Overview
Most data visualisations fail to do what they are intended to do. Overcomplicated dashboards, poorly chosen chart types, inaccessible colour schemes, and unclear messaging often obscure insight rather than reveal it. This leads to confusion, misinterpretation, and poor decision-making.
Data is abundant but attention is limited. The challenge is no longer producing charts, but communicating meaning quickly, clearly, and responsibly.
This practical course addresses the most common problems in modern data visualisation and equips you with the tools to overcome them. You will explore how to move beyond default charts and templates, select the right visual approach for your data story, and apply design principles that improve clarity, accessibility, and impact.
Learning Outcomes:
- Select appropriate data visualisation types to clearly communicate different data stories
- Apply a structured process to design, refine, and improve visualisations
- Use colour and typography effectively to enhance clarity, accessibility, and impact
- Identify and avoid misleading or unethical data visualisation practices
- Confidently use tools and resources to support ongoing data visualisation development
What Our Delegates Say
Really engaging course, with plenty of opportunity to as question, from a very knowledgeable trainer. Lots taken away from the course of both things to do and things to look into deeper. Very worthwhile!
UK Research & Innovation
Investment Officer
I’m pleased to have covered a wide range of topics in this course. I have more confidence in recognising the type of charts that exist, how to break them down into visual marks/channels and recognise how and when to apply them.
Environment Agency
Performance Analyst
Some fantastic training, a good comprehensive overview of great data visualisation practices with a supportive, open and enjoyable environment to learn within. The speaker was friendly, open, articulate and effective in making the content feel approachable and engaging. Very happy to have experienced the course.
Queens University Belfast
PhD Student
Very interesting and informative course. It helped me to increase my knowledge around the subject and take information back to my role regarding best practice when putting together graphs and charts
Hampshire Constabulary
Public Access Officer
Excellent Trainer, clear concise, good mix of talking through topics and group discussions, came away with lots of thoughts and helpful hints and tips!
London Borough of Barnet
Commissioning Analyst
Agenda
9:30
Registration and GovPD Welcome Address
9:35
Why Data Visualisation Matters
- The impact of effective vs ineffective visual communication
- What counts as data visualisation and why it matters
- Understanding audience needs and attention (the “5-second rule”)
- Applying course concepts to your own data and context
10.00
Colour in Data Visualisation
- Principles of colour use and meaning in dataviz
- Creating and refining colour palettes using practical tools
- Using colour to emphasise insight and guide interpretation
- Exercise: Build a colour palette for your own visualisation
10.45
Morning Break
11:00
Accessibility and Inclusive Design
- Accessibility considerations beyond common colour pitfalls
- Understanding relevant accessibility standards and guidelines
- Tools for testing colour contrast and accessibility
- Exercise: Refine your palette to meet accessibility requirements
11.30
Choosing the Right Visualisation
- Matching chart types to data types and communication goals
- Encoding time, comparison, and proportion effectively
- When to use (and not use) raw data and tables
- Exercise: Sketch a visual approach to your data story
12.30
Enhancing Visual Impact
- Combining visualisation types with colour and encoding techniques
- Using maps and spatial data effectively
- Applying double encoding appropriately
- Exercise: Develop alternative visual approaches
13.00
Lunch
13.45
Using Text Effectively
- Reducing cognitive load through text hierarchy and placement
- Annotation and labelling to improve clarity
- When to use (and remove) supporting text
- Exercise: Refine text in your visualisation
14.30
Typography for Data Visualisation
- Selecting fonts for clarity and accessibility
- Applying typography principles to charts and tables
- Enhancing readability and consistency
- Practical tips for improving visual presentation
15:00
Coffee Break
15.15
Ethics in Data Visualisation
- Avoiding misleading or biased visual representations
- Understanding the responsibility of the data communicator
- Reviewing and improving flawed visualisations
- Exercise: Critique and fix a problematic chart
15.45
Building an Effective Workflow
- Creating a repeatable data-to-visualisation process
- Capturing design decisions (colour, typography, hierarchy)
- Using tools (e.g. Excel, Figma) to improve efficiency
- Exercise: Create a visualisation using the full workflow
16.15
Summary and Close
- Key takeaways and next steps
- Further resources for continued learning
- Q&A and close
Who should attend ?
This course is ideal for professionals who work with data and need to communicate insights clearly, accurately, and effectively through visualisation. It is particularly suitable for:
- Data analysts and business intelligence professionals
- Performance, insight and reporting teams
- Researchers and evaluation professionals
- Policy, strategy and planning staff presenting evidence to stakeholders
- Public sector, NHS and local government professionals producing dashboards and reports
- Managers and decision-makers who use data to support operational or strategic planning
- Communications and engagement professionals responsible for presenting data to wider audiences
- Anyone creating charts, dashboards, reports or presentations using tools such as Excel, Power BI, Tableau, R or similar platforms
The course is suitable for both beginners looking to build strong foundations in data visualisation and experienced professionals who want to improve the clarity, accessibility and impact of their visual communication.
Course Instructor
Cara Thompson
Cara Thompson is an experienced data visualisation consultant and trainer who specialises in helping organisations transform complex data into clear, engaging, and actionable insights. She supports teams to design intuitive visualisations, communicate data stories effectively, and develop practical approaches that improve both efficiency and impact.
With over a decade of experience in data analysis, reporting, and communication, Cara combines strong technical expertise with a focus on real-world application. She has extensive experience using tools such as R to automate reporting processes, streamline workflows, and produce high-quality visual outputs aligned to organisational needs.
Cara previously spent over 10 years at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, including roles as Head of Psychometrics. In this capacity, she led the development of automated reporting systems, built and managed analytical teams, and worked closely with senior stakeholders to communicate complex performance data to inform strategic decision-making.
She is particularly passionate about making data accessible and meaningful. Her training style is practical, engaging, and focused on building confidence, ensuring participants leave with the skills to create clear, effective, and ethically sound data visualisations.
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