Data + Love

This week on the Data + Love podcast we talk about the Godfather of Dataviz Edward Tufte, his magnum opus 'the document', and what that has in common with Amazon's recent 'Catastrophically Expensive' AI blunders.

Zach and Blake had an informal conversation about data visualization, community engagement, and AI's impact on creative work.

Blake shared his journey into the Tableau community through Makeover Monday, where he was inspired by Matt Huff and Andy Kriebel, and eventually became a co-leader of the community project.

They discussed the importance of finding authentic ways to engage with the community, with Blake launching live streams of his Makeover Monday work on Fridays to be more transparent about his process.

The conversation also covered the limitations of AI-generated content, with both agreeing that authentic human creativity becomes more valuable when content is easily replicable by machines.

A landmark Pew Research survey this week shows that 16% of Americans believe AI will have a positive Impact on Society

In this episode we explore the fear, where it's coming from, who's creating it, and why

Iron Viz Judge Mark Bradbourne returns to discuss TC26. We talk about Keynotes, Devs on Stage, Iron Viz, and get dramatically off topic quite frequently.

In this solo episode we catch up with recent trends in workplace AI

Simon Rogers drops in to discuss his latest book 'What We Ask Google', available May 5, 2026

Simon is Google’s Data Editor, leading a team of data journalists, analysts, and visualizers to tell stories with Google’s data.

Previously, he was Twitter’s first ever Data Editor, and he is also the author of Facts Are Sacred, based on the Guardian’s Datablog which he helped launch.

A lecturer in Data Journalism at Medill-Northwestern University in San Francisco, he has received the Royal Statistical Society’s award for statistical excellence in journalism. He lives with this family in San Francisco.

This week Iron Viz 2026 Finalist and Tableau Visionary Brian Moore drops in

Zach and Brian discussed Brian's preparation for the upcoming IronViz competition at Tableau Conference, where Brian will present his "Confection Connection" visualization about candy company conglomerations.

They explored Brian's approach to creating data visualizations, including his methodical process of researching and manually building datasets, his technical design choices like using Tableau polygons for backgrounds, and his philosophy of balancing information density with storytelling clarity.

Brian shared insights about his extensive Tableau Public project portfolio, revealing he spends 3-4 hours per night for months at a time on each major project, and discussed his experience networking with other community members and preparing for the live presentation format.

The conversation also covered Brian's previous work, including his cryptid classifications project and Wes Anderson movie visualizations, highlighting how he approaches similar topics from different angles using varied chart types and design elements.

In this solo episode Zach talks about entering the Tableau Visionary Hall of Fame, entropy in complex processes, and persevering when work gets tough

Tableau Visionary and Iron Viz 2026 Finalist Kevin Wee stops by

Zach and Kevin discussed Kevin's upcoming participation in IronViz at Tableau Conference 2026, where he will present a visualization on dim sum nutrition data.

They reviewed Kevin's previous IronViz entry and his creative approach to visualizing food data, including the use of ternary charts and scatterplots. Kevin shared his experience preparing for IronViz, including the challenges of long-form storytelling and the importance of engaging visuals.

They also discussed Kevin's passion for food-related data visualization and his plans for future projects. The conversation touched on the broader topic of data storytelling and its potential to educate and engage audiences.

Iron Viz 2026 Finalist and Tableau Ambassador Ann Pregler is on the Pod

Zach and Ann discussed Ann's approach to data visualization and storytelling, highlighting her use of long-form vizzes and her process of starting with a design idea rather than a dataset.

They explored Ann's influences, including her background in teaching and her admiration for other designers in the Tableau community.

They also discussed the challenges of finding inspiration and the importance of letting go of initial ideas when they don't work out.