Our names are Amy Germuth and Johanna Morariu and we are proud to serve as the Chair and Co-Chair of the Data Visualization and Reporting TIG. Although this TIG started just last year we already have multiple members working to entice the AEA community to better communicate using infographics and data visualizations. We hope you will join us in considering how graphic representations of data and visual communication can improve stakeholder engagement, understanding, and support at all levels of an evaluation.
Hot Tip: From Inspired Magazine: 20 Essential Infographic and Data Visualization Blogs. While some are merely eye candy, others are the real deal and show data in new and meaningful ways.
Rad Resource: Did you know that the DVRTIG website is chock full of links to powerful, amazing visualization tools and resources? The TIG resources area of the website contains helpful information such as upcoming DVRTIG sponsored Coffee Break Webinars, blogs, visualization tools, and examples.
Rad Resource: Don’t forget to search the AEA Library for DVRTIG resources!
Hot Tip: Find your cool! If what we presented intrigues you, consider joining the TIG. AEA members can select to join up to 5 TIGs. To join DVRTIG, login to www.eval.org. Then, under the Members Only tab, select Update My Profile. In your profile, you simply check the box next to our TIG’s name. That’s it! You’re a member!
The DVRTIG was started because it is increasingly clear that evaluators will have to be more creative in our communications if we want our findings to be heard and used. Our goal is to bring together a network of like-minded evaluators who can support each other—and the broader AEA community—in such efforts. This week of DVRTIG blogging on aea365 is one such effort. Please be on the lookout for more from us throughout the year, including information about the second ever Ignite AEA (which also serves as our business meeting), to be held at this year’s conference (Minneapolis, MN, October 22-27, 2012).
We’re celebrating Data Visualization and Reporting Week with our colleagues in the DVR AEA Topical Interest Group. The contributions all this week to aea365 come from our DVR members and you may wish to consider subscribing to our weekly headlines and resources list where we’ll be highlighting DVR resources. Do you have questions, concerns, kudos, or content to extend this aea365 contribution? Please add them in the comments section for this post on the aea365 webpage so that we may enrich our community of practice.
For me, far and away Nathan Yau’s Flowing Data is the best data/info viz website. Like Susan mentioned, Nathan mixes art and science to create useful, well-designed visualizations. He also posts a ton of helpful resources (like chapters from a book he’s working on).
Cool infographics (http://www.coolinfographics.com/) is good for inspiration, and the same for Chart Porn (http://chartporn.org/). These sites usually offer less “how to.”
I’m curious to hear what sources others recommend, too!
My question too – Amy and Johanna, which of the DVR blogs rock your world? I’m partial to Nathan Yau’s FlowingData blog in particular because he has a stats background and attends to both the art and the numbers. http://flowingdata.com/
Anyone else want to suggest a favorite and why?
Hi Susan and Nathan –
I do love Nathan Yau’s blog Flowing Data but am also very fond of Visual Complexity’s blog, Data Visualization makes me think differently about data, and Indexed is always good for a laugh. I also need to send a shout-out to a website not included in the list called Places & Spaces – Mapping Science as they are leaders in the field of Science Mapping. While not a blog per se they are doing great things around visualizing science data. Check them out at http://www.scimaps.org
Nice kickoff. So now I have to ask…of the 20 Essential Infographic and Data Visualization Blogs, which ones are the “real deal?” Thx and look forward to the blogs this week. — josh