• Why data visualisation matters, and the benefits of using it
• Common uses: comparison, trend analysis, distribution, and relationships
• How data visualisation drives decision-making within organisations
• Why empathetic data storytelling is essential for public-facing communications

• Discussion of good and bad examples from a variety of sectors
• Avoiding common mistakes: misleading scales, improper labels, and excessive data
• The importance of clarity when highlighting key insights
• A simple framework for identifying the audience, story and action

• How to assess your audience’s data literacy and subject matter knowledge
• Tailoring messages to different levels of your organisation
• Identifying and challenging preconceptions or areas of misunderstanding

• Dealing with difficult questions or challenging audiences

• Understanding how graphical perception affects the way people interpret visuals
• Knowing when to employ common types of charts and graphs
• Alternative and innovative ways to display difficult data sets

• Hands-on exercises to turn data into visuals using simple tools

• The principle of self-sufficiency and removing unnecessary clutter
• Choosing colours intelligently to add emphasis and meaning
• Focus and hierarchy: using emphasis, sizing, and layout to draw attention
• The importance of titles, annotations and other text elements

• Overview of popular tools: Tableau, Power BI, Google Data Studio, code libraries
• Creating interactive visualisations (drilldowns, filters, pop-ups)
• Design templates and tools for creating infographics
• Where to source icons, imagery and other visual components

Addressing any remaining questions and providing additional resources