Getting to the Heart of Data
by Diana Hahn
As a freelance writer, I work with a variety of organizations and projects that span multiple sectors – from education, to health, to science, to community-based organizations. The work I do with Hawai‘i Data Collaborative (HDC), however, sits at the intersection of these domains because insight from data can make us smarter in just about anything.
Making Data Make Sense
In recent years, “data” has become a trending buzzword. At the same time, it can feel intimidating and inaccessible due to its highly specialized nature. For me, the challenge in writing for a non-technical audience about a technical topic, like data, is humanizing the content so readers understand why they should care, while also explaining it in a relevant way so readers can better grasp the concepts.
For example, data geeks might get really excited about the technical complexities of a model, but most other folks will need to hear about the model’s applications and the potential impact on decision-making and real-world outcomes to understand why it matters. My job is to connect the (potential) impact back to the technical side in a way that a lay reader can digest, encapsulate, and share. When I’m writing, my goal is for the reader to not only find the article interesting and relevant enough to share, but to be able to relate the main ideas to a friend or colleague in a five minute conversation later that day.
To achieve that, I make sure I first understand what’s most important to the reader – the “so what.” It’s the driving force behind why data is even being employed. Why are we collecting and analyzing data on a particular topic? What good can the data do, or what difference can it make? Situating the “so what” as my compass, I’m then able to ask the right questions and drill down into the technicalities within the context of why it’s important – beyond data for data’s sake – and tell a story that’s relatable and meaningful.
Processing the Data
Typically, I plan to gather more information than goes into a published piece. I ask a lot of questions and aim to learn 25% to 50% more about a topic than I put into the final draft. Having this additional context helps surface what’s truly important to elevate and how those key pieces fit together in a meaningful way that resonates with the reader.
In one sense, I’m distilling – picking and choosing the details to paint a clear, uncluttered picture. While I’m distilling, however, I’m also translating. Many of the data-centered conversations I have in preparation for writing involve listening to a good amount of jargon, then reflecting the concepts back to the expert in layperson terms, followed by a confirmation or clarification to ensure we’re on the same page.
I’ve learned that in the world of data, the initial question or problem often sounds simple but the ensuing processes, data sets, analyses, insights, and follow up questions never – or very rarely – are. Writing about data can feel like completing a jigsaw puzzle, figuring out how to communicate complex, non-linear systems and ideas in the very linear format that is writing and reading. Sometimes I want to say three things at once, but need to pause and think through a logical, sequential order that builds upon itself – that’s just how words on a page work! I have to ask myself what a reader needs to know first, how the ideas connect to each other, and then thread them together in a way that makes sense for readers who don’t have an extensive data background.
Data with Heart
I really enjoy working with HDC because they are data geeks with heart, and I’m not just saying that because I write for them! What stands out to me about the HDC team is that they care deeply about the things that matter – equity, community, access to information and resources to name a few. Along with caring, they are constantly asking “why?”, which leads to drill down questions, which lead to insight, which leads to iteration and refinement, which leads to more questions, and on and on…
By focusing on household need, HDC uses their data geek super powers for good rather than for exploitation, extraction, or optimization at the expense of people. Alongside their partners, they thoughtfully dig into some of the toughest, long-standing social challenges that have plagued our state – challenges that are easy to throw our hands up in the air at, or charge at blindly. These partners, with HDC’s support, make a tangible difference in our community. The folks I’ve interviewed for the HDC blog have all had different experiences with HDC and data based on the needs of the communities they serve, but the one commonality is that leveraging their own data for insight has informed and/or improved how they serve their communities.
In short, everyone I’ve come across through HDC – from team members, to subject matter experts, to leaders of community-based organizations – have been good people doing good work. This, above all else, is what matters most to me when I communicate a message or story on behalf of an organization. It makes the writing all the more interesting, worthwhile, and enjoyable.
