Picturing Your Data is Better than 1,000 Numbers: Data Visualization Techniques for Social Change

Beth KanterJohanna MorariuBrian Kennedy

#12NTCviz Session Wiki:

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1,000 Numbers

http://nonprofits-data-visualization.wikispaces.com/

Agenda

Opening

Data/Infoviz for:

1) Measuriung the Networked Nonprofit: Creating a Data-Informed CultureBeth Kanter

2) Data, Assessment, Learning, and ManagementJohanna Morariu

3) Communications and AdvocacyBrian Kennedy

Closing

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1,000 Numbers

Pulse of the room

● Organization budget

● Staffing for data collection / management

● Use of data / data visualizations

● Self assessment

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1,000 Numbers

My story about measurement and data ….

Social Media Nonprofit ROI Poetry Slam 2009

Measurementis powerful if you use the

data!

The Five Stages of Measurement Acceptance

DenialSocial media [my program] is an art

form, not a science. It can’t be

measured!

FearWhat if my strategy or program doesn’t

show success?

Confusion I know I should measuring our social

media [program], but not sure what or

how?

Delight Hey check out these cool metrics!

Data Informed

Successful social media or program decisions start with

measurement

What does the data say?

Where is your organization?

2-3 volunteers for each stage to come to the front of the room and hold a sign!

Creating a Data-Informed Culture—How Your Organization can Embrace the Data and Use What it Can Teach You.

Data-Informed Not Data-Driven

Data-InformedData Is Used For Continuous Improvement

According to the data, we

have reached our KPIs for

awareness raising in all but

one program ..

Based on our interviews with

program leaders, we have three

ways to improve our strategy to get

better results next quarter

What does a data informed culture look like in a nonprofit?

It starts from the top!

Don’t Just Count Your Data, Understand Why

Don’t be chained by your data …

DoSomething.Org’s Fail Fest

Why did it fail?What did we learn?What insights can use next time around?

More time think about that the data, then collect it

Tear down those silos

Meetings are just about sharing numbers

Even the smallest wins are a victory!

Stages of a Data Informed Culture

Data collection, but not consistent or shared between departments

Data not linked to results, could be wrong data

Rarely makes decisions to improve

Data from multiple sourcesSystem and structure for collectionDiscussed at staff meetingsUses data for planning and decisions

No formal reportingLacks consistent data collectionLacks systemsDecisions are passion-driven

Has org wide KPIs or resultsOrganization wide dashboard with customized viewsData is shared across departmentsFormal process for analyzing, discussing, and applying resultsData visualization for reports and reflection

CRAWL WALK RUN FLY

Becoming Data-Informed: Change Is Easy With Baby Steps

• Begin at the end – discuss and identify results

• Curator of metrics• Use experiments to help you evolve• Get started with a small data collection

project that is high priority in your organization

• Learn from your results

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For a great discussion of these—and related—topics, I recommend Designing with the Mind in Mind (2010) by Jeff Johnson—especially chapter four, Reading is Unnatural.

Understanding the written word is not a natural human ability; but human brains do innately process shapes.

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Design Principles

1) Maximize data:ink

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Example taken from Data-Ink Ratio, Infovis Wiki,http://www.infovis-wiki.net/index.php/Data-Ink_Ratio

Design Principles

2) Make color and contrast work for you:

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Emphasis

Clarity

Unity

Flow

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Figure 9: Awareness and Knowledge Changes Seen by Participants (n = 42)

client colors

color scheme www.design-seeds.com

translation into design element

Design Principles

3) Allow the purpose to select the medium

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Design Principles

4) Classic graphic design principles

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For a great discussion of these principles I recommendThe Principles of Design by Joshua David McClurg-Genevese, available athttp://www.digital-web.com/articles/principles_of_design/

Balance Rhythm Proportion Dominance Unity

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Data/infoviz strategic learning examples

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1) Maps—relationships, networks, systems

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1) Maps—relationships, networks, systems

For more information about Eva’s work and Net-Map visit http://netmap.wordpress.com/

Data/infoviz strategic learning examples

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2) Placemats

Data/infoviz strategic learning examples

11 x 17 (!)

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3) Dashboards

Data/infoviz strategic learning examples

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4) Research and evaluation findings

Data/infoviz strategic learning examples

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4) Research and evaluation findings

Data/infoviz strategic learning examples

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Lousy data infects good data

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28misguidedsouls/4894961932/

Fit to audience and purposehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/wilhei/109403331

Visualizations ≠ truth

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ngmmemuda/4482259587/

Embrace and use workaday vizes

http://www.flickr.com/photos/attawayjl/5520057227/

Toward more effective communication:One organization’s evolution

• In the beginning, we were all about words…lots and lots of them

• Academic-style communication that challenged accomplished academics

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A 63-word sentence?

We learn more deeply from words &pictures than from words alone• This is known as the “multimedia principle”

• It is applied by the masters of communication…the advertising industry

• In TV ads, the magic moment is called “audio-visual lock”

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Communicating why we needThe Children’s Movement of California• Children clearly are not a priority in public policymaking today

• Lobbying dollars, campaign contributions and large organized groups of voters are the sources of power in politics today

• Kids need a source of power

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EXAMPLE #1

Communicating why we needThe Children’s Movement of California• Children clearly are not a priority in public policymaking today

• Lobbying dollars, campaign contributions and large organized groups of voters are the sources of power in politics today

• Kids need a source of power

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EXAMPLE #1

Communicating why we need The Children’s Movement of California• The broad support for children in our society has been too diffuse to have

the impact it should on California’s priorities

• Connecting the many, many organizations and people that are pro-kid can change the game

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EXAMPLE #1

Adding dimension, meaning &usefulness through data designThe 2010 California County Scorecard of Children’s Well-Being challenge:

• Track 26 data indicators, for each of the state’s 58 counties, over time and by race/ethnicity

• Aim to surface bright spots

• The raw data:

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EXAMPLE #2

I’m actually only 1/13of the raw data

Adding dimension, meaning &usefulness through data design

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EXAMPLE #2

• Calculated “Bottom, Middle, Top” terciles

• Added Rural/Urban and Income Level designations

• Unique county “fingerprints” of child well-being emerged

Adding dimension, meaning &usefulness through data design

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EXAMPLE #2

• Where are other counties like mine doing better?

Beth KanterJohanna MorariuBrian Kennedy