Visualizing Information as Beautiful
With two shortlisted projects in competition, Graphicacy came away from the 2023 Information is Beautiful Awards inspired and reflective.
Attending the Day of Inspiration and the Information is Beautiful Awards ceremony organized this past November by the Data Visualization Society was an enlightening experience. Set against the backdrop of MICA in Baltimore, these events brought together a diverse array of data visualization practitioners, each contributing their unique perspectives and expertise to the dynamic discourse. As the industry continues to evolve, this gathering served as a pivotal moment for professionals to converge and exchange insights, fostering a sense of camaraderie among a community that predominantly operates in remote spaces.
Stories of Inspiration
During the Day of Inspiration, the Graphicacy team was fortunate to delve into presentations showcasing projects that later received well-deserved recognition at the Information is Beautiful Awards ceremony. Notably, these included:
- Drawing Data With Kids
- Public Debt of the Brazilian Federal Government
- A Woman’s World: Creating spaces for joy, leisure, and resistance in South and Southeast Asia
In the subsequent sections, we’ll provide brief introductions to these projects and distill their key insights, aiming to resonate with and contribute to the visualization community’s collective knowledge.
Drawing Data With Kids
Shared by Jeffrey Osborn, Graphicacy Creative Director, Visual Storytelling
Gulrez Khan, who shared about his book “Drawing Data with Kids” during the IIB Awards Day of Inspiration, suggests the power in combining data visualization with artistic exploration as an approach to teaching data literacy to children (or the child in all of us.) Rather than immediately imposing rote data structures as a mesh on top of our everyday world, he first encourages a spirit of curiosity, exploration, attentiveness and wonder. This approach can help us notice patterns and changes that might more intuitively point to effective types of data visualization, as well as more conceptual or illustrative ways to tell stories with data.
Khan’s presentation brought a few things to mind –
Information can be useful, beautiful and fun
All of us who are making our living from data visualization and information design must work within the context of specific timeframes, budgets, user needs and client wishes. Having said that, there’s still tremendous value to be derived from some period of just “sitting with” data sources, experiencing them, and playing and sketching with them in a multisensory way. A childlike openness allows us to find art in the science.
The power of exploring and explaining
As data visualizers and information designers, we spend a good portion of our time at Graphicacy creating static views of, and/or building online interactive tools for, data. These are essentially “windows” on data that invite users to explore.
A different, but equally powerful, approach is more explanatory in nature, combining research and analysis with intentional narratives, and results in messaging from more of a “comms” perspective. This visual storytelling can provide context for, and emotional resonance with, data and aid in the understanding of concepts or complex ideas.
Illustrating with and around data
One of the foundations of successful data visualization is presenting information in a way that is accessible and understandable by any core user. Often this means visualizing data in a very clean and unadorned way.
There are times however when adding illustrative elements to a data viz project, either in the charting or adjacent to it, can really bring added meaning, life and “stickiness” (keeping the user engaged) that proves to be helpful.
Khan suggests in the introduction to his book that readers will “…learn how to turn everyday data into beautiful visualizations that tell a story.” His series of exercises for children remind us that the seeds of good ideas can be found throughout our everyday life and work, are engaged through an open and childlike posture of curiosity and adventure, and can be sketched initially, away from our devices, with simple pen and paper. A good place to start for beautiful and engaging information design.
Public Debt of the Brazilian Federal Government
Shared by Rebecca Lamm, Graphicacy Data Visualization & UI Designer
“Tetris and debt” Two words one doesn’t often find in the same sentence. Yet the tile-matching puzzle game of Tetris provided a framework which allowed Tiago M.B. Pereira, an in-house data visualization engineer at the National Treasury of Brazil, and his team to transform their monthly debt management report into a new format to democratize public debt data. This achievement was Shortlisted in the Business Analytics category for the IIB 2023 awards.
The site, available in Portuguese and English, automatically exudes a gamified feel that invites engagement with a heading that reads ‘Divida Pública’ or ‘Public Debt’ and a ‘Press Start’ button. Upon scrolling — colorful tiles animate, organized in shapes that automatically feel reminiscent of the game Tetris. Guided through clear and simple questions such as “How much does it cost?” the grid of tiles goes through a series of animated transitions. Ultimately, it is broken down into different sectors, each of which contribute to the public debt through their financial engagement with the government.
