A quick overview of two techniques from design thinking that can help us better tailor data visualizations to the needs of our audiences. Personas can be used to identify illustrative audience members who represent large groups within our target audience, and journey maps help us understand how an audience receives, interprets, and acts on information.
The illustrative example presented here is rooted in a real world experience, but is not an actual persona and journey used in that work.
7. Design thinking gives us tools to cultivate empathy.
Graphic: Hasso Plattner Institute of Design Stanford University
8. Credit to ThinkPlace Foundation, from the Innovations for Maternal,
Newborn & Child Health Initiative’s Care Community Hub
Personas Journey
Maps
Today, we’ll walk through a rapid overview of two design thinking
techniques you can use in data visualization design.
10. Personas help us move beyond
job titles
stakeholder groups
organization names
and focus on the human side of
your audience.
11. Each persona represents a significant portion of
people in the real world and enables the designer to
focus on a manageable and memorable cast of
characters, instead of focusing on thousands of
individuals.”
“A persona is depicted as a specific
person but is not a real individual;
rather, it is synthesized from
observations of many people.
From:
https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2014/08
/a-closer-look-at-personas-part-1/
28. Creating a journey map is an excellent way to
systematically think about the steps or milestones
of a process, and can be used in developing
empathy and in communicating about your work.1
You can use the steps on the journey map to
identify pain points for your data user that can be
transformed into opportunities for you in sharing
your data.
1 Definition from https://dschool-old.stanford.edu/groups/k12/wiki/d8073/Journey_Map.html
30. Map out the various (ideal)
steps that person takes
in making a decision.
31. Pascal
The Politician
Community
scorecard data is
collected in
Pascal’s district
Pascal takes action
with the district
supply chain team
to identify root
causes of the issue
Analysis shows
4 clinics in
Pascal’s district
have stockouts
of condoms
Pascal is
unaware of the
stockouts
NGO meets
with Pascal in
his office to
share the data
Pascal shares the
issue with the
District Health
Executive Team
The DHE checks the
logistics information
system and sees the
stockouts were not
reported
32. I am aware…
I think about my options…
I decide…
I seek…
I receive…
I share…
Use a set of
prompts if you’re
having trouble
mapping out steps
36. Pascal
The Politician
Community
scorecard data is
collected in
Pascal’s district
Pascal takes action
with the district
supply chain team
to identify root
causes of the issue
Analysis shows
4 clinics in
Pascal’s district
have stockouts
of condoms
Pascal is
unaware of the
stockouts
NGO meets
with Pascal in
his office to
share the data
Pascal shares the
issue with the
District Health
Executive Team
The DHE checks the
logistics information
system and sees the
stockouts were not
reported
Pascal has limited
time and needs
something short he
can easily share
with other DHE
members
The DHE may see
no stockouts in
their system and
doubt the accuracy
of the community
data
38. Pascal
The Politician
Community
scorecard data is
collected in
Pascal’s district
Pascal takes action
with the district
supply chain team
to identify root
causes of the issue
Analysis shows
4 clinics in
Pascal’s district
have stockouts
of condoms
Pascal is
unaware of the
stockouts
NGO meets
with Pascal in
his office to
share the data
Pascal shares the
issue with the
District Health
Executive Team
The DHE checks the
logistics information
system and sees the
stockouts were not
reported
Pascal has limited
time and needs
something short he
can easily share
with other DHE
members
The DHE may see
no stockouts in
their system and
doubt the accuracy
of the community
data
NGO creates a
one page brief
summarizing the
data and recs
NGO adds a spot
check of stock-
on-hand to the
scorecard
process
39. Works well…
In a workshop setting to
brainstorm audience needs
In coaching teams on ways
to explore their audience.
To focus on primary
audience needs when
mapping a dissemination
plan with multiple
deliverables
In designing dashboards and
other interactive
visualization tools
40. Favorite Resources for Diving in on Design Thinking
• Stanford d. School Bootcamp Bootleg
dschool.stanford.edu/resources
• IDEO Design Kit
ideo.com/post/design-kit