Impress Funders and Make Mission and Message Clear: Easy Data Visualization and Infographics
May 10, 2013
@ConfluenceCorp
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Agenda
• Introductions
• What is Visualization / What is it Good For?
– Examples of how data integration and visualization can make mission and message clear
• Big Data / Integrated Data
• Data Access
• Data Visualization
• Audience Input Throughout!
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Introductions and Definitions
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Introductions - Confluence
• Mission:
– To help our nonprofit clients achieve the greatest strategic value from their technology resources
• Founded 3/01
• Worked with over 550 nonprofits
– Primarily bi-coastal: LA and DC
• Over a dozen full time staff and consultants
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Introductions – Lisa Rau, CEO • ~20 years of experience in IT services
• Last 12+ dedicated 100% to nonprofit sector
– Strategy consultant to the sector – technology consulting, capacity building, assessments
• Computer Scientist:
– B.S., EECS, University of California, Berkeley
– M.S., Computer Science, Univ. of California, Berkeley
– Ph.D., CS / Artificial Intelligence, Univ. of Exeter
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Introductions – Lisa Rau, CEO • Performed ~100 strategic tech assessments /
plans
• Strategic technology consultant
• Present / train on IT budgeting, fundraising, IT capacity building, tech planning, social media ...
• Peer Reviewer, MD Nonprofits’ Standards of Excellence Program
• Prior Board Member, YWCA of the National Capital Area
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What is Data Visualization?
• The visual / schematic representation of data
• We seem to call Data “Indicators”
• In the old days: Business Intelligence?
• http://visual.ly/ - nice portfolio of Infographics
• Predictive analysis, dashboards, infographics, geochart, timeline, traditional chart, heatmap…
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OK, I date myself
Audience: What is Visualization Useful For
In Your Nonprofit
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Data Integration and Visualization Impact
• Easy absorption of information – for public
• Interactivity and animation capture and engage – nothing like a table of numbers!
• Non-technical “what if” analysis
• Merging data sets / overlays to see:
– Patterns: obesity rates in food deserts
– Areas of need / opportunity: Clinic within 10 miles
– Results over time: Decreased recidivism
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Data Integration and Visualization Impact
• Service delivery maps / 2-1-1
• Overlay with community indicators
• Reporting and notification
• Financial analysis / integration
• Census / demographic data
• Schools
• Program Outcomes / Evaluation
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Data Visualization
• Requires Data
– Burgeoning initiatives to integrate and free public data sets
• Requires Data Access Method(s)
• Requires Visualization Tools
– Translate data into pictures
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Data
Integrated, Open Source
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Urban Institute National Data Repository
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WEAVE • Web-based Analysis and Visualization Environment
• Easy-to-use , consumable analytical, visualization tools: – Charts, maps, scorecards, dashboards, narrations and
animations
• Developed by University of Massachusetts-Lowell – In partnership with the Open Indicators Consortium (OIC)
• Java application on the server and Flash application in web browser on the client
• Can be integrated with any CMS that can produce an HTML <object> tag
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Data Access Methods
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Data Access Methods
• Get raw data
• Use data extraction tools
• RSS Feeds
• Widgets and Gadgets; Apps
• Some services replicate the requested data locally
• Some tools require migration to their own data model
• APIs: Web Services – JSON+ REST or XML + SOAP
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State of the art in Visualization technology
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Ways to Create Visualizations
• NTEN Article “6 Great Interactive Data Visualization Tools”
– For the “do it yourself”ers
• Idealware
– Beyond Dashboards: Business Intelligence Tools for Program Analysis and Reporting
• And both in Beta: Easel.ly, Venngage
– Six Principles of Good Data Graphics
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jQuery Visualize
www.filamentgroup.com/examples/jqueryui-visualize/
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Google Charts • https://developers.google.com/chart/interactive/docs/gallery
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Highcharts - http://www.highcharts.com/demo/
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Simile Exhibithttp: www.simile-widgets.org/exhibit/
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JavaScript InfoVis Toolkit
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D3.js
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Tools
Dashboards – and lots of other tools – like MapBox for mapping
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GoodData – Dashboard Tool
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GoodData – Dashboard Tool
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iDashboard – Dashboard Tool
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Birst – Dashboard Tool
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ClikView – Dashboard Tool
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Tableau – Dashboard Tool http://www.tableausoftware.com/learn/gallery/finding-bigfoot
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Infogr.am
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To Do Something • Decide if you will either:
– Load data into new data structure – Access via APIs / access data “in situ” – Pre-made Interfaces / All ODBC
• Requirements, requirements, requirements – Mobile access / touch screens – Social / Sharing – Web-ready – Enterprise deployment / integration with local data
sets
• The Right Tool for the Job
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Why this used to be Hard
• Before: Automatic generation of visual data doesn’t look great and design is not automated
• Now: Full styling control
• Before: Access to data sources
• Now: Web Services
• Before: Space and Speed Constrained
• Now: Space and bandwidth are cheap
• Still Hard: – Integration of Each New Data Source
– Constantly changing technology
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Why this is still hard
• Reconciling taxonomies
– Zip codes =/ Voting districts
• Data is Hard
– Boolean Logic
– Quarters to Months
– Comparing data when there are gaps
– Comparing qualitative and quantitative data
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Questions / Comments / Sharing from the Audience
Let’s Talk!
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Contact Information
THAT’S ALL FOLKS!!! • Lisa Rau
• Follow us at @ConfluenceCorp
• Confluence Corporation
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