The Data Visualization Design Process: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

How to Use

Clear data visualization is essential to science communication and plays an important role in community science. In addition to thoughtfully designing data visualizations for public audiences in exhibits and programs, informal science centers should incorporate dataviz when, for example, creating research and evaluation reports and presentations. 

As with community science projects, data visualization should begin with a thorough understanding of the intended audience. Collaborators should discuss and have a clear consensus on: Who is the audience? What is their data literacy and data visualization familiarity level? What types of decisions are they making and what information is necessary? Effective data visualizations should clearly convey only the information that is essential to describe outcomes and/or aid decision making.  

Those new to data visualization or looking to expand their creative expertise can use this interactive chart chooser - it will help you choose the right chart and point you towards the best freely available software to get the job done. Additional external resources and exemplar visualizations are linked throughout the guide to help declutter your visualization and clarify your message to make it most accessible, intuitive, and on-brand.