Data visualizations can provide something that photos and case studies—for all of their visceral appeal—cannot. Context. Charts, maps, and graphs give us the critical context that we cannot see in a photo or in a story about one person, such as how prevalent a problem is, where it is occurring, or the impact of a program over time.
Data visualizations, of course, also have a downside. A chart, map, or graph is an abstraction that aggregates the stories of many individuals. And, as Joshua Smith points out: “It’s really hard to tell a powerful story in aggregate when all of the humans and all of their lives and moments and emotions are plotted under a single data point, often represented through a behavioral variable, e.g. “sales”, or “likes”. In aggregate, we lose all the parts and pieces that make characters relatable and memorable.”
So can we have the best of both worlds? Can we put photos and other information about real people into data visualizations? Yes! Consider one of these strategies.
Follow Individuals Through The Data
The idea is to explain an issue, a problem, or a situation through the stories of select individuals. Ludovic Tavernier explains the the situation of Somali refugees through the stories of two Somali women. Ayaan and Shamshi, in a series of visualizations entitled Two Years Late. Tavernier labels particular data points to show where Ayaan and Shamshi fit into the larger picture.
Source: Ludovic Tavernier (on Tablea Public)
Dot = Person
Another approach is to make each mark (e.g. dot, square, bar) represent an actual person and allow the viewer to scroll over marks to learn more about these individuals. This is Eve Thomas’ strategy in Stop and Search which shows the disproportionate rate at which Black people are stopped and searched in London.
Source: Eve Thomas (on Tableau Public)
Here’s another example from JR Copreros in which each dot represents a real person who was convicted of a crime and later exonerated.
Source: JR Copreros (on Tableau Public)
Show Both The Forest and The Trees
Perhaps the simplest strategy is to include both aggregated data (the forest) and disaggregated data (the trees) in the same visualization. The chart below shows the number of absences for both individual students and the average number of absences across all students.
Filter Charts By Individuals
Another way to zoom in on particular trees is to include a filter that allows you to show results for just one person. This visualization by David Borczuk allows you to choose just one woman in Madagascar who suffered from obstetric fistula, a medical condition in which a hole develops in the birth canal as a result of childbirth.
Source: David Borczuk (on Tableau Public)
On the lighter side, you can click on any character in Glee to learn more about that character in various charts in this data dashboard by Jennifer Dawes.
To see past data tips, click HERE.
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.
