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Human-Centered Data Design

3iap helps clients design and develop effective, persuasive interfaces between busy people and their messy data.

Learn about 3iap here, see an overview of 3iap’s services here, or even better, send an email to hi@3iap.com to get in touch.

3iap's approach to data design is outcome-driven and deeply rooted in research. Effective use of data doesn't need trillion-neuron models or MoMA-worthy graphics, it just needs to work for the people who use it.




The essays below highlight our favorite examples of empirically effective data design. They include findings from our own work and others, each with a different lens on the surprising ways that data can make a difference.



Polarizing Political Polls

Our new research shows how opinion polling visualizations can shape public opinion and increase political...

Through a partisan lens: How politics overrides information.

A political psychology primer for information designers.

Unfair Comparisons: How Visualizing Social Inequality Can Make It Worse

Our research shows how popular chart choices can trigger unconscious social biases and reinforce systemic...

Timely Advice: How long does dataviz take?

Visualizing 3iap timesheets for 10 dataviz client projects. How much time goes into researching, data...

What can go wrong?

Exploring racial equity dataviz and deficit thinking, with Pieta Blakely.

“Dispersion & Disparity” Research Project Results

How masking uncertainty encourages stereotyping when visualizing social outcome disparities

Dashboard Psychology: Effective Feedback in Data Design

The psychology behind “what you measure you improve”...

Radical Dots Simulator: Visualizing Agent Belief Change

Visualizing extreme belief formation, echo chambers, polarization, and attitude latitudes.

Visualizing Expectations

Understanding the psychology and impact of expectation-setting and information design.

Good Dashboards Inform. Great Dashboards Align.

Dashboards don't have to be data dumpsters. At their best, great dashboards are a monument to what matters...

Motivational Data Visualization

Exploring the motivational impacts of 7 user-data visualizations in everyday products and services.

Goal Setting: “Measurable” shouldn't mean “Miserable”

A quick exercise for defining “measurable” OKRs

Winning at @ratemyskyperoom

In these uncertain times, the world needs hard-hitting data journalism now more than ever. This is not...

Settling the Debate: Bars vs Lollipops (vs Dot Plots)

Results of testing Bars, Lollipops and Dot Plots with 150 Mechanical Turkers for accuracy, preference...

Lemonade & Human-Centered KPIs

How to set team KPIs that won't cost your lemonade stand $3B in fines. 5 principles for designing inspiring...

Americans struggle with Graphs

When communicating data to 'the public,' how simple does it need to be? How much complexity can people...

"What is this chart trying to tell you?"

Crucial questions to ask when user testing data visualizations.




Work samples we're proud of:

Below are a few project examples.


Nightingale Magazine - Absurd Print Editorial Visualizations

Five data visualization designs supporting a printed magazine article.

World Government Summit Dataviz: Twenty-Nine Years of Hot Air

An overview of cumulative greenhouse gas emissions. Shortlist finalist for the World Dataviz Prize.

Ugandan Survey Research Project: Data Exploration Tool Design

Data visualization, information design, and product design for a leading market research firm.

Temple University: Public Health Policy Dataset Discovery and Exploration

Data visualization, information design, Open Data discovery and UI/UX for Temple's LawAtlas.

Pharmaceutical Clinical Trials Data Visualization

Data Visualization Design and Exploration Tool Development for a Fortune 500 Pharmaceutical Firm

Designing Approachable, Self-Serve People Analytics

Data Visualization, Presentation and Dashboard Design

Graphicacy: Polling Data Timeseries Dataviz Development

Survey Data Visualization Development with Graphicacy

Doom Haikus: Machine Learning, Poetry and Despair

Developing a dataset and data explorer for machine summarization and haiku language models

StreetLinx: Organizational X-Ray Vision for Securities Counterparties

Data Product Design and Development for StreetLinx

3d Clothing Rendering Pipeline

Developing a pattern-to-pants graphics pipeline

PwC: Productizing a Workforce Performance Analytics Service

Motivational Analytics Consulting, Data Product Design and MVP Development for Pw

Personalized Fitness Dataviz for Consumer Health-Tracking

Data Visualization, Product Design and MVP Development for notch.me








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No guinea pigs (or humans) have been harmed in the course of 3iap’s research, writing, or experiments.