So I accidentally became a data visualization designer
…and I’m so glad I did.
If you told me back when I was starting my journey of pivoting to a tech career that I would be specializing in data visualization design, I probably would have given you a very puzzled look.
“I could never do something that cool.”
“Am I smart enough to do that kind of work?”
“Do I have the right qualifications to do that?”
Now, after over half a year (as of October 2021) of working as a Designer at The DataFace, an agency that specializes in data viz, it turns out that I am pretty capable.
Not only that, but I have become quite the data nerd, often scouring the web for interesting data in journalism, infographics, and even outside of the web in physical places — like in museums for instance. Data is everywhere, and working in data viz has opened my eyes to opportunities to tell stories through the discipline of information design.
At first, it didn’t come easy
I’d be lying if I told you that I was a natural on day one. I was not. But being the person that I am, open to learning and driving myself to pick up new skills as effectively as possible, and thanks to an awesome and supportive team, I was able to get up to speed.
You start every career not knowing what you’re doing. You end up learning a lot while on the job. I wouldn’t have known I could learn how to design data viz if I wasn’t just tossed in and made to just “do the thing.”
On my first project, I was a bit terrified. I wanted to perform at my very best, to prove I had what it took. Turns out I was only about 60% there at the start. I didn’t understand data viz taxonomies or when certain types of charts were suitable for certain data sets. I found it challenging to make solid governing design decisions in regard to how data was being displayed to users. There were moments when I felt immobilized by self-doubt.
“Can I do this?” I thought to myself after about 2 weeks in the role.
Thankfully my manager and teammates were there to support me. Never underestimate the importance of teamwork. I had to ask questions when I felt stuck, and admit when I couldn’t do something. I had to remind myself that it wasn’t my job to know everything there is to know. It’s okay that I was still learning.
When my first project wrapped, I evaluated the strengths that I brought to my team such as a solid design sense broadly, an awareness of accessibility and inclusive design practices, and an affinity for building sites in Webflow (which was vital to the client we were working with at that time.)
On top of that, I learned a lot about the fundamentals of data viz, even if I sort of did it the hard way and in a crunch. In retrospect, I’m glad it happened the way it did. If anything, it accelerated my growth.
Coming into my own
As the months went on and I got to work on more things, I used my cross-functional design skills to make myself a real asset to my team. Decisions came much more naturally. I wasn’t hesitating or questioning my intuition as much.
Design feedback was often quite positive too, and I felt like I was getting the hang of things.
I read a lot of articles. I exposed myself to whatever data viz content I could get my eyes on. I learned about innovations in the field, and how it shows up in places you wouldn’t expect (like in fashion, for instance, the work of Giorgia Lupi for &OtherStories, which is very much full circle for me coming from the fashion industry originally.)
Recently, I’ve been able to lead design on a few projects, which has been very motivating. My team is small so we work very collaboratively. Although we are fully remote-distributed (the agency was already pre-pandemic) I’ve been able to grow in a short period thanks to all the support.
I’m one to never stop learning. I didn’t expect to niche down so early in my career, but the applications of data viz are so broad and I get to touch so much in the web design process that it doesn’t feel that way.
I’m a bit of a generalist within a niche, perhaps.
Though I dabble in code and know my way generally around HTML and CSS, JS and JS frameworks are a bit over my head. So with that in mind, I’ve been honing in on the No-Code and Minimal-Code tools like Webflow, Flourish, and RawGraphs.
I was so worried that I’d have to learn D3.js and other more technical skills to be “good” at data viz work, but in reality that is far from the case. On a team, we all have strengths and weaknesses. Some of us are more technical-leaning, others more design-leaning, and there are those of us who fall somewhere in between. Those strengths combined are where the magic happens, making up for what each teammate might lack.
I dip and dabble in a lot of design and technical things just so I have an understanding, but there is no expectation on my team for a Designer to be a technical “expert.”
Anyway, who in tech and design is ever an expert when there is always something new to learn? We are all practitioners, no matter our skill level or experience. I will heed those words for years to come. Keeps me limber.
The Legacy of W.E.B. Du Bois
When I first took the job, a professional peer of mine pointed out the data viz work of W.E.B. Du Bois, saying that it’s great that I’m finding myself in this work with his legacy. It’s recently begun to sink in how truly awesome it is as a Black woman to be involved in data viz.
(As a small aside, Flourish Team recently recreated some of W.E.B. Du Bois’ visualizations using their software, which I thought was inspiring.)
At the agency, we focus on a lot of varied topics, but my favorite projects uncover social and racial disparities and injustice. To be able to craft stories around groundbreaking data that brings to light the important issues that often go overlooked and under-prioritized is what keeps me going day-to-day.
This closely mirrors the work that W.E.B. Du Bois championed. The fact that I find myself in this specialization makes me feel quite proud and eager to continue to develop my craft.
Like I said before, data is everywhere. Leveraging that data for the greater good is an important factor in the continued liberation of all marginalized people; sharing compelling stories with data viz that galvanize people to mobilize — or at the very least be introspective.
Design, data, and information access shape the world around us, for better, worse, or somewhere in between.
I think it’s important to handle that power with compassion and awareness, no matter how minimal of a part I perceive to play in it. Even small machinations create an impact.
The positive impact is my focus.
What’s next?
Let me say this, I thought when I started this career journey that I was going to be a Product Designer building SaaS products. I was gunning for that distinction. Interestingly enough, I just wrapped a project that involved aspects of SaaS in the realm of an interactive data dashboard.
Agency work is intriguing because I get to design different solutions for multiple industries, which keeps me on my toes. I’m knee-deep in data viz work and I’m very hopeful about my growth and potential. In addition to visually designing data, I even have opportunities to craft content narratives around the data presented, a key component in broader data comprehension.
Plus it’s always a blast when I get to build in Webflow, like on the LAAUNCH project.
Sure, not every data project is flashy, earth-shattering, and game-changing. Some of it is simply fun and light-hearted, some serious and tragic, and others a little un-exciting (like insurance data for example, not the most dramatic but important nonetheless.) No matter what, I’m improving my skills, and taking what I learned to the next project.
I’m glad I found myself in this specialization and I’m excited about where it will take me as I continue my career. Its applications for it are vast and ever-changing.
And last but not least, we’re hiring! The DataFace is looking for a Data Viz Developer to join the team. Developer collaboration is super important to me, so who knows, maybe we might be working together someday?
