What is it about?
We interviewed 19 visual journalists, graphics reporters, and data journalists from news outlets worldwide. Although their contexts and geography is different, they share design processes and concerns. But one common trait was undeniable: they all learned Data Visualization through self teaching.
Featured Image
Photo by Mel Poole on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Data Visualization is ever more relevant in a information-forward society. Yet, journalists generally don’t acquire formal education in visual communication and graphical representation. If charts and other diagrammatical representations make it easier for users to grasp complex information, it is ever more essential to educate people whose job is to present information in how to better code it in graphic form.
Perspectives
This study is part of my Ph.D. research and it might be the one I’m most proud of. Academia often encloses itself, not opening up to users and professionals. But design research has the opportunity to improve awareness of a problem and propose effective solutions that can improve workflows, productivity, and education. By connecting to visual journalists we were able to use research methodologies to study a day-to-day problem and provide insights can can affect actual change.
Salomé Esteves
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: “I learned it on the job”, Information Design Journal, December 2022, John Benjamins,
DOI: 10.1075/idj.22004.est.
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