[UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2015] Most of the time when we think about representing numbers in a visual way, we think about things like bar graphs and pie charts. These can be great tools for displaying development indicators, but recent software advancements have created a wealth of additional resources and tips for presenting data in ways that are both visually appealing and easy to understand. This field is called ‘data visualization’, and is loosely defined as the creation and study of the visual representation of data.
Those of us who work with data know that it is most useful when widely disseminated and shared with others – and this is where the popular emerging field of data visualization comes in. It focuses on creating data representations that are clear, attractive, and message-driven. Some big players have emerged in this field in recent years, including Edward Tufte, Stephanie Evergreen, Stephen Few, and Hans Rosling.
In this Trending Topic list we present some high-quality and easy to use tools to help you visualize your data, as well as some examples of how country projects have done this effectively. As you will see, there are many resources out there that will help get your creative data visualization juices flowing!
Some Basics of Data Visualization*
Key Data Visualization Points
[Alberto Cairo, Introduction to Visualization (MOOC)]
- Information visualization does not depend on software
- Visualizations are not just art, but a form of communication that should respect journalistic [research] standards
- Visualizations are first about structure and storytelling
Characteristics of Effective Visualizations
[Stephen Few, Data Visualization for Human Perception]
- Clearly indicates the nature of the relationship
- Represents the quantities accurately
- Able to compare quantities easily
- Ranked order of values
- Audience able to understand how they should use the information
Design Process
[Alberto Cairo, Introduction to Visualization (MOOC)]
- Learn as much as you can
- Prototype and sketch
- Test and tweak
- Share the visualization
The Health COMpass Focus Package team would like to thank the following people for their review of this Focus Package and contributions to its content:
- Libby Skolnik
- Naheed Ahmed
- Keris Raisanen
*Adapted from:
Handout from the Global Health Mini University, Love Your Data
Handout from Global Health Mini University by Naheed Ahmed – to be posted shortly on the Global Health Mini University website
