Data Visualization and Storytelling

Catalog description

In our increasingly data-reliant and data-saturated society, people who understand how to leverage data to generate insights have the power to change the world. Data visualization and storytelling is a crucial skill for policy and data analysts, communications and marketing professionals, and managers and decision-makers within nonprofits, social organizations and the government. With the advent of visualization tools that do not require coding, data storytelling in the digital age is also an attainable skill set for people with varying levels of technical ability. This hands-on introductory course will teach students how to develop meaningful data stories that reveal visual insights accessible for relevant audiences. Students will also learn the basics of Tableau, the industry standard in data visualization tools, to make sense of and visualize publicly available data. Students will leave the course with a portfolio of data visualization projects, analog and digital, that demonstrate the application of data storytelling. This course is intended for a beginner in data visualization and storytelling. Students with extensive prior experience should consult the instructor before enrolling.