Thread by @rasagy

@OutlierConf — the first-ever conf by @DataVizSociety — kicked off today. So far, it’s been a mix of inspiring #dataviz projects, insights into design processes and SO MANY AMAZING 1:1 CHATS! ♥️

Here’s an ongoing thread with some of my #sketchnotes & links.
#Outlier2021 (1/n)

The day kicked off with @MollzMP talking about how she went from *no-one-wants-virtual-confs* to *wait-this-is-a-great-idea*! (I’m paraphrasing!)

A virtual @OutlierConf is:
🌏 Global
🙌 Inclusive
⏰ Flexible
🛋 Comfortable
🌳 Environment-friendly!

#Outlier2021 (2/n)

The first talk was by Caroline Goulard from @dataveyes, who gave a sneak preview into an immersive visualization of COVID-19 research publications.

Mapping 26K parameters as a force-directed graph & clusters resulted in some amazing patterns!

#sketchnote #Outlier2021 (3/n)

The process of creating the project involved iterative prototyping and testing, that highlighted the clustering approach worked better than force-directed graph.

Great project to ask, “Is such a complex viz become better than a simple table/search?”

#Outlier2021 (4/n)

PS: This project is still work-in-progress, but you should definitely check out some of the other amazing projects by @dataveyes team on dataveyes.com/en/projects

#Outlier2021 (5/n)

The next session was my favorite — @Patcheez94 & @mick_yang from @konti_sg showcased a series of inspiring & unique data stories based on their cultural experiences.

From Rohingya refugees to chillis & queues in Asia — so many topics!

kontinentalist.com

#Outlier2021 (6/n)

What I loved was their process of creating these beautiful data stories:

♥️ Write for yourself
👁 Find an angle + be proudly niche!
⁉️ Unpack diversity
🗣 Test conventional wisdom
📊 Find quantifiable data

#sketchnote #Outlier2021 (7/n)

Next, @JanWillemTulp shared some insightful thoughts on why & how to do #dataviz side projects — evaluating ideas on Relevance & Originality.

His work (and so many examples he showed) will make you want to start one right away!

#sketchnote #Outlier2021 (8/n)

Finally, I attended Sara Eichner’s talk introducing this year’s @DataXDesign exhibition.

I’ve always been intrigued by how the traditional art world looks at #DataArt — her thoughts on curation, engagement & insightfulness were great!

#sketchnote #Outlier2021 (9/n)

PS: Yes, I couldn’t stop myself from sketching the *hot dog map projection* — don’t blame me, blame @W_R_Chase! 🙈

PPS: Sketching @beefoo’s data sonification project doesn’t do it any justice, you have to watch it: vimeo.com/118358642 (TY @duncangeere!)

#Outlier2021 (10/n)

Apart from the talks, I met some amazing folks through @Hopin’s roulette feature.

From PhD students like @Imdarshanaj & @amitjenaiitbm to Data Science folks like @dragonflystats & @llNouha and an amazing data illustrator — @shazyra! ✨

#Outlier2021 #IntrovertsCanNetwork (11/n)

That’s all for [my] Day #1.

I missed a few talks that I hope to catch up via the recording. It’s way past midnight and I have to be up early tomorrow for @mick_yang’s unconference session: “Are you an Asian snack?” 🤣

See you all tomorrow! 👋

#Outlier2021 (12/n)

Time for a few more sketchnotes from #Outlier2021! The two days were filled with awe-inspiring project showcase & a lot of informal conversations, which were incredibly hard to sketchnote.

But there were a few sessions that were thought-provoking (that I was awake for)

(13/n)

One of the talks I was looking forward to was @miriamquick & @duncangeere speaking about their data sonification project: @loudnumbers.

Having not experienced many sonification projects, I was fairly skeptical of it being a useful medium to communicate data.

#Outlier2021 (14/n)

…Their talk was not just an excellent introduction to inspiring data sonification projects, they also had some great pointers on which audio parameter to use when (possible ontology/framework opportunity!)

Join their newsletter to know more!

🔊 #sketchnote #Outlier2021 (15/n)

One of the most thought-provoking talk at #Outlier2021 was by @mushon, who questioned the role of viz in building empathy, and the moral implications of this approach.

His talk was filled with amazing quotes, references & prompts to reflect upon.

#sketchnote (16/n)

@mushon’s talk burst my design bubble — obsessed with empathy. Understanding how empathy contributes to violence (!) and reduces our ability to see the bigger picture was an eye-opener.

I look forward to seeing guidelines on when not to leverage it in viz.

#Outlier2021 (17/n)

If you’re interested in knowing more, he has a great article summarizing his thoughts: responsibledata.io/2015/10/19/dat… and also spoke on this on the @policyviz podcast: policyviz.com/podcast/rees-m…

#Outlier2021 (18/n)

Today, I attended @defilippovale’s inspiring talk on her personal journey through viz.

I resonated with a lot of her talk — shuffling roles/skills/tools, power of collaboration, saying NO, and the focus on clarity (not simplicity).

#Sketchnote #Outlier2021 (19/n)

There were several other talks that I watched & was left speechless, like @emmamargarita’s mixing of dance/knitting/smart textiles/data, stories from @data4change projects, @karim_douieb’s election map, & @datacitron’s t̶a̶l̶k̶ motion picture experience! 😍

#Outlier2021 (20/n)

But beyond the talks, I had such a great time jumping in the unconference sessions. From sharing eclectic asian snack foods, discussing collaboration, watching game-show-like Q&A and sketching charts — these informal sessions made it more than a *webinar*.

#Outlier2021 (21/n)

It’s nearly midnight here (& the FOMO is kicking in) but I’m glad that all the talks are recorded — *my* #Outlier2021 will go on for the next week as I catch up on more sessions that I missed.

Will add more notes if I get the time. Kudos to the whole team for doing this! (22/?)