Explore Explain
Arts & Culture Podcasts
Explore Explain is a long-form podcast and video series hosted by Andy Kirk and launched early 2020. It goes deep behind the scenes of data visualisation projects.
Each episode is structured around a conversation with visualisation designers, developers, or data journalists to explore the design story behind a single visualisation or a related major project. Guests explain the thought-process behind and share insights about the myriad little decisions that underpin the finished works they produce.
Audiences will gain an appreciation of the what, the why and the how, learning about the hidden problems and challenges, the breakthroughs and the eureka moments. You'll learn about the things that were done and the things that were not done, the pressures and frustrations as well as successes and failures.
Each season comprises nine episodes and always seeks to include guests representing a diverse cast of talented practitioners from across the field and around the world, showcasing a wide variety of different types of visualisation work.
Every episode is published as both an audio interview as well as an enhanced video conversation, enriched by detailed visuals that illuminate the discussions. Visit the Youtube channel to see all the recordings, including shorter highlight episodes.
To read more about each episode, and browse through the full archive of conversations, visit the Podcast page on Andy Kirk's Visualising Data website. Explore Explain is a Bethany Andrew production.
Location:
United States
Genres:
Arts & Culture Podcasts
Description:
Explore Explain is a long-form podcast and video series hosted by Andy Kirk and launched early 2020. It goes deep behind the scenes of data visualisation projects. Each episode is structured around a conversation with visualisation designers, developers, or data journalists to explore the design story behind a single visualisation or a related major project. Guests explain the thought-process behind and share insights about the myriad little decisions that underpin the finished works they produce. Audiences will gain an appreciation of the what, the why and the how, learning about the hidden problems and challenges, the breakthroughs and the eureka moments. You'll learn about the things that were done and the things that were not done, the pressures and frustrations as well as successes and failures. Each season comprises nine episodes and always seeks to include guests representing a diverse cast of talented practitioners from across the field and around the world, showcasing a wide variety of different types of visualisation work. Every episode is published as both an audio interview as well as an enhanced video conversation, enriched by detailed visuals that illuminate the discussions. Visit the Youtube channel to see all the recordings, including shorter highlight episodes. To read more about each episode, and browse through the full archive of conversations, visit the Podcast page on Andy Kirk's Visualising Data website. Explore Explain is a Bethany Andrew production.
Language:
English
Website:
https://pod.co/exploreexplain
Episodes
S6E1 - SPECIAL GUEST PANEL - Data Viz Freelancing
2/12/2025
Welcome to episode 1 of season 6 of Explore Explain, a long-form video and podcast series all about data visualisation design.
This episode is taken from a recorded webinar held on 27th January 2025 titled ‘Data Viz Freelancing’ and featuring a panel of guests including:
Julie BrunetTiziana AlocciObinna IwujiAnne-Marie DufourVivian Andreozzi Steven Nijman, Data Journalist and Storytelling Specialist, was unfortunately unable to join due to illness.
With contributions from the audience we explore the pleasures and pitfalls of working professionally as a freelancer in the data visualisation field. The panellists offer valuable insight about their experiences, motivations, and advice about ways of working, with plenty of tips and tactics along the way. Non-freelancers are always quite intrigued by what freelancers do and, similarly, freelancers are always intrigued by what other freelancers do. In this conversation we try to satisfy both dimensions of interest!
As well as listening to this show, you can watch the video of this conversation. Head over to Youtube and visit the Explore Explain channel.
Duration:01:12:44
S5E9 - Alan Smith
1/17/2025
Welcome to episode 9 of season 5 of Explore Explain, a long-form video and podcast series all about data visualisation design.
In this latest episode, I am delighted to welcome Alan Smith, Head of Visual and Data Journalism at the Financial Times in London.
We explore the story behind a unique project Alan worked on titled the 'FT Money Machine': faithfully recreating an analogue computer - built in 1949 by Bill Phillips designed to model the flow of an Economy using water and pumps - but translating it to be experienced in VR, with the FT's first application built for the Apple Vision Pro.
As well as listening to this show, you can watch the video of this conversation. Head over to Youtube and visit the Explore Explain channel.
