Data, Designed Workshop: Develop Your Creative Process to Create Better, More Effective Data Visualizations

The most recent Data, Designed Workshop was on July 15-16, 2024. Sign up below to hear about the next training! 

The Data, Designed Workshop is a two-day intensive hands-on workshop designed for people and teams who want to develop their creative process to create better, more effective data visualizations.

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Training Overview

Summer 2024 dates: Livestream, online training July 15-16, 2024; 11:00am - ~3:00pm EDT.

Data visualization—the study of the visual representation of data—plays a crucial role in the work of researchers and analysts. Organizations tasked with producing, releasing, and analyzing large amounts of data can more effectively analyze and communicate their work by understanding how to better visualize their data. Often, however, visualizing research results is an after-thought, secondary to the analysis, which ultimately limits the effective relay of information.

Bring your data to life using innovative visualization techniques in this workshop unlike any other, and learn from world leaders that come from two sides of data visualization: data science and design. Explore styles, techniques, and best practices to create meaningful and beautiful visualizations.

As the amount and speed of data grows at ever-increasing rates, being able to visualize and communicate data and data analysis has become more and more important. Organizations that are tasked with producing, releasing, and analyzing large amounts of data can more effectively do so by understanding how to visualize their data. In this workshop, you will learn the important underpinnings of the science and design process behind data visualization and how to effectively communicate your work.

This workshop will provide you with the core skills needed to conceptualize, plan, and develop data visualization products. Taught by world-renowned leaders in the field—Stefanie Posavec and Jonathan Schwabish—this workshop will inspire you to push beyond your own limits so you can create great, effective visualizations. Step away from your keyboard and enjoy some fresh space for your hands and mind: the entire workshop will be taught using nothing more than basic drawing materials and office supplies.

By the end of the workshop, participants will be familiar with the following topics:

• Be familiar with different kinds of data visualizations
• Identify the different forms and functions of visualizations
• Learn, and exchange ideas about, visualization best practices
• Learn how to increase message clarity and impact
• Learn the basic data analysis skills one needs as a data visualizer
• Understand the data visualization design process
• Explore how to create their own custom data visualization system
• Have a starting point for applying data visualization in their own work

Audience and Requirements

This course is for anyone interested in data visualization and who wants to better understand the general design process regardless of their data analysis or software skills, including:

• People working with and analyzing data including government analysts, scholars, and researchers are interested in improving how they communicate their work
• Communication designers and other creatives looking to expand their communication design skillset
• Publishers and content creators who want to explore visual approaches to communicating their company’s message

Attendees should have certain materials to fully participate in the workshop. These materials include plain letter-sized paper, set of colored pencils or fine-tip markers (minimum six different colors), pencil with eraser, black pen, ruler/straight edge (optional), small coins or circles to trace (optional), phone or scanner to upload photos, access to a spreadsheet software (e.g., Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets) and access to the Miro online collaborative tool.

Instructors

Stefanie Posavec. Stefanie Posavec is a designer, artist, and author focused on creating playful, accessible, human-scaled approaches to communicating with data. Her work has been exhibited at major galleries including the V&A, the Design Museum (Designs of the Year 2016), Somerset House, the Wellcome Collection, Bletchley Park (all UK), the Centre Pompidou (Paris), and MoMA (New York), where her work is also in the permanent collection. Recently she undertook the book design and art direction of chart creation for the activist Greta Thunberg’s much-lauded The Climate Book. Her latest illustrated book (I am a book. I am a portal to the universe., co-authored with Miriam Quick) has received multiple accolades, including winning the UK Royal Society’s Young People’s Book Prize 2021. She has also co-authored two books that emphasize a handmade, personal approach to data: Dear Data and the journal Observe, Collect, Draw!

Jonathan Schwabish, PhD, PolicyViz. Jonathan Schwabish is a PhD economist who is passionate about helping people working with data improve the way they communicate their work to a wider audience. Founder of the data visualization and presentation skills firm, PolicyViz, and a Senior Fellow at the Urban Institute, a nonprofit research institution in Washington, DC, Schwabish helps nonprofits, research institutions, and governments at all levels improve how they communicate their work and findings to their partners, constituents, and citizens. Dr. Schwabish is considered a leader in the data visualization field and is a leading voice for clarity and accessibility in research. He has written four books on the various aspects of how to best visualize data including technical aspects of creation, design best practices, and how to communicate data analysis and research in more accessible ways.

Scholarships

Training scholarships are available for the Data, Designed Workshop.

Location

Summer 2024: The Data, Designed Workshop will be a livestream, remote training that takes place over live, online video on July 15-16, 2024 from ~11:00am - ~3:00pm EDT. Please note this training is not a self-paced, pre-recorded online training.

Testimonials

"Great journey into data visualization principles and decision process to obtain powerful data representation." - Postdoc at Columbia University, 2024

"This workshop highlighted the importance of simple details and adapting your design to convey your message to different audiences. Jon and Stefanie were great at responding to questions and providing feedback. I loved the final work, which showcased the uniqueness of the participants." - Research Assistant at University of Florida, 2024

"I am a scientist, and visualizing and communicating my data are one of the parts of my work that I really enjoy. The Data, Designed workshop has given me a stronger foundation and great tools that I am excited to use for the rest of my career." - Faculty Member at Case Western Reserve University, 2024

Registration Fees

*Columbia Discount: This discount is valid for any active student, postdoc, staff, or faculty at Columbia University. If paying by credit card, use your Columbia email address during the registration process to automatically have the discount applied. If paying by internal transfer within Columbia, submit this Columbia Internal Transfer Request form to receive further instructions. Please note: filling out this form is not the same as registering for a training and does not guarantee a training seat.  

Invoice Payment: If you would prefer to pay by invoice/check, please submit this Invoice Request form to receive further instructions. Please note: filling out this form is not the same as registering for a training and does not guarantee a training seat.

Registration Fee: This fee includes course material, which will be made available to all participants both during and after the conclusion of the training.

Cancellations: Cancellation notices must be received via email at least 30 days prior to the training start date in order to receive a full refund, minus a $75 administrative fee. Cancellation notices received via email 14-29 days prior to the training will receive a 75% refund, minus a $75 administrative fee. Please email your cancellation notice to Columbia.DataDesigned@gmail.com. Due to workshop capacity and preparation, we regret that we are unable to refund registration fees for cancellations <14days prior to the training.  

If you are unable to attend the training, we encourage you to send a substitute within the same registration category. Please inform us of the substitute via email at least one week prior to the training to include them on attendee communications, updated registration forms, and materials. Should the substitute fall within a different registration category your credit card will be credited/charged respectively. Please email substitute inquiries to Columbia.DataDesigned@gmail.com. In the event Columbia must cancel the event, your registration fee will be fully refunded.

Additional Information

• Subscribe for updates on new training details and registration deadlines.
• Contact the Workshop team.

The Data, Designed Workshop is hosted by Columbia University's SHARP Program at the Mailman School of Public Health.

Jump to:  Overview |  Audience and Requirements |  Instructors  |  Scholarships  |  Location  |  Testimonials  |  Registration Fees  |  Additional Information