REVIEW
of Professional Development Events REVIEWS Evening session in July presented by Ron Ron articulated the value of developing sim-
DATA VIZ / DIVAS
We live in the Age of Information. No doubt more data exists than ever before, yet clients have a finite amount of time each day to consume content. With so much information being produced, it is almost impossible for people to digest it all. So how might researchers present information to make it more useful?
Andy McLeish, Colenso
Ron Stroeven, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Infotools (NZ) shed some light on this at his presentation in Auckland on 13 July. Ron discussed new trends in data visualisation based on his experience as a DIVA (Data Insight Visualization Awards) judge and panel member, and his learnings from the Infotools and GreenBook DIVAs best-practice bible of market research data visualisation. Ron showed us that not all data visualisation is created equal. Just as we have paints and crayons and photos and film to help us to capture the world in different ways, there are multiple ways in which to depict the same dataset. Ron discussed the evolution of data visualisation from static information through to integrated analysis visualisation tools. He demonstrated how information can be brought to life in a multitude of ways including a visualisation video of the diffusion patterns of viral videos, interactive visualisation of market segments, and charts created using 3D printing technology.
ple, memorable, credible and relatable infographics. His examples stressed the importance of the narrative structure of the visualisation, developing visual content that guides the viewer and avoids information overload.
Ron Stroeven, Infotools
Stroeven, Infotools
It’s not always easy to get clear takeaways by looking at a slew of numbers and stats; the data must be presented in a logical, easy-tounderstand way. Conveying complex trends no longer has to mean hundreds of pages of bar and pie charts, but rather, creativity and statistics can be seamlessly blended to captivate the viewer and tell a story. Ron Stroeven demonstrated that a truly effective visualisation can help the average person see that data is beautiful. Catherine Frethey-Bentham, University of Auckland 33