You need to present your research data. What tools can help you make it visually appealing?

It's important to tailor your visuals to your audience and the story you want to convey, rather than focusing solely on the complexity of the data. The key objective is to simplify the information so that it's easily understood by your audience. For instance, using charts and graphs can effectively illustrate relationships between variables to a specific audience, while a dashboard can present comprehensive information from the same data source to a high-level audience. The visuals you select should align with the specific message you want to communicate and the needs of your audience.

First, we have to decide what we want to present. For example, we want to show a trend in a line chart that demonstrates growth. If that's the case, we should simplify the visuals, e.g. reduce unwanted legend, colours, and focus on the data we want to show.

You must keep your audience in mind. At a technical conference you might present a more detailed graphic, whereas at a business meeting you often just want to make sure that the data is sufficiently clear and summarized (and save the details for the appendix).

Creating visually appealing presentations of research data can be crucial for effectively communicating findings. Microsoft PowerPoint is a classic choice for creating presentations. It offers a wide range of templates, graphics, and customization options to design visually appealing slides.

Sometimes with complex data, making the visualisation simple is the key to conveying information to your stakeholders and audience. Tools such as SAS Visual Analytics, Tableau and Microsoft’s PowerBI enhances the quality of visualisations that are produced where it involves the presenter creating visuals while reducing the amount of complex information displayed through interactive elements. Furthermore, in order to choose the right visualisation - you need to consider the type of data that you are working with (is it an integer, float or a string?) as well as understanding what the data is trying to convey (is it sales data or forecasting data? What is the purpose of the data provided?).

The attractiveness and way of presentation of data visually is as important as the data itself. Online tools like canva can be used to create pie charts, graphs, processes and other useful graphics which feel outdated in PowerPoint and word. There are various satellite data sites available online which can be used to get very good quality reliable satellite data. Free background remover tools can also be used.

online tools like Tableau, Power BI, or Google Data Studio for creating and customizing visuals. ?These platforms offer user-friendly interfaces, diverse visualization options, and the ability to customize colors, styles, and labels. ?They streamline the process of generating visually appealing graphics.

Some tools that I have employed which have aided me greatly in conveying data and information in visually appealing manners such as charts, graphs, and maps are: I.) Google Charts II.) Canva III.) Lucidcharts IV.) Google slides V.) Prezi

The tool that will make your visuals stand out are those who have been effectively built towards your particular audience. If you are presenting to an expert panel, they care less about the visuals and more about the results and insights obtained from the results. On the other hand, for a non-expert audience, it is paramount to help them understand your visuals by guiding them with images/videos/sounds etc. that can help to build a story easy to follow. A key thing sometimes overlooked is to make the visualizations appealing for color blind people.

Tableau: Description: Tableau is a data visualization tool that allows you to create interactive and dynamic dashboards. Key Features: Powerful visualization capabilities, interactive elements, and connectivity with various data sources. Adobe Illustrator: Description: Illustrator is a graphic design software that allows for highly customizable and professional-looking visualizations. Key Features: Precision in design, vector graphics, and extensive design tools. Canva: Description: Canva is a web-based graphic design tool that provides templates for creating visually appealing presentations. Key Features: User-friendly interface, drag-and-drop design elements, and a library of templates and images.

Choose an informative title for the data or slide. This should be the main point of the data that you would like to convey to the audience. This will complement what you are saying and also makes the data easy to understand.

Adding context and narratives to research data visualisations in a coherent storyline enables impactful and insightful publications

Enhance the storytelling aspect of your visualizations by providing context. ?Use annotations, captions, or supporting text to explain the significance of data points. ?Contextual information helps your audience interpret visuals accurately and reinforces the narrative flow of your research.

Using colors, symbols and descriptions explaining the color scheme/ annotations of symbols will give your data context and will make it easy to understand as well as attractive. For example, ascending and descending trends in the data can be depicted using different shades of the same color. Referring to conventional scientific color coding can also improve the visual representation of data (in case of scientific experimental data).

Adding a contextual narrative to research presentations is essential for readability. Providing a clear storyline and thoughtful comments helps the audience grasp the significance of the research, making complex concepts more relatable. This approach enhances overall comprehension and engagement during presentations.

Testing visual is crucial. While doing this, make sure to double check that animations and videos are displaying as intended. Also note that there could be Mac to PC conversion issues especially if on the day of the presentation, you are not presenting directly from your personal computer. Hence it is crucial to note that any animation works well.

The nature of the 'data' being shared back is important to remember. In qualitative research we are focussing on human attitudes and behaviours and opinions. A powerful way for stakeholders to 'hear' insights is often through hearing their consumers voices directly. Incorporating soundbites or video clips into outputs can be hugely powerful to land key insights.

Apart from visualisation, it is necessary to understand how to attract your audience to your research. Using real-life examples that connect with the audience and voice modulations during the presentation will interest them in your research.

I have learnt that before picking the tools, it's important to get the basics rights. Figure out the right type of visualization for your data/analysis. Keep it clean and concise but ensure it's outlines the context and is easy to interpret. And don't use colours logically to show contrasts and groups. Choose your tools based on the visualization type, not the hype.

When selecting a tool, consider the specific needs of your audience, the nature of your data, and your preferences for design and interactivity. It's also important to keep the design clean and uncluttered, using visuals to enhance understanding rather than overwhelm your audience.

The most potent tool is YOU. Presenting research findings in a visually appealing way won't matter much if you cannot communicate those findings effectively when you have to. This is where it is important to sharpen your public speaking skills so that you can effectively engage an audience already hooked on your visuals.