Robert Simmon is a data visualizer and designer working with Planet. He focuses on producing visualizations that are elegant and easily understandable, while accurately presenting the underlying data. He helped create some of NASA and Planet's most widely-seen imagery, including...

The post Episode #161: Rob Simmon [https://policyviz.com/podcast/episode-161-rob-simmon/] appeared first on PolicyViz [https://policyviz.com].

Episode #161: Rob Simmon

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You know Enrico Bertini, right? Writer, teacher, co-host of the Data Stories podcast, Enrico does it all. Now at Northeastern University, I invited Enrico to the show to talk about his research, great Substack newsletter, and for views on the evolving landscape of data visualization on social media. In our discussion, Enrico emphasized the significance of interdisciplinary collaboration at Northeastern University. He has some concerns about the current state of visualization theory and tools and talks about his ideas around "critical data thinking" as a crucial way of thinking about data visualization, highlighting the challenges of data accuracy and interpretation. We also talk about Enrico's teaching methods to help students improve their data interpretation and data visualization skills. Enrico and I share some of the same feelings about the shifts in social media use in the dataviz community, and how it has led to a loss in diverse intellectual exchanges, underscoring the importance of finding new ways to foster community engagement and creativity, including through writing platforms like Substack and LinkedIn.

Topics Discussed

 * The Current State of Visualization Theories and Tools: Enrico critiques the prevalent theories and tools in data visualization, calling for a more systematic and thoughtful approach to both creating and interpreting visual data.
 * Challenges of Presenting Accurate Data: Our conversation delves into the difficulties faced in presenting precise and accurate data, especially highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how these challenges have impacted the field.
 * Impact of Social Media Platform Shifts: A significant focus of our conversation is on the changing landscape of social media platforms, particularly the decline of Twitter as a crucial space for professional exchanges within the data visualization community.
 * Reflections Prompted by the Pandemic: Enrico reflects on the pandemic's role in helping him reevaluate his work and teaching practices, which is a helpful insight into how his creativity has changed and adapted over the last few years.
 * The Role of Newsletters in Idea Refinement and Audience Connection: Enrico shares insights into how newsletters have become a pivotal tool for refining ideas and connecting with a diverse audience, including students from various disciplines, fostering a richer, more engaged community.
 * Interdisciplinary Collaboration for Innovation: Highlighting the value of interdisciplinary collaboration, especially at Northeastern, this week's episode showcases how interactions between computer science engineering students and design peers, as well as varied problem-solving approaches from faculty members, can lead to fresh insights and propel the field forward.

➡️ Check out more links, notes, transcript, and more at the PolicyViz website. [https://policyviz.com/podcast/episode-244-maureen-stone/]

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Visualizing the Future: Navigating the Shifts in Data Storytelling with Enrico Bertini

On this week's episode of the podcast, I speak to author and teacher Nick Desbarats about his new book, Practical Charts: The Essential Guide to Creating Clear, Compelling Charts for Reports and Presentations [https://amzn.to/3UporIv].  Our conversation covers choosing appropriate chart types, emphasizing simplicity and clarity, and understanding when to use different formats. Nick aims to challenge dogmatic views on charts, such as the use of pie charts, and stresses the importance of catering to the audience's familiarity with graph types. Our chat also includes insights on transitioning to online teaching during the pandemic, the distinction between clear graphs and dashboards, and the significance of mastering fundamentals in data visualization for beginners and intermediates. If you're familiar with Stephen Few's work, you're also bound to find some behind-the-scenes gems in this week's episode.

Topics Discussed

 * Choosing the Right Chart. Nick kicks off our conversation with an essential primer on selecting the appropriate chart types for different datasets. His focus is on simplicity and clarity, ensuring that the chosen chart communicates the intended message as effectively as possible.
 * Challenging Chart Dogmas. Prepare to have your preconceptions challenged as Nick takes on the controversial stance on pie charts and other commonly debated graph types. It's all about breaking the mold and understanding why certain charts work better for specific audiences.
 * Catering to Audience Familiarity. A significant portion of our chat is dedicated to the importance of tailoring chart choices to the audience's level of comfort and familiarity with different types of graphs. This segment is crucial for anyone looking to maximize the impact of their data presentations.

➡️ Check out more links, notes, transcript, and more at the PolicyViz website. [https://policyviz.com/podcast/episode-244-maureen-stone/]

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Charting Success: Nick Desbarats' Practical Approach to Data Visualization

In this week's episode of the PolicyViz Podcast, I interview Rahul Bhargava from Northeastern University on the topic of data physicalization. We discuss the role of community engagement and societal impact in communicating data and including different people and communities. Our conversation touches upon teaching combined majors at Northeastern and expanding data engagement through Rahul's participatory art methods. We explore the limitations of visual learning and advocate for including diverse voices via data sculptures and embodied experiences.

