September: a new beginning for data enthusiasts
The end of the year brings reflections and preparing for what's next
As a European, September has always marked the start of a new chapter in my life. “The end of summer” is a feeling deeply rooted in human culture across both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. It harks back to our childhood days when the month signaled the return to school, new notebooks, and the promise of fresh beginnings. For many of us, it still feels like a "new year," a time to reflect on past learnings and set the stage for future growth.
Hi, I'm Giulia. I'm a visual and communication designer on Odd Data & Design.
This September, after knowledge-sharing and exploration, our team is doing precisely that: reflecting on the dynamic events of the past months and gearing up for exciting projects on the horizon.
Here are a few highlights I’d like to share with you.
A season of insightful events
The past few months have been filled with thought-provoking talks and podcasts that challenged our thinking about data and its impact. If you missed any, here are our suggestions for inspiring talks and podcasts to catch up on.
Outlier 2024 highlights
Let's start with the Outlier 2024 event in Chicago, hosted by the Data Visualization Society. We've selected five talks from YouTube that are worth your time!
“Visual Villainy: How to Undermine Humanity with Dataviz” by Eli Holder and Gabrielle Mérite
This insightful and provocative talk challenges the audience to think critically about the power and ethics of data visualization. They shed light on the darker side of data communication by exploring how visual design choices can manipulate perceptions, spread misinformation, and even reinforce social inequalities. This talk highlights the responsibility of data designers and provides valuable lessons on how to recognize and combat deceptive practices in an increasingly data-driven world.
"Thinking with Data Visualizations, Fast and Slow" by Steve Franconeri
This talk offers an analysis of how our brains process data visualizations both intuitively and analytically. As an expert in cognitive psychology, Steve explains the dual systems of thinking—fast, automatic responses and slower, more deliberate analysis—and how each interacts with data visuals. By understanding these cognitive processes, he argues, we can design more effective visualizations that communicate insights clearly and avoid common pitfalls that lead to misinterpretation.
"Practical Tactics for Gender Inclusivity in Data Reporting" by Emilia Ruzicka
Emilia focuses on the importance of thoughtful and inclusive approaches to gender representation in data. They highlight common pitfalls in data collection and visualization that reinforce binary gender norms, often excluding non-binary or gender-fluid individuals. Emilia provides actionable strategies for creating more inclusive datasets, such as using open-ended gender categories, and how to reflect this diversity in reporting. This talk empowers data professionals to make their work more inclusive and equitable, ensuring that marginalized voices are visible in data-driven decision-making.
"Visual Narratives" by Jane Huang, Carly Bobak, and Jacqueline Wernimont
This trio explores the power of storytelling through data visualization. They examine how visual narratives can convey complex information in an engaging and accessible way while also shaping the interpretation of data. The discussion emphasizes the importance of context, design choices, and the ethical considerations involved in telling stories with data. By weaving together art, history, and data science, they illustrate how visual narratives can be used to communicate insights, foster understanding, and inspire action in diverse fields.
"Running a feminist data studio" by Letícia Pozza and Pei Ying Loh
Letícia and Pei Ying explore the concept of feminist data practices and how they can be applied in leadership positions. They discuss the creation of feminist data studios, spaces where data work is approached through an inclusive, intersectional lens that challenges traditional power dynamics and biases. Letícia and Pei Ying share their experiences in building these studios, emphasizing collaboration, community engagement, and the ethical use of data. They also provide practical insights on how to incorporate feminist principles into data projects, ensuring that diverse perspectives are represented and valued.
A special mention also goes to other compelling talks: “Communicating Actionable Earth Science at the Earth Information Center” by Alex Gurvich, “Lessons from Designing Over 200 Infographics” by Valentina D'Efilippo and “How I Built a Data Visualization Team from Scratch” by Aleszu Bajak.
Ana Bertol's Talk on DataWrapper
Our own Ana Bertol presented a fascinating talk on "helping scientists make their data speak with Datawrapper" at DataWrapper, ideal for those interested in both the theory and practical application of data storytelling.
Ana, a seasoned expert in data visualization, shared her insights on how at Odd, we assist scientists in making their data more accessible and engaging using Datawrapper. She discusses the importance of clear communication in data visualization, especially for scientific data, highlighting the power of visualization tools like Datawrapper in simplifying complex data, making it more understandable for non-experts.
Key points:
The importance of transforming complex scientific data into visual stories that are accessible to broader audiences;
The significance of a collaborative process with scientists, understanding their data and goals to create effective visualizations;
How to build a coherent and compelling story around the data, using design elements like color, layout, and typography and free tools such as Datawrapper;
How to ensure that data visualization is not just accurate but also easily interpretable by non-experts.
Ana’s talk is a practical guide for data enthusiasts who want to enhance their storytelling skills using one of the most accessible tools available today.
Letícia’s episode in DataHackers Brasil Podcast
For Portuguese speakers, we highly recommend the episode of the DataHackers Brasil podcast episode with Letícia. The episode on data visualization and storytelling offers insights on balancing the art and science of data communication, highlighting ethical considerations and emerging trends.
Key Points:
effective data storytelling combines scientific accuracy with creative engagement to convey messages powerfully;
growing use of AI, interactive designs, and a focus on accessibility are shaping the future of data visualization;
simplicity, the message and considering the audience's perspective are the fundamentals for a good visualization. Letícia also highlights the importance of testing visuals with real users to gather feedback and make improvements.
Looking ahead: upcoming talks, workshop and projects
As we move into a new season, we have some exciting events lined up:
Upcoming September’s talks and workshop: DataFest, Tblisi (Georgia) on September 20th & DataMakers Fest, Porto (Portugal) on September 23-25th.
Letícia will be presenting at upcoming September talks and workshops on advanced data visualization in Tbilisi and Porto. In Tbilisi, she’ll cover new data representation trends and industry practices at DataFest, while in Porto, she’ll focus on methods for effectively communicating messages through charts at the Data Makers Fest.
Secure your spot now:
DataFest, Tbilisi → Tickets | DataFestTbilisi 2024
DataMakers Fest, Porto → Tickets (datamakersfest.com) Use the code "24SPEAKER10" for a 10% off.
Upcoming MeetUp in Barcelona for the Dataviz Society.
If you’re in Barcelona at the beginning of October, we are organizing a meetup for dataviz enthusiasts.
→ Join the group for more info.
“IA na Vida Real (en. AI in real life)” project.
This project sponsored by Talk and partners studies how Brazilians use artificial intelligence in their lives, demonstrating how it is already woven into the brazilian society.
We supported the communication of the survey results, bringing their report and website to life. The project was launched yesterday, September 10th, in São Paulo. More updates on this project and its findings are coming soon.
This new season brings renewed opportunities, projects, partners and boundaries of data storytelling and design to explore.
Let’s start this season with curiosity, creativity, and a commitment to making data more ethical, inclusive, and impactful.