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University of WA Masters Program – Student Poster Competition

By Lisa Johnson

Data Dashboards: Maximizing Impact

What is the current landscape of affordable housing policy in King County? This is one of the several questions addressed by my data dashboard framework. Working with the Housing Development Consortium (HDC), my Master of Urban Planning project navigated the world of data display with live manipulation capabilities. Here are a few of my key takeaways:

  1. Be responsible. Sharing data and information should be a trust-building exercise, but this can backfire if not careful. Your organization’s name and project goals should be up front, not hidden. All sources should be clearly identified, and data sets should be made available for download. Transparency is the name of the game – be open to user questions and feedback.
  2. Design matters. Proximity and placement of indicators play a big role in how data is interpreted. A display that could lead viewers to jump to false conclusions is irresponsible and can have real consequences. Also: think about improvements to color contrast and layout benefit all users - accessible design!
  3. Scope, scope, scope. Too much data can be overwhelming and turn users away, while filtering out information can remove important context that makes a viewer care about your dashboard. Early conversations should define the core mission of your platform. Product testing should focus on what a viewer is learning from the display and whether this aligns with the goal of the platform (and the reality of the data).

Check out a prototype of my work.

Planning Lecture on “Disruptive Transport” - November 20 at UW

William (Billy) Riggs will be giving a lecture titled “Disruptive Transport” on Wednesday, November 20, 2019, at 6:30 PM at Architecture Hall, University of Washington, Seattle. Mr. Riggs will talk about the impact of advanced transportation technology (such as shared and networked vehicles and autonomous vehicles) on our streets and cities and ways to rethink our transportation networks to create more sustainable and equitable communities.

Billy Riggs, PhD, AICP, LEED AP is a professor at the University of San Francisco School of Management and the Director of Strategy and Research at Sustinere Consulting. He is a global expert and thought leader in the areas of autonomy and smart transportation, housing, economics and urban development. Mr. Riggs has over 100 publications in these areas and has had his work featured in multiple national media outlets, including The Economist, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and The Atlantic. 

The lecture will start at 6:30 PM in Architecture Hall (Room 147), with a pre-lecture reception at 5:30 PM. These events are being organized by the UW Department of Urban Design & Planning and its Professionals Council.

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