Explore Explain

Welcome to episode 1 of season 6 of Explore Explain, a long-form video and podcast series all about data visualisation design. This episode is taken from a recorded webinar held on 27th January 2025 titled ‘Data Viz Freelancing’ and featuring a panel of guests including: Julie Brunet - Data Designer and Creative Director for Nightingale MagazineTiziana Alocci - Data Artist, LecturerObinna Iwuji - Content and Business Development ManagerAnne-Marie Dufour - Data Visualization Designer & DeveloperVivian Andreozzi - Information Designer and Data Analyst Steven Nijman, Data Journalist and Storytelling Specialist, was unfortunately unable to join due to illness. With contributions from the audience we explore the pleasures and pitfalls of working professionally as a freelancer in the data visualisation field. The panellists offer valuable insight about their experiences, motivations, and advice about ways of working, with plenty of tips and tactics along the way. Non-freelancers are always quite intrigued by what freelancers do and, similarly, freelancers are always intrigued by what other freelancers do. In this conversation we try to satisfy both dimensions of interest! As well as listening to this show, you can watch the video of this conversation. Head over to Youtube and visit the Explore Explain channel.

Welcome to episode 9 of season 5 of Explore Explain, a long-form video and podcast series all about data visualisation design. In this latest episode, I am delighted to welcome Alan Smith, Head of Visual and Data Journalism at the Financial Times in London. We explore the story behind a unique project Alan worked on titled the 'FT Money Machine': faithfully recreating an analogue computer - built in 1949 by Bill Phillips designed to model the flow of an Economy using water and pumps - but translating it to be experienced in VR, with the FT's first application built for the Apple Vision Pro. As well as listening to this show, you can watch the video of this conversation. Head over to Youtube and visit the Explore Explain channel.

Welcome to episode 8 of season 5 of Explore Explain, a long-form video and podcast series all about data visualisation design. This episode is the second of a two-part special taken from a recorded webinar held on 4th December 2024 titled ‘The State of Data Viz’ and featuring a panel of guests including: Evelina Parrou, Founder & Creative Director at Parabole StudioRasagy Sharma, Senior Design Manager for DataLabs at Capital One Joe Sharpe, Co-Founder of Applied WorksJuuso Koponen, Co-Founder of Koponen+Hildén Lisa Charlotte Muth, Data Vis Writer at Datawrapper...as well as invaluable co-hosting by Obinna Iwuji With contributions from the audience, in this second-part episode - 'the research and the resources' - we explore the current state of the data viz field, where its come from, and where its heading in relation to academic developments, tools and technology, and the resources available for people to develop and participate in this field. As well as listening to this show, you can watch the video of this conversation. Head over to Youtube and visit the Explore Explain channel.

Welcome to episode 7 of season 5 of Explore Explain, a long-form video and podcast series all about data visualisation design. This episode is the first of a two-part special taken from a recorded webinar held on 4th December 2024 titled ‘The State of Data Viz’ and featuring a panel of guests including: Evelina Parrou, Founder & Creative Director at Parabole StudioRasagy Sharma, Senior Design Manager for DataLabs at Capital One Joe Sharpe, Co-Founder of Applied WorksJuuso Koponen, Co-Founder of Koponen+Hildén Lisa Charlotte Muth, Data Vis Writer at Datawrapper ...as well as invaluable co-hosting by Obinna Iwuji With contributions from the audience, in this first-part episode - 'the practice and the people' - we explore the current state of the data viz field, where its come from, and where its heading in relation to trends in the type of work being created, the professions that exist, and the people who make up the data viz community. As well as listening to this show, you can watch the video of this conversation. Head over to Youtube and visit the Explore Explain channel.

In this engaging conversation, Michael Brenner from Data4Change, Sarah Slobin of Reuters, and Jon Schwabish from the Urban Institute delve into the evolution of data visualization tools and their impact on storytelling. They discuss the transition from basic to advanced technologies, emphasizing the importance of emotional engagement in data communication. The trio also highlights how accessible design tools empower nonprofits and the challenges in learning coding languages, advocating for resourcefulness in the ever-evolving field of data viz.

Welcome to episode 5 of season 5 of Explore Explain, a long-form video and podcast series all about data visualisation design. I am delighted to welcome Kat Greenbrook, Data Storyteller, Author, and founder of Rogue Penguin based in Wellington, New Zealand. In this episode, we discussed Kat's life as a freelancer, starting with learning more about her career background leading up to discovering data visualisation and then the process of switching her path towards being an independent professional. We explore the story of her wonderful first, self-published book, 'The Data Storyteller's Handbook', as well as the design thinking behind an exquisite data physicalisation project concerning her 'Plastic Footprint'. As well as listening to this show, you can watch the video of this conversation. Head over to Youtube and visit the Explore Explain channel.

Welcome to episode 4 of season 5 of Explore Explain, a long-form video and podcast series all about data visualisation design. In this latest episode, I am delighted to welcome Dominikus Baur, Data Visualization Designer & Engineer, and Alice Thudt, Data Visualization Designer, who are based in Munich, Germany. We explore the story behind a project titled 'Full Of Themselves: An analysis of title drops in movies' which analyses and visualises all instances in a movie when one of the characters says the title of the movie. I've been wanting to explore this curiosity myself and so I'm delighted that they've done this and absolute love what they have accomplished! As well as listening to this show, you can watch the video of this conversation. Head over to Youtube and visit the Explore Explain channel.

Welcome to episode 3 of season 5 of Explore Explain, a long-form video and podcast series all about data visualisation design. In this latest episode I am delighted to welcome Natalie Erdem, Managing Partner and Product Manager at TWO-N, based in New York City. We explore the story behind TWO-N's development of the MSNBC Election Big Board, the dynamic visualisation tool used by National Political Correspondent for NBC News and MSNBC, Steve Kornacki during the live broadcast of the 2018 US mid-terms and subsequent elections. As well as listening to this show, you can watch the video of this conversation. Head over to Youtube and visit the Explore Explain channel.

Welcome to episode 2 of season 5 of Explore Explain, a long-form video and podcast series all about data visualisation design. In this latest episode, I am delighted to welcome Jess Carr, a UI/UX Engineer at GSK based in Bath, UK. We explore the story behind a passion project Jess worked on to visualise analysis of the (spoiler: declining) use of text on the front covers of Vogue magazine over the last 22 years, titled 'Since When Does Vogue Hate Text?'. This project was a winner of 'The Pudding Cup' 2023 gold prize so it's a great piece to dissect! As well as listening to this show, you can watch the video of this conversation. Head over to Youtube and visit the Explore Explain channel.

Welcome to episode 1 of season 5 of Explore Explain, a long-form video and podcast series all about data visualisation design. For this season opener, I am delighted to welcome Rebecca Conroy, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, and Duncan Swain, Co-Founder and Creative Partner, from Beyond Words, a design studio based in London, UK. We explore Rebecca and Duncan's career backgrounds, the origin story behind the founding of their studio, and how their subsequent creative and commercial journey over the past decade has been built upon a culture shaped by strong values. As well as listening to this show, you can watch the video of this conversation. Head over to Youtube and visit the Explore Explain channel.