Duration:01:01:31
S5E8 - SPECIAL GUEST PANEL - The State of Data Viz (Part II)
12/12/2024
Welcome to episode 8 of season 5 of Explore Explain, a long-form video and podcast series all about data visualisation design.
This episode is the second of a two-part special taken from a recorded webinar held on 4th December 2024 titled ‘The State of Data Viz’ and featuring a panel of guests including:
Evelina ParrouRasagy SharmaJoe SharpeJuuso KoponenDatawrapperObinna Iwuji With contributions from the audience, in this second-part episode - 'the research and the resources' - we explore the current state of the data viz field, where its come from, and where its heading in relation to academic developments, tools and technology, and the resources available for people to develop and participate in this field.
As well as listening to this show, you can watch the video of this conversation. Head over to Youtube and visit the Explore Explain channel.
Duration:00:42:07
S5E7 - SPECIAL GUEST PANEL - The State of Data Viz (Part I)
12/12/2024
Welcome to episode 7 of season 5 of Explore Explain, a long-form video and podcast series all about data visualisation design.
This episode is the first of a two-part special taken from a recorded webinar held on 4th December 2024 titled ‘The State of Data Viz’ and featuring a panel of guests including:
Evelina ParrouRasagy SharmaJoe SharpeJuuso KoponenDatawrapperObinna Iwuji With contributions from the audience, in this first-part episode - 'the practice and the people' - we explore the current state of the data viz field, where its come from, and where its heading in relation to trends in the type of work being created, the professions that exist, and the people who make up the data viz community.
As well as listening to this show, you can watch the video of this conversation. Head over to Youtube and visit the Explore Explain channel.
Duration:01:21:05
S5E6 - Michael Brenner, Sarah Slobin & Jon Schwabish
10/29/2024
Welcome to episode 6 of season 5 of Explore Explain, a long-form video and podcast series all about data visualisation design.
In this latest episode, I am delighted to welcome Michael Brenner (Head of Creative at Data4Change), Sarah Slobin (Visual Editor, Reuters), and Jon Schwabish (Senior Fellow, Urban Institute). In a show I've titled ‘The Tools of Our Trade’ we explore the substantial matter of data visualisation technology, explaining how we feel about the current state of data viz tools and how they assist us as data visualisation professionals. We look at how today’s tool landscape has been shaped over time, which options we most value, and the capabilities we feel are possibly lacking.
As well as listening to this show, you can watch the video of this conversation. Head over to Youtube and visit the Explore Explain channel.
Duration:01:13:49
S5E5 - Kat Greenbrook
10/7/2024
Welcome to episode 5 of season 5 of Explore Explain, a long-form video and podcast series all about data visualisation design.
I am delighted to welcome Kat Greenbrook, Data Storyteller, Author, and founder of Rogue Penguin based in Wellington, New Zealand.
In this episode, we discussed Kat's life as a freelancer, starting with learning more about her career background leading up to discovering data visualisation and then the process of switching her path towards being an independent professional. We explore the story of her wonderful first, self-published book, 'The Data Storyteller's Handbook', as well as the design thinking behind an exquisite data physicalisation project concerning her 'Plastic Footprint'.
As well as listening to this show, you can watch the video of this conversation. Head over to Youtube and visit the Explore Explain channel.
Duration:01:08:42
S5E4 - Dominikus Baur & Alice Thudt
7/17/2024
Welcome to episode 4 of season 5 of Explore Explain, a long-form video and podcast series all about data visualisation design.
In this latest episode, I am delighted to welcome Dominikus Baur, Data Visualization Designer & Engineer, and Alice Thudt, Data Visualization Designer, who are based in Munich, Germany. We explore the story behind a project titled 'Full Of Themselves: An analysis of title drops in movies' which analyses and visualises all instances in a movie when one of the characters says the title of the movie. I've been wanting to explore this curiosity myself and so I'm delighted that they've done this and absolute love what they have accomplished!
As well as listening to this show, you can watch the video of this conversation. Head over to Youtube and visit the Explore Explain channel.
Duration:01:17:25
S5E3 - Natalie Erdem
6/13/2024
Welcome to episode 3 of season 5 of Explore Explain, a long-form video and podcast series all about data visualisation design.
