By Andy Kirk | October 12, 2015 | Fieldnews

This post is to share news of a free event being held in Sheffield on the afternoon (2pm to 5pm) of Tuesday 10th November 2015: "What can data visualisation do? A conversation with experts". Tickets are limited so act now: REGISTER TO ATTEND!

What is the event about?

The event is hosted by Helen Kennedy, Professor of Digital Society in the Department of Sociological Studies at the University of Sheffield and Director of the Seeing Data research project:

This event, held as part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science, considers what data visualisations can contribute to society. Visualisation experts will consider whether data visualisation can contribute to society, and what that contribution might be. These are important questions, as data are increasingly ubiquitous, assumed to have the power to explain our social world, and used to inform decision-making. Data visualisation is seen as one way of making it possible for people who are not data experts to make sense of data, because, some argue, they promote data transparency and awareness. The event will interrogate whether this is the case.

It includes presentations from two leading figures in data visualisation today:

Alan Smith, Data Visualisation Editor at The Financial Times and former Head of Digital Content for the Office for National Statistics (ONS)

Thomas Clever from award-winning Dutch visualisation agency Clever Franke.

In addition to these talks, the event will include a ‘show & tell’ slot, in which people using data visualisation to make a contribution to society will present some of their work. These presentations will be given by:

Freelancer and award-winning data visualisation and information designer Valentina D’Efilippo

Visualisation expert William Allen from The Migration Observatory at COMPAS (Centre on Migration, Policy and Society), University of Oxford

Giulio Frigieri, information designer at The Observer newspaper and for NGOs such as Human Rights Watch.

Who is it for?

The event will be of interest to people working with data, for example in open data initiatives, public and third sector organisations, charities and in research, as well as designers and other visual communicators. Data activists, campaigners, workers, analysts and visualisers are all welcome, as are people with a curiosity about the visual representation of data.

Where is it?

The event takes place in the Showroom Workstation’s Creative Suite, accessed via the Workstation entrance on Paternoster Row, Sheffield S1 2BX. The venue is located a short five-minute walk from the train station and is easily accessible from the city centre.