Bringing the ‘Who’ Back into Your Data

“This is it! This approach to viewing the data helps us understand the people behind each data point. Now, when we want to make changes, we know exactly who to engage with to take action.” This was part of a conversation we had with a client last month while testing a new way to present a network-wide survey.

In a world increasingly driven by data, it’s easy to get lost in the numbers. Data visualizations condense vast amounts of information into digestible pieces, helping us quickly grasp complex issues and ideally make informed, meaningful decisions. But amidst the statistics and percentages we review daily, it’s hard to remember that data points aren’t just abstract figures—they represent real people and organizations with varying experiences. 

At SWIM, we’re all about presenting data and information in ways that are human centered and easy to understand—so you can truly ‘See What We Mean’ to activate change within your network. That means keeping it simple, so you don’t have to leave a meeting asking for the slides just to do your own analysis later.

Chances are you’ve heard us talk about our network assessment work in past blogs. This assessment gives you a clearer picture of your network, showcasing each organization’s strengths, capacity needs, and goals—all designed to help your network advance your collective mission. 


When we recently reviewed how we present this information to our clients, we realized our visualizations needed a revamp to be more effective and human-centered. Below, you’ll see an example of how we’ve redesigned our approach to showcasing information. Our goal is to put the 'who' back in your data, enabling networks to collaborate more effectively and better serve the people at the center of your work.

Untitled (1200 x 450 px) by Jenna Hoover

By making a few simple changes—such as adding tooltips and switching to unit charts—we hope that you, the audience, can explore your data independently, allowing you to take action without relying on us (or having to dig in the spreadsheets directly). Unlike standard bar charts, unit charts are more engaging and foster a stronger human connection. This new approach reminds the network hub that the data being viewed represents organizations and, more importantly, their partners in this work—not just numbers.


Ready to use data in ways that activate change in your network? Schedule a discovery call with us.

Stacy Van GorpComment