The most valuable viz in your career is one you'll never expect to make. It'll sneak up on you when you don't expect it and, over time, fill a space you didn't realize existed.
The Most Meaningful Viz
The most valuable viz in your career is one you’ll never expect to make. It’ll sneak up on you when you don’t expect it and, over time, fill a space you didn’t realize existed.
Prompted by what I call a terrible question – the one that forces a choice that is wholly revealing – I began a Chidi-level struggle.
What is the one chart, infographic or other data visualization that everyone should know about?
I wanted to cite some compelling, earth-shattering viz. Honestly, no one viz came to mind. The last viz that shook me hard has since faded from memory.
There are, however, two vizzes that stand out in memory. Both have directly affected the trajectory of my life. They are also horribly predictable coming from me. It’s hard being novel in some areas when you are “systematically systematic,” as I’ve been called.
The First
If there was ever a viz that sent me on the hunt, it was this one by Kelly Martin. I learned data visualization in Excel from the CFO. You can only imagine what this means in the design process: why yes, it’s ugly and punitive.
Except, this viz isn’t. It’s playful while being insightful. It’s a mastercraft in spacing, placement, and interactive storytelling. And yes, it’s by a person who became monumental in my life.
Call 2020 my year of the feels if you must. We can blame 2019 for breaking my hard streak, or even my bits of funny.
I’ve talked about this viz numerous times. I’ve discussed the innovation of it, the practices that make it compelling, and of course, the story of its creator. May we all have heroes that make us strive for something more.
In Women Rowing North, Mary Pipher discusses savoring past despairs, as while they hurt, they fuel growth. She highlights a frequent cycle that resonated with me.
Kelly’s viz sticks with me because its fundamental to both her story and mine. It’s earth-shattering in that it changed how I approach my work and led to one of the most transformative friendships I’ve ever had, and will likely ever have.
The Second
In continuing with my Chidi-level struggle, this is one viz I’ve done that tells everyone about me. It’s also one I wish I didn’t have to make, but was so necessary.
Here’s an unspoken truth about providing hospice care to someone: there comes a point where you don’t know if you’re helping or making things worse. My moment came during a bath after a particularly hard day. When you’re sitting sobbing in one of the best tubs made on earth, it’s time to take action.
So, I turned to data. I needed to see the pattern in a more removed fashion because I was too close to it and couldn’t without a tool. It was life altering, not just for me and my bad moments, but for Kelly as well.
Together, we could see the logged evidence, as well as our own experiences. We found ways to use the least amount of medication to achieve the greatest therapeutic effect.
In the months since I’ve used this viz, it’s grown to fill a space that I didn’t know existed. It’s a testament to what I think hospice (and more generally healthcare) could and should be. It took care of me, as well as the patient. It was possible and humanly feasible to provide hospice in the home.
It’s also a tribute in so many ways: 1, to the power of data, but 2, to the profound effects of a friendship started – and completed – with data visualization. 3rd, it’s a testament to what is traumatic – losing a close friend – but also to growth. I will never be the same, but I don’t want to be either.
Should everyone know about this visualization? That’s where I go into another Chidi cycle, but it was one Kelly wanted shared. And, for me, that’s enough.
To growth.
