Abstract: 

You don’t need to watch the news to know that the drive for broad civic-engagement is more important now than ever before. People from across the political spectrum are fired up and ready to take action; and with the rise of the open data movement among local governments, there is an even greater opportunity for people to stay informed on how policies affect them directly. Open data is readily available to anyone, and through this presentation Radish Lab will walk you through how to see the story behind the numbers and present it in a way that makes sense to the public at large and motivates them to take action. Our goal in this presentation will be to inspire attendees to find new and innovative ways to drive civic engagement from a community level by harnessing open data. Through the course of our talk, we will share case study format examples of open data in action, from a webapp that lets New Yorkers know if their apartment is rent stabilized (https://amirentstabilized.com/) to a mobile app that allows Massachusetts residents to report and track infrastructure problems (http://commonwealthconnect.io/). We will then lead the audience through UX best-practices for keeping audiences engaged through beautiful design and playful interactive elements, as well as provide tips and strategies for working with specific web development tools. Attendees will leave with answers to the following questions: + How can I gain access to open-data? + How can I find the story in the data? + What story will resonate with my audience(s)? + How do I decide which data is meaningful and which data to throw out? + How do I reconfigure and contrast datasets to create a compelling narrative? + How can I use data to make users think differently or mobilize them to take an action?

Bio: 

One of the original founders of Radish Lab, Edward is a skilled interactive storyteller, digital technologist, and data scientist. Combining a rich understanding of creative design and standards-based development, Edward has spent more than a decade creating immersive and interactive digital experiences. He is currently Radish Lab’s technical director, and works to manage the tech team and implement innovative tech solutions to complex challenges that social impact organizations face. He’s truly passionate about empowering communities to create change from the ground up, and his work continues to drive action across audiences.