The PolicyViz Podcast

In this week’s episode, I interview Natalia Kisileva about her transition from engineering to data visualization and her work in data art and physicalization. We discuss her great Substack newsletter “Flowers and Numbers” and how she shifted her focus to data art, fostering community-building efforts, after the pandemic. Natalia emphasizes making data accessible through tangible experiences and highlights the importance of community, particularly in initiatives like a Telegram group for women learning interactive visualizations. Our conversation explores the relationship between physical and digital data art, and Natalia advocates for creative visualizations to engage audiences emotionally and enhance communication. Learn more about Natalia’s work and how you can bring data art and data physicalization into your own work!Keywords: PolicyVizPodcast, JonSchwabish, NataliaKisileva, EngineeringToDataVisualization, DataArt, Physicalization, FlowersAndNumbers, PandemicShift, CommunityBuilding, TangibleData, DataAccessibility, TelegramGroup, WomenInVisualization, InteractiveVisualizations, PhysicalVsDigital, CreativeVisualizations, EmotionalEngagement, CorporateCommunication, ArtisticDataPresentations, InPersonInteractions, 3DPrinting, TravelInspiredArt, MothersExperiences, StrengthAndBravery, SupportiveCommunity, NewsletterEngagementSubscribe to the PolicyViz Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.Become a patron of the PolicyViz Podcast for as little as a buck a monthSign up for Natalia’s Flowers and Numbers newsletter and check out her website.Follow me on Instagram,  LinkedIn,  Substack,  Twitter,  Website,  YouTubeEmail: jon@policyviz.com

In this episode of the PolicyViz Podcast, I talk with Zach Bowders on the intricacies of data visualization, the impact of dashboards on decision-making, and the fine line between plagiarism and inspiration. We discuss the importance of context-driven visualization choices over rigid adherence to traditional formats and highlight the need for flexibility. Our conversation stresses the balance between complexity and user familiarity, the value of learning from failures, and the necessity of client engagement to accurately meet their needs. We also talk about the challenges inherent in building trust with clients, sharing sensitive information, and the implications of changes to the Tableau public license for small nonprofits.Keywords: PolicyVizPodcast, DataVisualization, JohnSchwabisch, ZachBauders, Dashboards, DecisionMaking, PlagiarismVsInspiration, TableauConference, InnovationInDataViz, FlexibilityInDesign, ContextDrivenChoices, VisualizationMethods, LearningFromFailures, DashboardDesign, ClientEngagement, StJudeResearch, TerminologyPrecision, ClientTrust, SensitiveData, TableauPublicLicense, Nonprofits, OriginalityInDesign, CitingInspiration, AttributionGuidelines, SkillDevelopment, ContinuousLearning, TechnicalSkills, SoftSkills, DataPlusLovePodcast, PodcastEpisode, CreativeFields, DataVisualizationChallenges, mathematics, Al, machine learningSubscribe to the PolicyViz Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.Become a patron of the PolicyViz Podcast for as little as a buck a monthFollow Zach on Twitter and find his podcast Data+Love on SpotifyFollow me on Instagram,  LinkedIn,  Substack,  Twitter,  Website,  YouTubeEmail: jon@policyviz.com

On this week’s episode, I talk with Jessica Calarco about her book “Holding It Together: How Women Became America’s Safety Net” and the role of qualitative data in research and data visualization. Calarco, a sociologist from UW Madison, discusses her research on family life inequalities and the shift to a “DIY society,” where individuals, particularly women, manage risks without government support, leading to reliance on low-wage caregiving. She critiques the wealthy elite for discouraging collective social support and emphasizes the need for policy changes to ensure basic needs, caregiving opportunities, and work-life balance through measures like paid family leave. We also talk about Jessica’s data collection efforts, which involved more than 400 hours of interviews, surveys, and national studies, to understand human experiences deeply. She addresses critiques of qualitative research’s representativeness, arguing its strength lies in capturing life’s complexities.Keywords: data, data visualization, flourish, jessica calarco, holding it together, safety net, DIY, data analysis, qualitative data, qualitative data analysis, qualitative data analysis - coding and developing themes, machine learning, nvivo, dedoose, ai, data scientist, qualitative data analysis thematic analysis, qualitative data collection, university of wisconsin, data analyst, data science, machine learning for beginnersSubscribe to the PolicyViz Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.Become a patron of the PolicyViz Podcast for as little as a buck a monthVisit Jessica’s website and find her book “Holding it Together” on AmazonFollow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Substack, Twitter, Website, YouTubeEmail: jon@policyviz.com

