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

• lrau@confluencecorp.com

• Confluence Corporation

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