Design Strategies for Impactful Storytelling: From Data to Dialogue

Our world is data-rich — big data, small data, limp data, qualitative, quantitative, and mixed data. Like clay, data is a medium available for shaping stories. When we create maps and infographics, we do so at the confluence of data and design. Skillfully navigating and crafting impactful visual stories is an essential skill for smart nonprofits, effective leadership, and an informed civil society.

In this two-part 180-minute live participation e-certification series, you will engage in an exploration of visual data storytelling. You’ll learn to assess and understand the narrative power behind maps and infographics through a dynamic examination of their power. We’ll explore real-world examples to see what makes an infographic effective and impactful and discuss how to create visual indexes and proxies that serve as guides to interpretation. We’ll also address the topic of bias in visual data storytelling: how to identify it, understand its impact, and use it strategically in our narratives. By engaging with these elements, participants will enhance their critical thinking skills in the context of data visualization and get equipped with the newest insights and practical knowledge. This SSIR Live! webinar-workshop is developed, facilitated, and presented by Carissa Carter, the academic director at the Stanford d.school, the Hasso Plattner Institute for Design at Stanford University.

Note: This is not a data analytics or statistics course; it is suitable for anyone, regardless of their familiarity with design, data, and storytelling. This hands-on and engaging online workshop will be highly beneficial to leaders and practitioners from nonprofits, foundations, government, business, and other social sector organizations. With a blend of theory and practice, this live program series will leave participants with the tools to craft narratives that are not only informative but also compelling and memorable. Whether you’re looking to tell the story of your organization’s impact, shed light on complex issues, or simply bring data to life in new and engaging ways, this workshop will provide the foundation and inspiration to do so. Join us and transform the way you see and share stories with data.