Welcome to Season 11 of the PolicyViz Podcast! After a relaxing summer full of travel and reading and fun, I’m ready to kick off a whole new season of the show. To kick off this season, I’m excited to be joined by Federica Fragapane, an independent designer known for her intricate and beautiful data visualizations. Our conversation delves into her creative process, the tools she uses, and where she finds inspiration. Fragapane, with a Master’s degree in visualization design and experience at Accurat Studio, integrates data into her bespoke visualizations that convey deeper narratives, particularly human experiences and environmental issues. She prefers organic shapes to reflect the living presence behind data, emphasizing beauty, context, audience, and accessibility.Keywords: data, data visualization, flourish, graphic design, how to, information design, graphic design tutorials, graphic design portfolio, graphic design course, online learning, graphic design photoshop, graphic design trends 2024, how to draw, data scientist, Federica fragapane, accurat, AccessibilityInDesign, EngagingVisuals, Inspiration, DataNarratives, VisualizationDesign, InstagramPortfolio, BehancePortfolio, mathematics, Al, machine learningSubscribe to the PolicyViz Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.Become a patron of the PolicyViz Podcast for as little as a buck a monthCheck out Federica's Behance portfolio and follow her on Instagram.Follow me on Instagram,  LinkedIn,  Substack,  Twitter,  Website,  YouTubeEmail: jon@policyviz.com

In this final episode of the season, I welcome Nancy Organ to the show to discuss her new book Data Visualization for People of All Ages. Nancy’s book aims to make dataviz accessible to everyday readers. Our conversation highlights the importance of not altering data simply for aesthetics but to facilitate understanding. We also explore balancing creativity with informed design choices, and suggest alternatives to traditional graphs,  such as infographics,  timelines,  flowcharts,  and diagrams.Keywords: data, dataviz, data visualization, data visualization, bridging data gaps: nancy organ, data gaps: nancy organ on making data visualization, data visualization accessible for all ages, data visualization, data analytics, data analyst, business intelligence, professional certificate program, what is data analytics, jon schwabish, accessible for all ages, chair yoga, nancy organ, nancy organ on making data, data visualization python, data visualization examples, bar graph, data architecture, mathematics, Al, machine learningSubscribe to PolicyViz Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.Become a patron of the PolicyViz Podcast for as little as a buck a monthFollow Nancy on Twitter and find her book “Data Visualization for People of All Ages” on AmazonFollow me on Instagram,  LinkedIn,  Substack,  Twitter,  Website,  YouTubeEmail: jon@policyviz.com

Georgia Lupi joins the show to discuss her work in data visualization, her journey from Accurat to Pentagram, and how she takes a human-centric perspective to working with and communicating data. Our conversation also focuses on her new book, “This is Me and Only Me.” The book encourages kids to observe and collect data to understand emotions and human questions, using symbols and colors to express emotions. Giorgia hopes the book will inspire kids and adults to be imaginative, observant, and mindful. We also have some breaking news on this episode because Giorgia is working on another big project, a new book called “Speak Data” that explores data as a language intersecting various fields.Keywords: data with heart giorgia lupi’s journey from visualization, heart giorgia lupi’s journey from visualization, giorgia lupi’s journey from visualization to human connection, lupi’s journey from visualization to human, heart giorgia lupi’s journey, data with heart giorgia lupi’s journey, giorgia lupi’s journey from visualization, giorgia lupi, dataviz, data visualization, human connection jon schwabish, jon schwabish, visualization, lupi’s journey, heart giorgia, mathematics, Al, machine learningSubscribe to PolicyViz Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.Become a patron of the PolicyViz Podcast for as little as a buck a monthFollow Giorgia on Twitterand find her book “This is Me and Only Me” on AmazonFollow me on Instagram,  LinkedIn,  Substack,  Twitter,  Website,  YouTubeEmail: jon@policyviz.com

