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Attempts of a non-designer to visually present information so it’s clear

Attempts of a non-designer to visually present information so it’s clear

I used to think that tinkering with figures and tables was an indulgence—I did it for fun if I had time. But now I know that visual presentation matters and that even a non-designer can make better figures and tables.

See the list of resources at the end of this post for my related book recommendations.

If I’ve learned anything this year, it is that design is important for clear communication. That means whenever we have data, we must think how we can present them in an easy-to-understand and usable way.

So when I came across some data that I knew could be better presented, I had fun trying to do just that—without using any complicated design skills. (I also tried to keep in mind accessibility principles, but I don’t know if I’ve succeeded.)

Example 1: Converting a list into a table

The first example is a mapping done by different teams of the kinds of experience they could bring to a joint project.

Before: A list with headings

The original was a simple list.

Team A
  • Expertise with government policy development
  • Small-scale in-country activities
  • Strong local networks
Team B
  • Good country presence
  • Strong global networks
  • Working with hard-to-reach groups
Team C
  • Expertise in diplomacy
  • Strong local partnerships with training institutes
  • Contextualizing content to specific countries and regions
Team D
  • Expertise in health
  • Technical IT expertise with online platforms
  • Contextualizing content to specific countries and regions

It’s good they bolded the team names and used bullets so there are some visual cues to help the reader.

But it’s still difficult to see at a glance how the expertise is spread out and whether there are any gaps.

After: A table with columns and colors

My solution was to put the data into a table. I like tables because they help visually organize the information.

First, the plain HTML version.

NetworksSpecialized experienceContextualizationIT/Platform
Team AStrong local networksExpertise with government policy developmentYes
Team BGood country presence
Strong global networks
Working with hard-to-reach groups
Team CStrong local partnerships with training institutesExpertise in diplomacyYes
Team DExpertise in healthYesTechnical IT expertise with online platforms

And below is a screenshot of the version with color-coded cells (I didn’t know a good way to change background colors in the table cells with WordPress so couldn’t fully recreate it in HTML).

Table with four rows representing teams A, B, C and D. There are four columns: "networks," "specialized experience," "contextualization," and "IT platform." The responses from each team were put in the relevant columns and shaded in the team color.
The information that was in a list is now presented in a color-coded table. I hope it’s easier to see who has done what and what areas need more help.

What I did

  • Created categories and put them into columns: I noticed the list items could be grouped into categories. Defining those categories then let me put them into columns. Now, it’s easy to see at a glance what types of expertise across all teams are available.
  • Used shading: This makes it easier to immediately see which cells are a “yes” (i.e., have content), and which are a “no” (are blank).
  • Used colors for each team: I associated each team with a particular color. The colors aren’t only about making the table look pretty; they should help readers see which cell belonged to which team. In the actual document I was working on, I used the organization’s brand colors for each team. (I’m not sure whether the patterns behind the colored cells are effective in terms of visibility; I’d need to study this a bit more).

Now everyone can see that all teams listed expertise in four broad categories. Most (A, B & C) had strong local networks and experience with “contextualization” (A, C & D).

It’s also very clear that only Team D has experience with IT and online platforms—so if the project needs that expertise, we know (a) we must have Team D take part, or (b) we need to hire somebody to fill in that gap.


Example 2: Improving a table

Here’s a second example, where the different activities (a bit nonsensical) are matched to teams.

Before: A table of text

This time, the original data are already presented in a table. But it’s still difficult to see who will do what.

ActivityTeams
Content expertsTeam A, Team D
Virtual realityTeam C
PodcastsTeam D
Radio programmesTeam A, Team B, Team D
MentoringTeam C
Training of trainersTeam B, Team D

After: A table with meaningful columns

Here’s the “after” version of the table. Again, first the HTML version.

ActivityTeam ATeam BTeam CTeam D
Content expertsYesYes
Virtual realityYes
PodcastsYes
Radio programsYesYesYes
MentoringYes
Training of trainersYesYes

And the screenshot is below:

Table with a type of activity on each row. Four columns represent teams A, B, C & D. The cell for each activity a team can do is marked with an X and shaded in the team color.
The table was rearranged so each team had its own column. A “yes” cell is not only shaded but has an X so that people with colorblindness can still fully read the table.

What I did

  • Gave each team their own column: We’re making use of columns again 🙂
  • Used shading: As with the first example, this allows readers to immediately see which cells are a “yes” (i.e., have content).
  • Used colors for each team: Again, I associated each team with a particular color to help readers see which cell belongs to which team.
  • Used an “X” in addition to the shading: In case someone is colorblind and has a hard time distinguishing between the different colors, I also put in an “X” in the relevant cells—so we’re not relying on color alone to convey the information. (I also tried putting in a background pattern but would have to test if it’s effective…)

Now, we can immediately see which teams are doing which activity and whether the work is evenly distributed.


What do you think? Do these redesigned tables help make it easier to understand and use this information?

I want to emphasize that I’m no designer (I’m sure a designer could make this look even better!). This was all done using Word with no more than playing around with colors and shades.

(The one other thing I’m learning I need to do more is to test it with the users. I did get good feedback from one user; let’s see if I hear from anyone else…)

Resources

If you would like to discuss whether I could help with your scholarly or international development writing project, please send me details via the contact form or email me at info@theclarityeditor.com.

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