for instance a complex chart type or one not available in the tools I mentioned? What about tricky data wrangling?
Who can you call upon to supplement you in the places you lack?
Leveraging Team Support
I can’t stress this enough, never be afraid to ask for help. My experience is unique to working as part of a team, so I’ll be speaking to that (definitely not a unicorn freelancer over here!)
I work with other designers, developers, and data analysts. Some of my teammates can manage all three disciplines (to varying degrees!) I’m not expected to do everything alone. I lean into where I’m strong and admit when I need a bit more support.
The developers on my team can step in and generate vizzes in d3.js, say with a tool like Observable, and export them for me to plug and play into my Figma designs.
Those strong in data analytics prep and clean data sets for me to use and support me in importing it correctly to meet project needs.
Everyone on my team then comes together to review and comment on my work. They also support me when I give presentations to clients, chiming in and explaining things with more depth when needed.
This is the kind of team you want to work on. Being siloed or a lone fox is no fun in this industry and leads to accelerated burnout. Grow your strengths to be independent, but not to the point where you don’t ask for help. That’s how you learn!
What’s On My Learning List?
I’m focused on working up some of the skills that I lack. I’m currently taking this data analytics course with Coursera (with thanks to the State of Black Design for sponsoring my learning!)
I’m still at the beginning (as of writing this, I’m on Course 2,) but I’m enjoying it, and already have used things I’ve learned while working.
Although I have no intention of becoming a Data Analyst, having these skills sharpened will make me a stronger asset to my team.
I also want to get comfortable with Observable. They have great tutorial videos to help you get started. Lots of my teammates use it, and I’d love to join in on the fun!
In addition to those ambitions, I want to sharpen my skills in front-end development where I can — an ongoing endeavor.
And that’s a wrap on the first entry in this series! I hope this post has been insightful to you. Consider subscribing to stay updated!
Aria is a Designer and Creative Technologist from New York City. She’s currently working as a Designer at the Data Visualization and Storytelling agency, The DataFace. You can find her on LinkedIn, Twitter, and her Portfolio.