Nicole Lachenmeier and Darjan Hil’s new book, Visualizing Complexity: Modular Information Design Handbook, focuses on deconstructing data encodings into fundamental elements to create effective visualizations. They take an exciting and hands-on approach to data visualization design for their own work and how they teach design to others. In this week’s episode of the podcast, our conversation highlights Nicole and Darjan’s journey in data design and how they stress the importance of deliberate thinking, manual effort, and critical analysis in their design process.Keywords: information design handbook, the modular information design handbook, information design, data visualization, information visualization, information design handbook with nicole, nicole hickl, design handbook with nicole lachenmeier and darjan hil, nicole lachenmeier and darjan hil, Design Handbook, design handbook, jim hall, junior designer tips, fuel filler, design resources, handbook with nicole lachenmeier, infographics, data design, data viz, infografik, infographics show, mathematics, Al, machine learningSubscribe to PolicyViz Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.Become a patron of the PolicyViz Podcast for as little as a buck a monthFollow Nicole Lachenmeier and Darjan Hilon Instagram and find their new book her book “Visualizing Complexity: Modular Information Design Handbook" on AmazonFollow me on Instagram,  LinkedIn,  Substack,  Twitter,  Website,  YouTubeEmail: jon@policyviz.com

Nathan Yau’s Flowing Data website was one of the first data visualization websites I discovered in my own data journey. With his new book, Visualize This, now out, I thought it would be a great opportunity to talk with Nathan about his work, his book, and how his own approach to data has evolved over the last several years.Keywords: data visualization storytelling, flowing data, flowing data chart types, visualize this book, nathan yau, nathan yau data, visualize this the flowingdata guide to design visualization and statistics by nathan yau, evolving data visualization, data visualization, crafting the second edition of visualize, edition of visualize this with nathan yau, Visualize This with Nathan Yau, visualize this with nathan yau, o'reilly media, data visualization design, mathematics, Al, machine learningSubscribe to PolicyViz Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.Become a patron of the PolicyViz Podcast for as little as a buck a monthFollow Nathanon Twitter and find his new book “Visualize This” on AmazonFollow me on Instagram,  LinkedIn,  Substack,  Twitter,  Website,  YouTubeEmail: jon@policyviz.com

Welcome to a solo episode! In this special episode of the podcast, I talk about the recen Tableau Customer conference in San Diego, which drew over 9,000 participants. I reflect on various aspects of the conference, including its diverse sessions that ranged from showcasing new Tableau features and case studies to hands-on workshops and discussions on data visualization beyond Tableau. I was a presenter at TC and presented my work on the Urban Institute’s Do No Harm Project.My review of the conference focuses just on the positives of the conference—the upcoming features in Tableau, such as allowing Tableau Public users to save work their locally, as well as some thoughts on why I—who is not a huge Tableau user—actually attends the conference. I also discuss a few of the sessions I attended, including hands-on sessions and games in Tableau.Topics Discussed Conference Overview: A recap of the Tableau Conference, highlighting its scale with over 9,000 participants and the variety of sessions that catered to both seasoned data analysts and newcomers to the field. Tableau’s New Features. Significant updates to Tableau, including the ability for Tableau Public users to save work locally – a feature that potentially redefines the need for Tableau Desktop licenses. I also talk about the introduction of customizable themes, Google Fonts integration, VIS Extensions, and the leaps in AI and real-time data integration within Tableau. Community and Networking: I reflect on the value of the community that Tableau fosters, especially through networking opportunities that are more crucial than ever in the post-pandemic era.➡️ Check out more links, notes, transcript, and more at the PolicyViz website.

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.Keywords: visualizing the future, navigating the shifts in data storytelling with enrico bertini, data storytelling with enrico bertini, data visualization, navigating the shifts, enrico bertini, storytelling with enrico bertini, analytics, business intelligence, data storytelling, Jon Schwabish, jon schwabish, tableau, bar graph, flourish, data analytics, flourish studio, flourish studio tutorial, coping with change, intuitive, annabelle drumm, data visualization for data science, mathematics, Al, machine learningSubscribe to PolicyViz Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.Become a patron of the PolicyViz Podcast for as little as a buck a monthFollow Enrico on Twitterand find his newsletter on SubstackFollow me on Instagram,  LinkedIn,  Substack,  Twitter,  Website,  YouTubeEmail: jon@policyviz.comSponsor: Whisper TranscribeWhisper Transcribe is an absolute game changer in the world of transcription and AI-generated content creation! Get an accurate transcript from your audio and video files and automatically generate content directly from it.Check out Whisper Transcribe