Dataviz Drawing Class: Learn to design custom, creative data visualisations

8 & 9 February 2022
Online & intimate: maximum 15 participants
Session time each day:
8:00 – 11:30 CST
9:00 – 12:30 EST
14:00 – 17:30 GMT
15:00 – 18:30 CET
(living elsewhere? Use this timezone converter )
About the workshop:
Drawing from life now means drawing our data! In this drawing class, data is the lively, vibrant model on the plinth before us.
Starting a data project through sketching by hand introduces novel ways of thinking, and leads to designs that are uniquely customised for the specific type of data problems we are working with. How would your approach within a data-driven project change if you started by sketching offscreen instead of jumping directly into visualisation software or code?
This intimate, two-session workshop is structured as follows:
Session 01 begins by providing a basic overview of data visualisation as seen through the lens of drawing. Next, participants undertake a series of fast-paced drawing challenges where they work with the constraints inherent in a single black crayon or stick of charcoal, applying techniques found in traditional drawing classes to data visualisation and exploring quick experimental strategies for pushing their custom visualisation ideas into new directions.
Session 02 puts the ideation techniques from Session 01 into practice, where participants will explore the creation of a custom visualisation system using nothing but basic drawing materials.
Alongside the class project, participants will gain insight into what a custom dataviz design process looks like as well as how to find visual inspiration when creating a custom visualisation method.
By the end of this workshop, participants will both better understand how to implement a creative data design process and also have access to a variety of off-screen creative strategies for working with data and shaping its aesthetic (even if moving onto the computer / into code at a later point!)
Topics covered include:

By the end of the workshop, attendees will:

Technical requirements:

Drawing materials needed:
About the course leader
Stefanie Posavec is a designer, artist, and author focused on creating playful, accessible, and human-scaled custom approaches to communicating data.
Her work has been exhibited at major galleries including MoMA, the Storefront for Art and Architecture (New York), the Centre Pompidou (Paris), ArtScience Museum (Singapore), the V&A, the Design Museum, the Wellcome Collection, the Science Museum, The Southbank Centre, and Somerset House (London), and Bletchley Park. She was Facebook’s first data-artist-in-residence at their Menlo Park campus, and recent art residencies include the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London.
Her Dear Data project (with Giorgia Lupi) has transformed data visualisation education and is included across the globe as a standard part of design, dataviz and data science curriculum for all ages and education levels. Besides leading to two hugely-popular books ( Dear Data and the journal Observe, Collect, Draw! ) the project was also nominated for Design Museum’s ‘Designs of the Year 2016’ and is held in the permanent collection of MoMA.
Stefanie’s latest illustrated book ( I am a book. I am a portal to the universe. , co-authored with Miriam Quick) has received multiple accolades, including being named one of the Financial Times ’ ‘Best Books of 2020’, winning the Royal Society’s Young People’s Book Prize 2021, and winning Silver (in the ‘Unusual’ category) in the Information is Beautiful Awards.
Reduced / concession tickets:
A limited amount of discounted tickets are available for students and attendees from low- or middle-income countries; more details can be found in the ticket fee dropdown menu.

Cancellation / change policy:
Full refunds (minus the non-refundable Eventbrite processing fee) are offered for any cancellations made up to 7 days before the course start date.
Cancellations made during the 7 days prior to the course’s start time will be offered a 50% refund.
Alternatively, you can switch your registration to another person! Please email stef@itsbeenreal.co.uk to discuss in more detail.
In the extremely, extremely rare event the course itself has to be cancelled because of unforeseen circumstances, all attendees will be given a full refund (this includes the processing fee). Refunds are limited to registration costs only: Stefanie Posavec is not liable for any other costs incurred.