What are some creative ways to present grant impact data in a visually engaging way?

3 How to design effective data visualizations

Creating data visualizations is not only about selecting the right tool, but also following best practices for design and communication. Before you start designing, ensure you understand your data, its source, its accuracy, and its limitations. Also, consider who your audience is, what they care about, what they already know, and what they want to learn. Have a clear and specific goal for your data visualization and a main message or takeaway that you want to convey. Then, craft a story around your data that supports your goal and message. Select the most appropriate and effective type of visualization to match your brand, tone, and audience. Additionally, avoid cluttering your data visualization with too much information or unnecessary elements. Simplify your data and focus on the most important aspects. Emphasize the key points and insights of your data using titles, captions, annotations, or callouts. Lastly, test it with yourself and others to see if it is clear, accurate, and engaging. Ask for feedback and suggestions to make adjustments as needed. Check for any errors or typos that might affect the quality and credibility of your data visualization.

4 How to present and share your data visualizations

Once you have created your data visualizations, you can use them to enhance your grant impact storytelling in various ways, such as incorporating them into reports and presentations to showcase results and achievements, publishing them online to reach a wider audience, embedding them in newsletters or surveys to update funders and partners, or printing them as posters or flyers for events. When presenting and sharing your data visualizations, make sure you provide context and explanation, invite questions and comments, and acknowledge any limitations and challenges. Offer some background information on the source, timeframe, and methodology of your data. Explain the main findings, lessons learned, and recommendations. Encourage your audience to ask questions and share their perspectives. Also, be honest about any gaps, biases, or uncertainties in your data or any technical or ethical issues in your data visualization. Indicate how you plan to address these issues in the future.

5 How to learn more and improve your skills

If you want to learn more and improve your skills in data visualization for grant impact storytelling, there are several options available. From exploring online resources and courses such as Data Visualization for All, Storytelling with Data, or Data Visualization with Tableau, to finding inspiration from other data visualization experts and practitioners like The Data Visualisation Catalogue, FlowingData, or Visualising Data. Practicing and experimenting with different tools, data sets, and styles is the best way to improve your skills. You can use your own grant impact data or find other data sources that interest you such as The World Bank, UNICEF, or Kaggle. You can also challenge yourself with data visualization projects such as Makeover Monday, The 100 Day Project, or Data for a Cause. Joining communities and networks of other data visualization enthusiasts and professionals like Data Visualization Society, Data is Beautiful, or Data Viz Hub is another great way to improve your skills. Here you can exchange ideas, tips, and feedback as well as participate in events, webinars, and competitions.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?