Tiago’s presentation and the project inspired a few key takeaways:
Accessibility to a general audience
As practitioners in the field of data visualization, a common “user group” we design for is the ‘general public.’ We think about how to display our data in a clear and inviting way. Not only was this a factor for Tiago and team when creating the project, they also were driven by a goal to educate audiences about how the debt works in order to remove common misconceptions the government is telling the citizens.
“Let’s tell worlds, not stories” — Moritz Stefaner
This was a provocation that fueled Tiago and team’s work on the onset of the project, and one that was an important reminder. At Graphicacy we are given the great responsibility to tell our clients’ story. But beyond a story, we strive to create experiences that ask audiences to be engaged and curious explorers. In partnership with The Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) we set out to breathe new life into CAWP’s data reports. The result was an interactive, collage-style scrollytelling experience, The Donor Gap, which illuminates the divide between men’s and women’s political funding, candidates, and causes.
A Woman’s World: Creating spaces for joy, leisure, and resistance in South and Southeast Asia
Shared by Rosa Romero-Gomez, Graphicacy Senior Data Visualization Engineer
The tale of Urooj Bisma resonates with countless South Asian women who encounter myriad challenges in both public and private spheres while simply seeking leisure. The project, “A Woman’s World: Creating spaces for joy, leisure, and resistance in South and Southeast Asia” offers a meticulous and compassionate portrayal of these women’s narratives. Its recognition with a Silver award in the IIB Awards 2023, under the People, Language, and Identity category, underscores its impact. Bianchi Dy and her team, operating from Kontinentalist, a Singapore-based data storytelling studio, ingeniously blends illustrations, data cards, scrollytelling, and data visualizations across various sections. This comprehensive approach renders their research and storytelling remarkably evocative and potent. Bianchi emphasized during her presentation that the primary objective of this piece is to transform this data from a portrayal of struggle into a catalyst for change. It aims to redefine women’s position, framing them not as victims, but as a dynamic force embodying agency and empowerment.
“When the community is involved in the process, they better understand what impacts and benefits come from their participation” Vanesha Manuturi, Communications and Advocacy Manager at Kota Kita
Partnership with activist and non-profit organizations such as Kota Kita, helped the Kontinentalist to bring this story to life and highlight empowering ways to practice resistance and change things. At Graphicacy, these projects serve as ongoing inspiration, fuelling our commitment to working alongside clients who share a dedication to such causes. We’re passionate about leveraging our expertise to support initiatives that drive meaningful transformation and promote social change. Our mission is deeply rooted in fostering collaboration with those who are dedicated to creating a better, more equitable world. Together, we aim to harness the power of visual storytelling to amplify voices, catalyze action, and drive tangible, positive outcomes.
Further Takeaways
These three showcased projects represent a glimpse into the diverse array of presentations and award-winning endeavors that unfolded over the course of two impactful days. As a team, we would like to underscore another standout takeaway that holds significant promise for the future trajectory of the data visualization landscape: the fusion of data sonification with data visualization. Sonification might be one of the keys to unlocking new layers of understanding and making data more accessible and engaging for everyone. These are some relevant links we gathered:
- Loud Numbers: data sonification studio based in Europe (UK and Sweden). Co-founder Duncan Geere received the Information is Beautiful award for Impactful Community Leader.
- Two Tone: free open source data sonification tool by Google
- Decibels: data sonification community
- Data sonification archive: curated collection of projects that combine data and sound.
- Ripple Effect: “art installation that reveals water contamination through water, sound, and light” won Gold for the Arts, Entertainment & Culture category
In Graphicacy’s Kendeda project, we’ve integrated sound elements that harmoniously complement the visualizations, enriching the user experience. Our team’s deliberate intention was to create an immersive environment where sound effects dynamically respond to user interactions, offering a multi-sensory journey that deepens engagement and fosters a more profound connection with the content.
Looking Forward
The Day of Inspiration offered a platform for shortlisted creators to share the transformative power of visual storytelling, igniting discussions that spanned innovative techniques and the future landscape of data visualization. Simultaneously, the prestigious Information is Beautiful Awards celebrated the artistry and creativity of exceptional visualizations, spotlighting projects that not only captivated through aesthetic brilliance but also communicated complex information with clarity and impact. Being present at these events, with two short-listed projects, not only invigorated Graphicacy’s passion for the craft but also reaffirmed the significance of collaboration and continual learning in this rapidly evolving field.