Topics Discussed

 * Inclusivity in Data-Driven Society. The episode opens with a discussion on the necessity of inclusivity in our increasingly data-centric world. Rahul shares his insights into how data physicalization can bridge the gap between complex data and diverse community members.
 * Teaching Combined Majors at Northeastern. Rahul gives us a glimpse into Northeastern's approach to education, emphasizing the value of combined majors that integrate data science with other disciplines.
 * Participatory Art Methods in Data Engagement. Rahul describes his use of art tomake data more accessible and engaging. We talk about the potential of data sculptures and embodied experiences to include those who may not be reached through traditional visual data presentations.
 * Culturally Sensitive Approaches to Data. We discuss the importance ofunderstanding and respecting cultural differences, particularly when working with youth from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
 * Community Empowerment through Data. Rahul shares his strategies for adapting data collection and dissemination to empower communities, and his use of everyday materials like craft items to make data physicalization more inclusive.
 * Data Literacy and Design Principles. Finally, we discuss on how to build data literacy by employing engaging and thoughtful design principles.

➡️ Check out more links, notes, transcript, and more at the PolicyViz website. [https://policyviz.com/podcast/episode-244-maureen-stone/]

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Data Beyond the Screen: Sculpting Community Voices with Rahul Bhargava

Amanda Makulec is the current Executive Director of the Data Visualization Society (DVS), and in this week's episode of the PolicyViz Podcast, we discuss her journey and the DVS's evolution as it approaches its fifth anniversary. Amanda shares her experience starting as a volunteer all the way to leading the entire organization. With her second term coming to an end, she emphasizes the importance of term limits and her commitment to ensuring the organization's sustainability by focusing on operational systems, finances, compliance, and community responsiveness.

Topics Discussed

 * Leadership and Evolution of DVS. Amanda discusses her path from volunteering to leading DVS and reflects on the importance of term limits and her dedication to the sustainability of the society.
 * Community Building and Knowledge Sharing. Amanda discusses DVS's role as a hub for individuals from different tech backgrounds to share insights and best practices and how DVS seeks to create more meaningful community spaces.
 * Data Literacy and Supportive Initiatives. We discuss DVS's commitment to data literacy and providing a nurturing environment through initiatives like the Outlier conference and the Nightingale magazine.
 * Navigating Social Media and Communication Platforms. As I've talked about with other recent guests, we talk about decreased engagement on Twitter/X and limited real-time interaction on LinkedIn. We discuss the balance between online space fragmentation, privacy, and psychological safety, as well as DVS's use of Slack and potential migration to other platforms such as Discord.
 * Financial Challenges and Operational Sustainability. We talk about the financial constraints of DVS, including the high costs of Slack, and the importance of allocating the budget wisely to support key community and operations management roles.

➡️ Check out more links, notes, transcript, and more at the PolicyViz website. [https://policyviz.com/podcast/episode-244-maureen-stone/]

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Charting New Horizons: Amanda Makulec on Leadership, Community, and the Human Touch Behind DataViz

In this week's episode, I chat with Dietmar Offenhuber about his new book, Autographic Design and the concept of autographic data analysis. Dietmar stresses the significance of recognizing the material origins of data and the influence of extraneous variables. He advocates for a qualitative approach that pays attention to data traces, which can uncover deeper narratives. In our conversation, we explore what is meant by autographic design and urge a wider lens on data to grasp multifaceted problems thoroughly. Additionally, Dietmar's work underscores the interplay between qualitative and quantitative methods, emphasizing the role of subtlety and conjecture in data interpretation to bring a more nuanced understanding of the stories behind the numbers.

Topics Discussed

 * The Material Context of Data Collection. We dive into why understanding where and how data is collected is paramount for accurate analysis. We talk through a number of examples in Dietmar's work and book.
 * The Impact of the Third Variable. We explore how the introduction of a third variable can dramatically shift the interpretation of data and data visualizations. We discuss the importance of being vigilant for these variables to avoid erroneous assumptions.
 * Unintentional Digital Traces. Our conversation uncovers the value of unintentional digital traces that we leave behind and how they can be a gold mine for analysts.
 * Qualitative Meets Quantitative. We discuss the need for blending qualitative insights with quantitative research and how they can complement each other to provide a fuller picture of analysis.
 * The Speculative Nature of Data Analysis. We address the inherently speculative aspect of data analysis, highlighting the fact that, despite the numbers, much of what analysts do involves informed guesswork.
 * A Call for Collaboration. The discussion opens the floor for collaborative efforts, emphasizing that the best results often come from pooling knowledge and expertise across different fields.

➡️ Check out more links, notes, transcript, and more at the PolicyViz website. [https://policyviz.com/podcast/episode-244-maureen-stone/]

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Episode #161: Rob Simmon

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