Data visualisation masterclass
Learn Data Storytelling
With more than 10 years experience creating award-winning data-driven stories, we teach you the secrets of turning data into powerful visuals to communicate your message and that drive change.
In our hands-on, interactive workshop we'll walk you through the basics of a good visual and the techniques we use to make information rich charts and visuals. By the end of the workshop you'll be making your own charts.
Unlock the communication power in your data
Stop sharing boring charts in your reports and presentations. Learn to make impactful charts that make your point without you needing to say anything. Make your charts and visuals the star of your show.
What we learned from making more than 500 charts
We've produced and published more than 500 charts over the past two years. In this workshop we share what we learned about making charts and visuals that others want to republish and share.
Learn ...
How to choose the right charts to make
How to increase your chart output
How to make charts & visuals shareable
What makes charts resonate with your audience
The tools you need to simplify visual making
An award-winning team
Your trainers
Laura Grant
Laura Grant is an award-winning data journalist who has been training people in the communications business for five years in data and visualisation skills. She is the founder and director of Media Hack Collective and the managing editor of The Outlier, South Africa’s first data-driven online publication.
Alastair Otter
Alastair has been a journalist for more than 20 years. He has won more than 10 national and international awards for data storytelling and visualisation.
Some of our awards
2024 WAN-IFRA Digital Media Awards Africa Best Data Visualisation winner
2024 Vodacom Journalist of the Year Sustainability winner
2023 Sikuvile Feature Story winner
2018 Vodacom Journalist of the Year
Our stories and charts were referenced/republished by other media at least ...
25 times in the past 3 months
• Daily Maverick • BusinessTech • IOL • News24 • Daily Investor • MoneyWeb • Engineering News, among others
Why you should attend
What you'll learn
Take data from a spreadsheet or table and make it into an eye-catching static or interactive graph using Flourish, an online data visualisation tool
Make interactive graphs that can be published on a website
Turn a static graphic into an eye-catching social media post using Canva, an online design tool
Who should attend
This 4-hour workshop is for anyone who wants to learn how to communicate effectively with graphs and graphics, such as people working in communications, PR or HR. No previous experience or special skills are necessary, this is a beginner-level course. But an openness to trying something new is compulsory.
💬 What people are saying
The How to Tell Stories with Data course was very eye-opening for me. A must for any data professional seeking to tell a story in more imaginative ways than the traditional pie chart or Excel chart.
Sherry Neville
Kim Jurgensen
The data visualisation training with Laura and Alastair was the best four hours I spent last year. It gave me great insight into how to make our stories more accessible, and easier to understand. So glad I did this course – hope there are more to come!
Course Outline
An introduction to graphs and graphics
Why graphs are useful for communicating information
Types of graphs can you make.
Static versus interactive graphs: when to use them
Who is your audience?
Where will you use your graphs and graphics? Presentation, social media, media release for republication
Flourish Part 1
Data basics: Where to find it. What you need to know about it to turn it into a graph. Note: This includes a very gentle introduction to spreadsheets How to get your data into Flourish so you can start creating
Flourish Part 2
How to decide which graph to make
What you need to know about headings, subheads, axes and annotations to make a great graph
Flourish Part 3
How to publish an interactive chart
How to download static charts from Flourish
Adding the finishing touches: A beginner’s guide to Canva
A quick guide to templates for social media, presentations and more
How to get your Flourish graph into Canva
The key design skills you need to turn your graph into a great graphic.
Cape Town
10 May 2024
9am - 1pm
Workshop17 Kloof street
R3,000/person excl VAT
Cape Town
15 May 2024
9am - 1pm
Workshop17 Kloof street
R3,000/person excl VAT
Johannesburg
14 June 2024
9am - 1pm
Workshop17 Firestation Rosebank
R3,000/person excl VAT
© The Outlier. All rights reserved.
💬 What people are saying
The How to Tell Stories with Data course was very eye-opening for me. A must for any data professional seeking to tell a story in more imaginative ways than the traditional pie chart or Excel chart.
Sherry Neville
Kim Jurgensen
The data visualisation training with Laura and Alastair was the best four hours I spent last year. It gave me great insight into how to make our stories more accessible, and easier to understand. So glad I did this course – hope there are more to come!