In this latest episode I am delighted to welcome Natalie Erdem, Managing Partner and Product Manager at TWO-N, based in New York City. We explore the story behind TWO-N's development of the MSNBC Election Big Board, the dynamic visualisation tool used by National Political Correspondent for NBC News and MSNBC, Steve Kornacki during the live broadcast of the 2018 US mid-terms and subsequent elections.
As well as listening to this show, you can watch the video of this conversation. Head over to Youtube and visit the Explore Explain channel.
Duration:01:06:35
S5E2 - Jess Carr
5/10/2024
Welcome to episode 2 of season 5 of Explore Explain, a long-form video and podcast series all about data visualisation design.
In this latest episode, I am delighted to welcome Jess Carr, a UI/UX Engineer at GSK based in Bath, UK. We explore the story behind a passion project Jess worked on to visualise analysis of the (spoiler: declining) use of text on the front covers of Vogue magazine over the last 22 years, titled 'Since When Does Vogue Hate Text?'. This project was a winner of 'The Pudding Cup' 2023 gold prize so it's a great piece to dissect!
As well as listening to this show, you can watch the video of this conversation. Head over to Youtube and visit the Explore Explain channel.
Duration:01:09:12
S5E1 - Rebecca Conroy & Duncan Swain
4/26/2024
Welcome to episode 1 of season 5 of Explore Explain, a long-form video and podcast series all about data visualisation design.
For this season opener, I am delighted to welcome Rebecca Conroy, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, and Duncan Swain, Co-Founder and Creative Partner, from Beyond Words, a design studio based in London, UK. We explore Rebecca and Duncan's career backgrounds, the origin story behind the founding of their studio, and how their subsequent creative and commercial journey over the past decade has been built upon a culture shaped by strong values.
As well as listening to this show, you can watch the video of this conversation. Head over to Youtube and visit the Explore Explain channel.
Duration:01:07:47
S4E9 - Chloe Whiteaker & Marie Patino
1/16/2024
Welcome to episode 9 of season 4 of Explore Explain, a long-form video and podcast series all about data visualisation design.
In this season finale, I am delighted to welcome Chloe Whiteaker, Data Visualization Team Leader, and Marie Patino, Graphics Reporter, from Bloomberg News in New York. We explore the story behind their unique data visualisation project analysing the staggering wealth of a pop-music phenomenon: "Taylor Swift Vaults Into Billionaire Ranks with Blockbuster Eras Tour".
As well as listening to this show, you can watch the video of this conversation. Head over to Youtube and visit the Explore Explain channel.
Duration:01:09:54
S4E8 - Denise Lu
12/12/2023
Welcome to episode 8 of season 4 of Explore Explain, a long-form video and podcast series all about data visualisation design.
In this latest episode, I am delighted to welcome Denise Lu, Graphics reporter at Bloomberg News, based in New York City. We explore the story behind her side project visualising her analysis of the tracks played during the reunion shows of her favourite band, Pavement. The day before this episode was launched, it was announced that this project had won 'The Pudding Cup' 2023 gold prize - congratulations to Denise!
As well as listening to this show, you can watch the video of this conversation. Head over to Youtube and visit the Explore Explain channel.
Duration:01:10:08
S4E7 - Amanda Shendruk
11/29/2023
Welcome to episode 7 of season 4 of Explore Explain, a long-form video and podcast series all about data visualisation design.
In this latest episode, I am delighted to welcome Amanda Shendruk, Opinion Graphics Reporter at the Washington Post, based in Edinburgh, UK. We explore the story behind Amanda's visual article for Opinions titled 'Audiences want a different climate change message. Hollywood should deliver.' looking at the portrayal of climate change in movies and TV shows.
As well as listening to this show, you can watch the video of this conversation. Head over to Youtube and visit the Explore Explain channel.
Duration:01:07:06
S4E6 - Chimdi Nwosu
11/8/2023
Welcome to episode 6 of season 4 of Explore Explain, a long-form video and podcast series all about data visualisation design.
In this latest episode, I am delighted to welcome Chimdi Nwosu, a Data Visualization Manager based in British Columbia, Canada. We explore the story behind not one but two of his wonderful Tableau-based data visualisation projects: 'Incarcerated in America' (published August 2021) and 'Press Freedom Index' (published May 2023).
