Incorporating Equity into Your Data Viz Workshop

People who work with data must think intentionally about how we can learn from and speak to audiences that reflect the rich diversity of people and communities. Failing to recognize the diversity in these groups will further exacerbate—and potentially contribute to—the inequities that have served to shape the world.  

Drawing from his guide, "Do No Harm Guide: Applying Equity Awareness in Data Visualization", Jon Schwabish of the Urban Institute, during a workshop at NNIP Month in May 2021, presented practical ways to be more purposeful about designing data communication products that apply an equity lens to not just the words, colors, icons, and other elements in our charts and graphs, but also to the process of crafting these communication products. The training was followed by small group discussions of questions that should be considered as you develop visualizations to tell stories with data.

Watch the video of the workshop on YouTube: https://youtu.be/5UXe4QhP4Yc

Presenter Bio: 

Jonathan Schwabish is a senior fellow in the Income and Benefits Policy Center and a member of Urban’s communications team, where he specializes in data visualization and presentation design. His research agenda includes disability insurance, retirement security, data measurement, and nutrition policy.

Schwabish is considered a leader in the data visualization field and is a leading voice for clarity and accessibility in research. He has written on how to best visualize data, including technical aspects of creation, design best practices, and how to communicate social science research in more accessible ways.

Schwabish helps nonprofits, research institutions, and governments at all levels improve how they communicate their work and findings to their partners, constituents, and citizens. He teaches data visualization and presentation skills at Georgetown University and American University. He is also founder of PolicyViz, a consulting firm that helps clients improve how they work with and communicate data and analysis. He also hosts the PolicyViz Podcast, which focuses on data, open data, and data visualization. His new book, Better Data Visualizations: A Guide for Scholars, Researchers, and Wonks details essential strategies to create more effective data visualizations.