An age-old data visualization debate reared its head again recently when The European Correspondent (EC) published a new graphic titled “Terrorism’s bloody toll,” which looked and felt strikingly similar to Simon Scar’s 2011 award-winning visualization “Iraq’s bloody toll.” This situation raises an…
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For the past year, I have conducted a weekly “data physicalization” project with my colleagues at the Urban Institute. Each week, I would devise a new research question and give my colleagues the opportunity to input their own data using…
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Over the past three years, Eric Balash, a Tableau Visionary and Tableau Public Ambassador, has been running the “Back to Viz Basics” (B2VB) project. The idea is to create a community of people new to data visualization and provide them…
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With many of my data visualization clients or classes, I like to begin with a simple exercise: draw a line down the middle of a piece of paper. On the left side, write down a list of the things you…
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The Washington Capitals made it into the NHL playoffs last night after a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Fans have observed the Caps huge negative goal differential–the difference between the total number of goals the team has scored and…
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Think about the last time you filled out a hand-written survey. Not an online form where you quickly click the Yes/No or Agree/Disagree radio buttons and then ‘Submit,’ but a true, in-person survey where you write your answers on a…
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Some of my data interests are spurred by my work at the Urban Institute, others by things I’m personally interested in, like sports or politics. But sometimes, my kids inspire my work. My son inspired my exploration of timing of…
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I’m sure you’ve heard it said that a graph needs to be “immediately recognizable” or “understood at the snap of your fingers.” After all, “a graph is worth a thousand words,” right? But is this assumption true? Can you simply…
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Late last year, I presented my work on the Urban Institute’s Do No Harm project to analysts at a state department of health. (I’ve changed specific numbers in this post and am not naming the state or hospitals to keep the information…
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“Where should I place the labels on my graph?” It’s question that comes up in many data visualization discussions. Although the decision about where to place your labels is largely an aesthetic preference, I do think there is an objective…
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