TURNING DATA INTO

INFOGRAPHICSan Interactive Workshop for Problem Solvers

Lorin Bruckner Jennie Goforth

Step 1: Find Data

Find Data

• Government

• Commercial

• Think Tanks / Research Centers

• Hybrid

Data Sources

Find Data

Orange Countyorangecountync.gov• County GIS Data• Election Data

Chapel Hilltownofchapelhill.org• City GIS Data• Community Survey Results• Development Activity

Chapel Hill Open Datachapelhillopendata.org• Police and Fire Incidents• Public Library Usage• Financial Information• Much more!

Government Data - Local

Find Data

Health and Human Servicesschs.state.nc.us• Health Statistics

Environmental Qualitydeq.nc.gov• State GIS Data• Environmental Reports

State Budget and Managementwww.osbm.nc.gov• Demographics• Census Data

ACCESSNCaccessnc.commerce.state.nc.us• Economic Reports

Government Data - State

Find Data

Censuscensus.gov• American Fact Finder• Business & Employment Data

Department of Agricultureusda.gov• Food and Farm Info• Trade Reports

Geological Surveyusgs.gov• National GIS Data• Environmental Data

(Including Real-Time/Streaming)

Government Data - Federal

Find Data

referenceUSAreferenceusa.com• Directory of Business Contact Info

ArcGIS Onlinearcgis.com• Business GIS Data

Federal Communications Commissionfcc.gov• Consumer Complaints• Business License Info

Small Business Administrationsba.gov• Consumer Statistics• Production & Sales Statistics

Commercial Data

Find Data

Pewpewresearch.org• Political, Social & Economic Trends

Odum Institute Dataversearc.irss.unc.edu• Social Science

The World Bankworldbank.org• International Data• Development Indicators

Roperropercenter.cornell.edu• Public Opinion Surveys & Polls

Think Tanks / Research Centers

Find Data

Social Explorersocialexplorer.com• Census & American Community Survey• User Friendly Platform

PolicyMappolicymap.com• 150 Data Sources• Represented on Easy-to-Use Map

DATA.GOVdata.gov• Government Data• Search Over 186,467 Datasets at Once!

Hybrid Sources

Find Data

• Primary sources have first-hand evidence.

• Raw data files are a primary source.

• Articles, blogs, etc. are a secondary source.

• Secondary sources can be inaccurate andcontain misinformation.

Primary vs. Secondary Sources

Find Data

• Even if two different sources are collecting thesame type of data, they will use differentmethods and techniques.

• Different sources will be sampling fromdifferent populations.

• Mixing data from different sources canprovide an inaccurate representation.

Don’t Mix Sources

Step 2: Explore Data

Explore Data

• Are there patterns in the data?

• Look for built-in visualizations

• Look for summary statistics and reports(if published by the same reliable source that collected the original data)

What Story Does the Data Tell?

Explore Data

What do the patterns in the data tell you?

What arguments can you make using this data?

Data Driven Discovery

Find Patterns Form ArgumentsAcquire Data

Exercise 1

1. Using one or more of the sources listed in your hand-out, find data onnational food insecurity.

2. Examine visualizations, reports and/or statistics related to the data.

3. Form three arguments based on the information you find.

Find Data on Food Insecurity in the U.S.

Exercise 1

Arguments About Food Insecurity

1. 1 in 8 Americans struggle with hunger.

2. Some states, including North Carolina have even higherrates of food insecurity.

3. Food insecurity has increased over the past 15 years.

Source: USDA Report - Household Food Security in the United States in 2015

Step 3: Visualize Data

Visualize Data

• Data visualization helps us explore andunderstand complex patterns in largequantities of data.

What is Data Visualization?

• An infographic is a type of datavisualization with specific goals.

• Those goals are to illustrate,narrate and often persuade.

What is an Infographic?

0

10

20

30

40

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Billi

ons

of D

olla

rs

U.S. History of Taxation on Cigarettes

Federal State

Source: blog.turbotax.intuit.com/tax-news/cigarette-taxes-in-photos-7219

Visualize Data

Infographics Illustrate

Source: miva.com/blog/ecommerce-and-tablet-users-on-the-riseSource: custommade.com/buy-local

Visualize Data

Infographics Narrate

Source: ncta.com/platform/broadband-internet/behind-the-numbers-growth-in-the-internet-of-things-2

Source: worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2013/06/19/Infographic-Climate-Change-in-Sub-Saharan-Africa-South-Asia-South-East-Asia

Visualize Data

Infographics Persuade

Source: fastcompany.com/1691581/how-ups-keeps-blue-skies-greenSource: ensia.com/infographics/catch-and-deceased

Visualize Data

• Bar graphs

• Pie charts

• Line graphs

• Maps

Common Data Visualization Elements in Infographics

Visualize Data

• Pictograms

• Timelines

• Large “pop out” labels

• Multiple blocks of text

Elements Unique to Infographics

Best Practices for Infographics

Best Practices

• Who are you trying to reach?

