Reposted from October 2018
Let’s say you have a well-designed chart, graph, or map. Now it’s time to find some humans (preferably those similar to your intended users), show them the visualization (aka viz), and do the following:
Ask them what they think the viz is about and what question(s) it is trying to answer.
Then ask them to try to answer several specific questions using the viz. These questions should focus on the key information you want users to easily extract from the viz.
Take notes. What was difficult for them to figure out? Did they miss any critical aspects of the viz? Did they come to any incorrect conclusions or interesting conclusions you didn’t expect?
Use your notes to revise:
Make some aspects of the viz more prominent using color,
Fade other aspects to the background,
Add a better title or more captions,
Remove confusing or distracting elements, and even
Add new data to make clearer comparisons.
Let’s talk about YOUR data!
Got the feeling that you and your colleagues would use your data more effectively if you could see it better? Data Viz for Nonprofits (DVN) can help you get the ball rolling with an interactive data dashboard and beautiful charts, maps, and graphs for your next presentation, report, proposal, or webpage. Through a short-term consultation, we can help you to clarify the questions you want to answer and goals you want to track. DVN then visualizes your data to address those questions and track those goals.
