Visualisation can take a number of forms. Below we share some of the most common and impactful ways to use data visualisation in the narration of your impact story.

We’ve adapted the list presented in this publication by the Overseas Development Institute (2018) https://cdn.odi.org/media/documents/12319.pdf

Charts and graphs

Charts and graphs are the most common way to visualise data. Tools like Excel and Google Sheets may well be able to handle everything you need, and you may be familiar with them already. GOOD FOR: Summarising information in an easy-to-understand format Making comparisons Highlighting key values Displaying relative proportions or numbers of different categories EXAMPLES: Datawrapper charts are embeddable or downloadable, meaning that the data can be downloaded and that the charts are interactive. You can see some in their regular blog series, including this one, on the hottest 24 February in Germany since records began. Watch this animated chart from the Centre for Biological Diversity’s Save the Monarch’s campaign. Check out this catalogue of data visualizations that also lets you know what each type of chart is best for different types of functions i.e. showing progress over time, comparisons etc.

https://youtu.be/pFkDbUO-mAU

Help Save Western Monarchs from Extinction video, by the Centre for Biological Diversity.

Infographics and narrative infographics

Infographics are ways to present data in a simple way, focusing on the numbers. Narrative infographics are when you share the numbers alongside the story. The example we have to the right is a mix of both. It could be simplified to be just a number-focused infographic, but there was some richness in the qualitative data that the creator wanted to keep. A good infographic should be simple to understand; it should tell your story; and it should look good. There are lots of templates and design tools to help anyone, even the least digitally literate person, get creative online. GOOD FOR Making a lengthy text easy to read Sharing important information in a visual and easier to digest way Highlighting interesting or surprising findings Delivering your key message EXAMPLES See this very early example of infographics by W. E. B. Du Bois (1900) on the Public Domain Review. Shelter, a UK homelessness and housing charity, created this GIF to inform its audience in Twitter of the decrease of new homes being built and to encourage its audience to sign a petition. Published in National Geographic, the award-winning infographic Cosmic Journeys mapped 50 years of space exploration. http://www.5wgraphics.com/img/newsletter/50-years-of-exploration.jpg

This example by Unmask My City was published as a series of shareable resources (including infographics and social media cards).

Timelines

A timeline represents a series of data or events in chronological order. It can set out changes over time or map out a series of events in the order in which they happened. The scale might be constant or it might change (e.g. be condensed in certain places to show a longer passage of time). GOOD FOR Showing the order of events (sequence) Demonstrating changes or trends over time EXAMPLES A timeline of Apple products and their improved energy usage over time (Image from , apparently derived from an original Apple image ) A timeline of the Museum of the World created by the British Museum

A timeline of the Museum of the World created by the British Museum

Mapping

A map is a visual representation of information that’s based on locations. Map infographics are commonly used to transform geographical data into location-based stories that people can easily read, understand and engage with. GOOD FOR Displaying spatial distribution Showing geographical trends Demonstrating impact across regions Telling a story that involves multiple locations or a journey EXAMPLES The interactive map below from Refugee Republic provides a visual and audio tour through everyday life in Domiz Camp, a Syrian refugee camp in northern Iraq. The narrative is aided by first-hand accounts and stories from refugees The interactive map created by Dr Natalia Grincheva - ‘Museum Soft Power Map’ - visualises one institution’s soft power, based on a number of ratings and criteria and its connections across the globe. Use the resource here http://victoriasoftware.com/demo/ and read more about it:

Explore the resource here https://refugeerepublic.submarinechannel.com/intro_en.php?o=o

Graphic illustration

Graphic illustration is an increasingly common way to illustrate what can be complex stories in simple ways. We asked graphic illustrator Magda Rysuje to capture what we discussed about Phase three in one of our Impact Community webinars. You can watch the timelapse of the drawing on Europeana’s Youtube Playlist. Be creative! You might want to draw your own perspectives or summary of your key findings or narrative, like Lisa Charlotte Ross has done on Datawrapper’s blog. Image used with permission. Read Lisa Charlotte Rost’s Datawrapper’s blog: In our Impact Community webinar dedicated to Phase three, Magda led us through a simple drawing exercise to highlight our own creative possibilities. Influencers on Instagram are also telling short, impactful stories through simple illustration: check out Mari Andrews on Instagram for her simple but effective illustrations. Development organisations like the World Food Programme are exploring how they can use imagery and the visualisation of data so that it is seen and used to the greatest degree possible. You can watch this video on Youtube developed to explore EvaluVision, the methodology the World Food Programme has developed. You can also see more in their publication from April 2021: ‘EvaluVision How visual thinking improves evaluation use and influence’. Still from the World Food Programme’s introduction to EvaluVision on Youtube, visual used with permission

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fgQcoFdSD8&ab_channel=EuropeanaEU

A graphic illustration produced by Magda Rysiye after our Impact Community Webinar dedicated to Phase three of the Impact Playbook.

Imagery and icons

Highlight your findings using emojis, icons, pictures, drawings or anything else that might be relevant. You find icons in our Phase one slidedeck, in the tools you use or online. If you are using creative methods, you might want to share some examples of the data that illustrate the findings and approach. Image and icon repositories where you can search for reusable content Europeana - - where you can find over 800,000 reusable in our art collection alone! Browse our galleries for more ideas and inspiration or search according to your topic Gif it Up The Noun Project, a site where you can find over 3 million Creative Commons-licensed icons - Over 500 million images are free to use on the Creative Commons search - Search Flickr by Creative Commons licences that allow reuse (like ) ❗ Check the copyright and only use images that you are allowed to use and share. Always credit your images: acknowledge the author and show which licence is attributed to the image.

Tips for visualising your impact narrative

Download this data visualisation checklist by Stephanie Evergreen and Ann K. Emery. On Stephanie’s website you can also upload your visualisation and take it through a ‘Rate My Visualisation’ process.

Tips

Consult your communications colleague(s). They are the experts.
Follow your brand or organisational colours, tone of voice, imagery, fonts, messaging and layouts, if these exist. If you don’t have agreed fonts, you can use different websites to help you find a style. Canva, a commonly-used design too, also has guidance on how to use fonts effectively.
Follow your organisation's tone of voice guidelines and messaging, if such guidelines exist.
Be objective in your tone. Don’t be dramatically positive but avoid skepticism too. Talk about the positives (the good results, or the results you expected) and the negatives (results that didn’t work out the way you expected) in the same tone. Ask someone to review your writing with this in mind.
Use action colours, fonts or other highlights to bring your audience’s attention to the point you are trying to make and to reinforce your structure. For example, multiple font weights (i.e. light, regular, semi bold, and bold) are critical for building a clear text hierarchy. Specify foreign fonts if you will be using other languages.
Be consistent throughout your report in terms of style, language and visuals, and everything else.
Add the shortest possible version of URLs in full if you think your audience might print your report.
Familiarise yourself with accessibility best practices so your output is usable by anyone.

You don’t have to include everything in the main body of the report. The shorter, the better! Create an appendix, or an additional document, with the full data analysis and charts. You should always be able to refer back to the analysis.

Ways to visualise your impact story