This is an Eval Central archive copy, find the original at depictdatastudio.com. I work as a program analyst for a government agency, and it is my job to find ways to improve the efficiency of day-to-day program operations. An important part of my job is identifying and creating the appropriate communication products for each program, […]
How to Hack Excel — and Add Totals to the Tops of Stacked Column Charts
This is an Eval Central archive copy, find the original at depictdatastudio.com. “But you can’t do that in [Excel / Tableau / Numbers / Google Sheets / insert your own…]!” Well, maybe you could. When you work with data, you usually use the same tools over and over. You become familiar with them. You know […]
Humanity in Data Visualization: Designing a One-Pager for My Grandma’s Caregivers
This is an Eval Central archive copy, find the original at depictdatastudio.com. I registered for the Simple Spreadsheets course because I was a beginner with using Excel and I knew I was utilizing only a fraction of its capabilities. I also had the good fortune of attending some of Ann’s in-person presentations about data visualization […]
Change Takes Time: How to Practice Patience in Report Redesign Processes
This is an Eval Central archive copy, find the original at depictdatastudio.com. This guest post comes from Abby Henderson. Abby Henderson, MS, is a Project Manager at Veris Insights. Abby got her Master’s in Program Evaluation and Data Analytics from ASU in 2019, while working at the Center for Applied Behavioral Health Policy within the […]
Using Dashboards to Make a Family Trivia Event Even Better
This is an Eval Central archive copy, find the original at depictdatastudio.com. Emily Ross recently finished her PhD in health services research and is now as a junior evaluation consultant at Ference & Company Consulting. She enrolled in our Dashboard Design course and is sharing how she used her new skills in her personal life. […]
10 Subtle Signs of “Death by PowerPoint”
This is an Eval Central archive copy, find the original at depictdatastudio.com. Death by PowerPoint makes our audience scroll through their phone or lose interest. Important information sits on the slide, gathering dust. We’re all familiar with the obvious signs of Death by PowerPoint: Text-wall slides with bullet points for daaaays. Using filler words (um, […]
How to Present Dense Data Visualizations (Without Losing Your Audience)
This is an Eval Central archive copy, find the original at depictdatastudio.com. Ten years ago, I had terrible insomnia. I was working full-time and finishing graduate school at night. My stress came out as insomnia. I’d get tired of laying in bed… and go make YouTube videos. For me, being up in the middle of […]
How to Avoid Death by PowerPoint by Differentiating Between Slidedocs and Slidedecks
This is an Eval Central archive copy, find the original at depictdatastudio.com. Do you use PowerPoint? Probably. What do you use PowerPoint for? You might use PowerPoint to: Create slides to accompany a presentation (i.e., you’re getting ready to speak at a conference, meeting, or other in-person or virtual event); and/or Create documents that someone […]
How to Visualize Margin of Error Data in Excel with “Slider Plots”
This is an Eval Central archive copy, find the original at depictdatastudio.com. Andrew Forsman is a Depict Data Studio student and self-described “data viz nerd” who has over 10 years of experience helping organizations plan for, execute, and learn from research and evaluations. Andrew’s sharing examples of slider plots and step-by-step instructions for making them […]
Creating Reports for Grant Deliverables Using Excel Dashboards
This is an Eval Central archive copy, find the original at depictdatastudio.com. Josephine Engels is an Evaluation Specialist at Mental Health America of Greater Houston. She enrolled in our Dashboard Design course and is sharing how she uses her new skills in real life. Thanks for sharing, Josephine! –Ann — Are you tired of text […]