Data Viz DC: An Interactive Introduction to Data Physicalization with Jon Schwabish
Data Viz DC Monthly Meetup:
Agenda:
5:30 - Doors
5:30 - 6:15: Food & Socializing
6:15 - 6:30: Introductions
6:30 - 8:00: Data by Hand: An Interactive Introduction to Data Physicalization
If you're interested in the intersection of Data Science, Visual Design, UI/UX, Art, Psychology, and Business Intelligence, this event is for you!
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Data by Hand: An Interactive Introduction to Data Physicalization
Jonathan Schwabish, PhD
Data physicalization is the act of creating data visualizations in physical space—with
twine, Post-it notes, stickers, foam board, and even food. Many physicalization projects
showcased in books and papers are built for exhibition, where the viewer has little
influence over the visualization itself. This session takes a different approach:
collaborative, community-driven, and affordable enough to run in any classroom or
office.
We’ll begin with a short lecture situating data physicalization within the broader
landscape of data visualization and establishing the shared vocabulary—data types,
encodings, chart families—needed for the work that follows. The remainder of the
session is hands-on. Working in small groups, participants will use and build physical
charts from everyday materials, then step back to discuss what the act of encoding by
hand makes visible: the design choices, the trade-offs, and the questions that a screen
tends to hide.
Bio
Dr. Jonathan Schwabish is an economist, author, and educator whose work focuses on
improving how researchers, scientists, analysts, and policymakers communicate data
and evidence. Through his writing, teaching, and public engagement, he works to make
complex research more accessible to broader audiences and more useful for
decisionmaking. He is the author of four books on data visualization and research
communication—Better Presentations, Elevate the Debate, Better Data Visualizations,
and Data Visualization in Excel—which provide practical guidance for presenting data
and communicating research clearly and responsibly. His forthcoming book with Alice
Feng, Thoughtful Data: A Guide to Empathy and Equity in Data Communication,
examines how data collection and presentation can introduce bias and how more
empathetic approaches to data communication can support more inclusive and effective
use of evidence in research, policy, and public discourse.
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Data Viz DC is a program of Data Community DC. www.DC2.org