BLOG POSTS

Visualisingdata.com was originally launched in 2010 originally to serve as a blog to help continue the momentum of my learning from studying the subject via a Masters degree. I continue to publish articles and share announcements that track developments in my professional experiences as well as developments in the data visualisation field at large.

This is a collection of all my published posts, starting with the newest and dating back to 2010, tracking. These posts include articles, design commentaries, podcast updates, professional updates, and general news from across the data visualisation field.
Design

Five ways to… title your work

In this series I am looking at different contextual, editorial, analytical, or design challenges encountered when working on data visualisation tasks. Each will be framed around a specific ‘everyday’ challenge with five possible methods, ideas or observations presented.

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Andy Kirk July 26, 2019
Best Ofs

Best of the visualisation web… May 2019

At the end of each month I pull together a collection of links to some of the most relevant, interesting or thought-provoking web content I’ve come across during the previous month. Here’s the latest collection from May 2019.

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Andy Kirk July 23, 2019
Announcements

DVS: What makes a data visualisation elegant?

Across this week and next, I’m happy to be playing the role of host moderator for one of the Data Visualization Society slack channels – topics-in-data-viz – curating a discussion about a hot-topic in data visualisation.

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Andy Kirk July 22, 2019
Announcements

Book prize contest 3 of 3: #BookStock

I recently announced publication details for the forthcoming release of my new book, the second edition of ‘Data Visualisation: A Handbook for Data Driven Design’. I mentioned that I would be running some contests to give people a chance to win a copy

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Andy Kirk July 17, 2019
Design

Five ways to… present bar charts

In this series I am looking at different contextual, editorial, analytical, or design challenges encountered when working on data visualisation tasks. Each will be framed around a specific ‘everyday’ challenge with five possible methods, ideas or observations presented.

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Andy Kirk July 17, 2019
Announcements

Book prize contest 2 of 3: #BlobHope

I recently announced publication details for the forthcoming release of my new book, the second edition of ‘Data Visualisation: A Handbook for Data Driven Design’. I mentioned that I would be running some contests to give people a chance to win a copy.

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Andy Kirk July 3, 2019
Best Ofs

Best of the visualisation web… April 2019

At the end of each month I pull together a collection of links to some of the most relevant, interesting or thought-provoking web content I’ve come across during the previous month. Here’s the latest collection from April 2019.

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Andy Kirk June 20, 2019
Announcements

Book prize contest 1 of 3: #PetsWinPrizes

Last week I posted publication details for the forthcoming release of my new book, the second edition of ‘Data Visualisation: A Handbook for Data Driven Design’. I mentioned that I would be running some contests to give people a chance to win copies and I’m delighted to announce details of contest 1!

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Andy Kirk June 14, 2019
Announcements

Amazon shop of data visualisation books

I often get asked to recommend books about data visualisation and in the past I had a dedicated page on here with a long list of books I have personally found influential or inspirational.

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Andy Kirk June 13, 2019
Best Ofs

Best of the visualisation web… March 2019

At the end of each month I pull together a collection of links to some of the most relevant, interesting or thought-provoking web content I’ve come across during the previous month. Here’s the latest collection from March 2019

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Andy Kirk June 11, 2019
Field News

A poll about learning R vs. Python

Yesterday I ran a simple Twitter poll about the relative ease of learning R vs. Python. Although a correct answer to this query will ALWAYS have to be based on nuances like pre-existing skills and the scope of need, this originates from people telling me they encounter job or career profiles that list a need for R and/or Python.

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Andy Kirk June 7, 2019
Announcements

Data visualisation training in London

My next two-day data visualisation training course in London will be held on Wednesday 14th and Thursday 15th August. Registration is open now with earlybird discount rates available until the end of June.

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Andy Kirk June 6, 2019
Announcements

New long form course with Methods@Manchester

I wanted to share details of a new longer-form data visualisation training course I am working on with methods@manchester and delivering in July as part of their summer school 2019 series of training courses. The course will be held over five days, Monday 8th to Friday 12th July.

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Andy Kirk May 30, 2019
Announcements

Encode conference: 19-20 September, London

It is the final week of earlybird tickets for the Encode conference taking place in London over 19th and 20th September. Encode is a brand new two-day conference that aims to ‘bring the creative community together to debate, share and explore the future of data-driven stories’.

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Andy Kirk May 24, 2019
Field News

The Ocean Plastic Innovation Challenge

I’m delighted to have been invited to join the judging panel for the data visualisation track of the Ocean Plastic Innovation Challenge, launched by National Geographic and Sky Ocean Ventures.

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Andy Kirk May 21, 2019
Announcements

A brief update

I wanted to share a brief update, which is a rubbish label to attach to this post but I’m all out of other better ways to position it.

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Andy Kirk May 14, 2019
Best Ofs

Best of the visualisation web… February 2019

At the end of each month I pull together a collection of links to some of the most relevant, interesting or thought-provoking web content I’ve come across during the previous month. Here’s the latest collection from February 2019.

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Andy Kirk April 30, 2019
Best Ofs

Best of the visualisation web… January 2019

At the end of each month I pull together a collection of links to some of the most relevant, interesting or thought-provoking web content I’ve come across during the previous month. Here’s the latest collection from January 2019.

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Andy Kirk March 6, 2019
10 Significant Developments

10 significant visualisation developments: July to December 2018

To mark each mid-year and end of year milestone I try to take a reflective glance over the previous 6 months period in the data visualisation field and compile a collection of some of the most significant developments. These are the main projects, events, new sites, trends, personalities and general observations that have struck me as being important to help further the development of this field.

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Andy Kirk February 4, 2019
Field News

Data visualisation freelancers list

Last year I compiled a Twitter list, my first ever Twitter list I’ll have you know, to create a visible membership formed of ‘Freelancers offering data visualisation/infographic design and consultancy services around the world’.

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Andy Kirk January 29, 2019
Articles

What do charts actually show us?

As consumers of visualisations, before we form interpretations and conclusions from the charts we see, we have to remember that they are only a visual display of the data that has been collected and the way that data has been transformed.

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Andy Kirk January 28, 2019
Best Ofs

Best of the visualisation web… December 2018

At the end of each month I pull together a collection of links to some of the most relevant, interesting or thought-provoking web content I’ve come across during the previous month. Here’s the latest collection from December 2018.

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Andy Kirk January 25, 2019