As well as listening to this show, you can watch the video of this conversation. Head over to Youtube and visit the Explore Explain channel.
Duration:01:07:42
S4E5 - Lora Oehlberg & Samuel Huron
7/31/2023
Welcome to episode 5 of season 4 of Explore Explain, a long-form video and podcast series all about data visualisation design.
In this latest episode, I am delighted to welcome Lora Oehlberg, Associate Professor of Computer Science at the University of Calgary in Canada, and Samuel Huron, Associate Professor in Design at the Institut Polytechnique de Paris in France. We explore the story behind their work, with fellow co-authors Wesley Willett and Till Nagel, on the new book 'Making with Data: Physical Design and Craft in a Data-Driven World', published December 2022, to learn more about the field of data physicalisation and the editorial process behind creating this book.
As well as listening to this show, you can watch the video of this conversation. Head over to Youtube and visit the Explore Explain channel.
Duration:01:09:06
S4E4 - The Nightingale Editorial Team
6/13/2023
Welcome to episode 4 of season 4 of Explore Explain, a long-form video and podcast series all about data visualisation design.
In this special episode I am delighted to welcome the editorial team behind Nightingale Magazine, the journal of the Data Visualization Society: Claire Santoro, Emily Barone, Julie Brunet, and Jason Forrest. We explore the story behind the team's work on the new Nightingale print magazine, learning about the context, the content, the design, and key reflections from creating the first few issues.
This episode was live-recorded on stage as part of Outlier Conference, which took place in Porto in early May 2023. Jason was live in-person for the conversation which was enriched with pre-recorded video contributions from Claire, Emily, and Julie.
As well as listening to this show, you can watch the video of this conversation. Head over to Youtube and visit the Explore Explain channel.
Duration:00:59:35
S4E3 - Steph Bradley
5/15/2023
Welcome to episode 3 of season 4 of Explore Explain, a long-form video and podcast series all about data visualisation design.
In this latest episode, I am delighted to welcome Steph Bradley, a freelance designer based in Chicago, USA. We explore the story behind her work on the wonderfully charming 'Traveling June Bug', Steph's award-winning capstone project to visualise the objects, the diaries, the destinations, and the timelines across her Grandmother's 30 years of documented travels.
As well as listening to this show, you can watch the video of this conversation. Head over to Youtube and visit the Explore Explain channel.
Duration:01:00:53
S4E2 - Will Chase & Jared Whalen
4/4/2023
Welcome to episode 2 of season 4 of Explore Explain, a long-form video and podcast series all about data visualisation design.
In this latest episode, I am delighted to welcome Will Chase, Visual Stories Editor, and Jared Whalen, Data Visual Journalist, both working at Axios and based in the US. We explore the story behind their work on a project to visualise the changing trends in popularity and dimensions of pickup trucks 'Pickup Trucks: From Workhorse to Joyride'.
As well as listening to this show, you can watch the video of this conversation. Head over to Youtube and visit the Explore Explain channel.
Duration:01:12:46
S4E1 - Neil Richards
2/20/2023
Welcome to episode 1 of season 4 of Explore Explain, a long-form video and podcast series all about data visualisation design.
For this season opener, I am delighted to welcome Neil Richards, Global Data Fluency Lead at JLL based in Derbyshire, UK. We explore the story behind Neil's new book 'Questions in Dataviz: A Data-Driven Process for Data Visualisation' to learn about the mental, practical, and creative process of writing his first title.
As well as listening to this show, you can watch the video of this conversation. Head over to Youtube and visit the Explore Explain channel.
Duration:00:56:58
S3E9 - Francis Gagnon
10/28/2022
Welcome to episode 9 of season 3 of Explore Explain, a long-form video and podcast series all about data visualisation design.
In this episode I am delighted to welcome Francis Gagnon, founder of Voilà:, an information design firm based in Montreal, Canada.
For this season finale, we embarked on a detailed exploration to learn about the process of setting up a data visualisation company as Francis explained the story behind evolving from being an independent professional, working alone, to a team of nine.
As well as listening to this show, you can watch the video of this conversation. Head over to Youtube and visit the Explore Explain channel.
Duration:01:18:26