Dear Good Housekeeping, I needed a few new appliances. My old Shark vacuum cleaner bit the dust for the second time and in the same week my washing machine started eating all my towels. So I was interested in the spread from your Good Housekeeping Research Institute, reporting on its expert tests…
I have the coolest gigs. Every year I get to work with the Eleanor Chelimsky Forum keynote speaker to develop a slidedeck that rocks the house. This year, the keynote speaker was Abe Wandersman. I’d seen Abe present in the past and… let’s just say I knew…
Anna Harms knows when the jig is up. Part-way through my 1 day workshop on Presenting Data Effectively, she knew what change had to happen (and fast). So fast, she didn’t hesitate to walk right up to me and say, “We are working so hard on our reports but there’s…
I realize it’s completely taboo to write about current events six months after they’ve happen but I DON’T CARE. One of my favorite events of the year is watching the enhanced version of the State of the Union. Not the regular view – the enhanced view. One side of the…
Most of the time, I think radar graph are deployed wrong. They are designed to show percentages along several categories – like a bar graph could – but the axis are distributed around a central point, such that the percentages link together and create a shape. Choosing a radar graph,…
Wherever I travel, without fail, the people who are most resistant to making the necessary changes to present data more effectively are academics. I wish I was kidding. After all, I used to be one. Some of my best friends are academics. Even the young ones who are on…
I say: Trend over time? You say: Line graph! I know, that’s how it goes, right? We are so used to seeing trends over time visualized as line graphs that even my 3rd grader can interpret them with ease. But sometimes it helps to have other options that better fit your…
What’s your point? Seriously, that’s the most important question to ask when creating a data visualization. And its the first thing I ask a client who sends me data for redesign. What’s your point? The answers drive nearly everything about visualizing that data. Here’s how that conversation often goes: Client:…
Stephanie’s Note: So so often I get emails from readers asking for examples of how full reports can incorporate more graphic design while still maintaining credibility and seriousness, especially for more conservative audiences. Sid’s report is a nice example of how well-considered images can boost engagement and appeal. Nice work,…
This, my friends, is a nested area graph. I got this idea from the smart people at Innovation Network. And it is super amazing at visualizing the sequence of survey questions that branch. The kind where it says “if you said Yes, proceed to question 32” and stuff…
