“Woke Dataviz: Equitable Data Design For Visualizing People And Social Outcomes” by Holder
Conference:
Type(s):
Title:
- Woke Dataviz: Equitable Data Design For Visualizing People And Social Outcomes
Organizer(s):
Presenter(s)/Author(s):
Abstract:
Wokeness is a problem in the United States. Specifically, Americans aren’t nearly woke enough. And this lack of wokeness could be our undoing. Widespread social misbeliefs aren’t just dangerous for the people being misunderstood, they put everyone at risk, undermining public health, education, economic progress, and democracy itself. These distortions can be small and odd (e.g. questionable hygiene choices) or massive and dangerous (e.g. vaccine skepticism, gun violence, systemic inequality, rising fascism). In this context, woke dataviz isn’t a question of morality or social justice, it’s a matter of self-preservation. The way we visualize others can reinforce these harmful misjudgments. For example, bar charts of outcome disparities can subtly increase blame and stereotyping. On the other hand, more transparent, expressive chart designs can interrupt these biases. Similar effects may be possible in news photography, the elven racial composition in fantasy shows, or “jiggle physics” in video games. This course will explore the surprising interplay between visual representation and social psychology. We’ll look at how dataviz design choices influence perception, how those perceptions can shape broader social beliefs, and how those beliefs, in turn, can ultimately shape our reality. We’ll also branch out into related visual media, communication research, and political psychology, to show how widespread — and weird — these effects can be. This course will also be practical. We’ll cover frameworks for unpacking the social implications of data design, and techniques for clear, constructive representations of the people and systems around us. Participants will leave with a sharper eye, a few added design tricks, and a justifiably smug attitude toward bar charts.
Additional Information:
- Introducing the stakes. (5 minutes)
- Introducing side effects. (5-8 minutes)
- Transition (1 minute)
- Misattribution (13 minutes)
- Social stereotypes (13 minutes)
- Social conformity (10-15 minutes)
- Closing (5 minutes)
- Break! (5 minutes)
- Remainder for exercises plus examples, etc
Beginner
Prerequisite: This is meant to be an introductory course, but some familiarity with data visualization and analysis might be helpful.
Topics: Data Visualization, DEI, Diversity, Research
List of topics and approximate times:
Additional Info: Misjudging others leads to misjudging the world around us, with unfortunate consequences. When visualizing others, our design choices can reinforce these misbeliefs, or correct them. This course explores the surprising interplay between visual representation and social psychology, and how equity-forward design promotes clear, constructive visualizations of people and social outcomes. Please note that computers will not be provided, so be sure to bring your own fully charged laptop to fully participate and enjoy the session.
