Accessible data visualisation workshops for all
My workshops make the data visualisation design process accessible to everyone – from data experts to beginners. Instead of focusing solely on the ‘dos and don’ts’ of data visualisation, I focus on building participants' confidence with creating custom, creative visualisations that speak to their unique needs.
Using only simple drawing materials, these analogue workshops emphasise principles and concepts over technical skills, creating a welcoming environment where participants feel comfortable exploring new ideas. By stepping away from the screen, I encourage participants to sketch, modify, and improve their visualisations in a more thoughtful way.
A mix of lectures and hands-on exercises help participants confidently generate creative ideas, leaving with practical strategies they can immediately apply to their work. I also offer specialised workshops for data experts, helping them better understand how to communicate their data to a general audience through effective communication design and the creation of effective ‘data experiences’.
Why this works
My tool-agnostic approach focuses on data visualisation principles without relying on technology. Participants discover that just five minutes with pencil and paper can often lead to more creative and effective visualisation solutions than immediately jumping onto the computer. This low-tech, high-impact method shows that all you need to start learning data visualisation is a pencil!
Crafted for diverse industries
I’ve had the privilege of teaching workshops across a wide range of sectors, including tech, education, government, and design. My workshops cater to groups ranging from 10-100 participants from diverse fields and all cultural backgrounds, helping them move beyond basic charts and graphs to create data-driven stories that resonate with their specific audiences.
Selected clients:
Policy, Advocacy & Government
Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority
European Commission
Ministry of Internal Affairs and Kingdom Relations (NL)
National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (NL)
UK Department of Education (Policylab)
UK Ordnance Survey
UN Women (Kazakhstan, Albania, Myanmar)
World Bank
Global Technology & Consultancy
BCG
Facebook
ING Bank
LinkedIn
Academia
Columbia University
Newcastle University
University of Nottingham
NYU Tisch School of the Arts (ITP)
Reuben College, Oxford
Looking to elevate your team’s data skills?
I offer custom and off-the-shelf workshops for corporate groups, educational institutions, and more. Whether it’s a one-day session or more in-depth training, I’ll help participants develop the skills to transform data into creative, human-centred stories.
Arts, Innovation & Design
Design Museum, London
Guardian Masterclasses
Korea Creative Content Agency
UX London
Victoria & Albert Museum
Workshops for every timeframe and audience
I often tailor custom workshops to meet specific client needs, but below are examples of my workshop offerings. All workshops can be held as an in-person or virtual session.
Draw Your Data ‘Selfie’
One hour
A team-building workshop introducing data visualisation basics through drawing and sharing personal data. Participants create an abstract ‘self-portrait’ based on their core values or preferences, learning more about themselves and their fellow workshop attendees in the process.
Draw Your Closest Connections!
1.5-2.5 hours
Learn data visualisation basics while reflecting on personal relationships by creating a dataset from your closest connections. The workshop guides you in visualising this data through drawing, resulting in a highly-personal drawing based on one’s unique data.
Data Sketching Class
2.5-3.5 hours
The course approaches data visualisation through the lens of drawing. Participants undertake a series of playful, timed drawing exercises to learn how to fearlessly sketch and iterate quickly offscreen when creating custom data visualisation solutions (even if they move onto computer / into code at a later point!)
Dataviz Drawing Class
Full-day / 2 x 3.75 hour sessions (virtual)
Learn to design custom, creative data visualisations!
The morning / Virtual Session 01 follows the structure of my Data Sketching Class, while the afternoon / Virtual Session 02 lets participants put these ideas into practice by creating a custom visualisation system using nothing but simple drawing materials.
Data visualisation for design teams
In-person: full day | Virtual: 6-6.5 hours
This course explores data visualisation’s essential functions and creative possibilities, guiding participants from data analysis to the design and implementation of a custom visualisation method. By the end of the workshop, participants will have a clear understanding of the data visualisation design process and workflow needed to turn a dataset into a visualisation that’s ready to publish.
Data, Designed
In-person: full day | Virtual: 2 x half-day sessions
A workshop that brings together both data pros and designers, teaching participants how to bring data to life using innovative visualisation techniques. Co-taught with Jon Schwabish (Urban Institute / Policyviz), this workshop blends expertise from both sides of the data visualisation world: data science and design.
Testimonials
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‘An excellent mix of introduction/theory and applied learning… I could literally feel my brain stretching trying to think differently, which was a good thing!’
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‘I really appreciated Stefanie’s friendly and generous attitude.’
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‘Dataviz Drawing Class transformed my outlook on something as simple as making a routine graph’
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'This workshop helped me stretch my brain and move from inside-the-box thinking'
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'The workshop helped me with perfectionism freeze'
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'The exercises served as a valuable opportunity for me to challenge myself and work out of my comfort zone.'