Presenting incomplete data sets accurately

Kat Greenbrook from Rogue Penguin specialises in data storytelling. (She runs workshops on it – I recommend them!)

In 2020, she thoughtfully presented information about measles

It's an impressive set of information graphics because she had an incomplete data set – and she didn't hide that.

Why the images work

  • She used grey or blue shading to show gaps in the data

  • Small notes explain what the shading represents

'Warts and all' makes us trust

  • We see the available data in context – and we still see the story

  • It makes us trust the data more because Kat's not hiding anything

Read Measles in Aotearoa on Rogue Penguin's website.

Read Measles in Aotearoa on Rogue Penguin's website.

 

📩 Sign up for regular writing tips – get new tips direct to your inbox every 2 weeks

↩️ Back to more examples of great writing

Check out my Regulatory Communication workshop — it's for people who tell other people about complying with regulations and laws.

Look into the School of unProfessional Writing to learn about plain language at your own pace

Next
Next