• What are their demographics?

• What is their reading level?

• How much do they already know about the subject?

• What is likely to surprise them?

• What appeals to them?

• What turns them away?

Think About (or Research!) Your Audience

?

Best Practices

• Your story should be based on the patterns you found in the data.

• Beginning – introduce the problem or argument

• Middle – use your data to back up your assertions

• End – wrap it up with a conclusion and/or call to action

Tell a Story

Best Practices

Beginning

Middle

End

Source: blog.worldvision.org/sponsorship/infographic-a-story-of-good-health

Best Practices

• Plan a blueprint or wireframe for your infographic.

• Use an asymmetrical grid.

• Have a focal point.

• Balance white space to avoid clutter.

Use Spatial Hierarchy

Best Practices

• Use titles, headlines and body text.

• Separate different levels of text using size, weight, color, position and contrast.

Use Typographic Hierarchy

Good Read: webdesign.tutsplus.com/articles/understanding-typographic-hierarchy--webdesign-11636

TITLE

HEADLINE

BODY

Best Practices

• Choose a palette of no more than 5 colors (black, white and grey count as different colors)

• Different palettes evoke different emotions(Read Eiseman, Leatrice. Color: Messages and Meanings: A Pantone Color Resource. Gloucester, MA: Hand Books Press, 2006.)

• Use online resources to browse color palettes.• Colour Lovers (colourlovers.com)• Adobe Kuler (color.adobe.com)

Use Color Wisely

Best Practices

• Make sure the portions in your pie charts add up to 100%.

• Make sure the vertical axes in your bar charts start at 0.

• Make sure your bar lengths make sense when comparedto one another.

• Avoid manipulation and deception.

• Cite your source.

• Failure to do the above makes your audience see you as untrustworthy.

Be Accurate and Honest

Source: viz.wtf

Best Practices

• Every visualization should have clear and justifiable reason for being included.

• Visualizations should be easily understood and interpreted by your audience.

Creativity is Good, but Clarity is Key.

Source: viz.wtf

Infographics Critique

Critique

1. What do you like about this infographic?

2. What are some problems with this infographic?

3. How could it be improved?

Source: bpl.org/press/2013/09/16/boston-public-library-by-the-numbers

Critique

1. What do you like about this infographic?

2. What are some problems with this infographic?

3. How could it be improved?

Source: www.good.is/infographics/african-electricity-and-renewable-energy

Critique

1. What do you like about this infographic?

2. What are some problems with this infographic?

3. How could it be improved?

Source: about.beyond.com/Content/Resources/images/BabyBoomers_GenInfographic.jpg

Critique

1. What do you like about this infographic?

2. What are some problems with this infographic?

3. How could it be improved?

Source: grasshoppermarketing.com/infographics-best-practices

Exercise 2

1. Brainstorm ways to turn the food insecurity arguments into an infographic.

2. Sketch the infographic!

Sketch an Infographic About Food Insecurity

1. 1 in 8 Americans struggle with hunger.

2. Some states, including North Carolina have even higher rates of food insecurity.

3. Food insecurity has increased over the past 15 years.

Resources

Resources

Tools

TYPE PROS CONS EXAMPLES

Static easy to create, share and reuselacks audience participation, can become outdated

Excel, Google sheetsPiktochart, infogr.amAdobe Illustrator

Interactiveinvites exploration, can show more data and be dynamically updated

complex to create, must be viewed on the web

Tableau, ArcGIS Online, HTML5, CSS3, JavaScriptand other programminglanguages

Resources

Websites

Inspirationdailyinfographic.comcoolinfographics.comgood.is/infographics

What Not To Doviz.wtf

Resources

Workshops

NAME WHEN WHERE REGISTER

Tableau I Wednesday, Oct. 510:00 – 11:15 am HSL (live stream from Davis) HSL Website

Tableau II Wednesday, Oct. 710:00 – 11:15 am HSL (live stream from Davis) HSL Website

Create a Logo in Illustrator Wednesday, Oct. 2610:00 – 11:00 am UL skillfUL Website

Build an Infographic in Illustrator Thursday, Oct. 2710:00 – 11:00 am UL skillfUL Website (wait list)

Elevate Your Charts in Excel Wednesday, Nov. 210:00 – 11:00 am UL skillfUL Website

Web Mapping Tuesday, Nov. 82:00 – 3:30 pm Davis Research Hub Website

Questions?