Show off your data for better decision-making

It’s an age-old debate: art versus science. Can they co-exist? Can the gap between the two be bridged without compromising one or the other? Over the years, philosophers, sociologists, and many others have proved that the marriage of these two seemingly opposite practices is not only inevitable but beneficial. Human creativity is not limited to the creation of “traditional” art but permeates every aspect of our existence – even (believe it or not) market research, a practice that originates in science.

Perhaps the stage at which we can see the most artistry in the market research space is when our data becomes a story – a story we share with others. Taking the science of the data and its insights and creating a captivating, beautiful visualization using that data is indeed art.

One challenge we’ve faced in the past is restrictions on the level of creativity we can infuse into this step of the process.

One challenge we’ve faced in the past is restrictions on the level of creativity we can infuse into this step of the process. We’ve been constrained by systems that don’t allow customization, which is seemingly incompatible with any creative process. Prescribed templates that don’t necessarily fit the desired outputs and the inability to add in new data and new studies easily have restricted the art of storytelling.

The market research “artist” really needs a blank canvas on which to paint the picture that the data gives them – a canvas that allows them to customize branding and present data in meaningful ways. By removing creative barriers, we can move beyond merely presenting a graph, to developing stories that use custom branding and that present data beautifully. The output for every project is different, so having the room to generate visuals that fit each project is the “artist’s” dream come true.

We have the data (science) driving the visual output (art). Once we create a beautiful “painting” that tells the story of the data in just the right way, we don’t want to lose it – or worse, have to painstakingly and manually update it each time. Traditionally, every time we undertake a new project or add new data, we’ve had to reinvent the wheel. But with Harmoni, the “painted canvas” remains and can be updated automatically without starting over again. Segmenting data and overlaying demographic information is seamless because the data behind the visualization is centralized.

Of course, nothing really happens until insights are shared with others. Studies have shown that the human brain is made for enjoying art – so beautiful data visualization is, well, a no-brainer. By utilizing a system that pulls selected pieces of data into a shareable, universal PowerPoint format, you’ve saved massive amounts of time and frustration. Adding new data to your visualizations is as easy as pulling items off the shelf and adding them to your shopping cart – and then your data is transformed into beautiful stories in a format that can be easily shared with stakeholders. This is the moment the marriage of art and science really benefits our industry and can powerfully influence the way insights are used in business decision making.

Want to read more about how to create compelling insights that inspire action? Download our e-book, The Insider's Guide: Five ways to keep consumer insights at the heart of your organization.

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