"This course was fantastic"

"The tutors were very engaging and knowledgeable and drew on lots of best practice in the industry"

Whether you’re working on a presentation, a website, or producing reports, the fastest way of telling a story with data is to visualise it. But what makes a striking visualisation, and how do you tell complex stories in a way that is simple and easy to understand?

Join Adam Frost and Tobias Sturt, former heads of the Guardian’s digital agency, for a one-day bootcamp that will teach you the fundamentals of data visualisation.

You will learn how to find stories in data and what approaches to use when selecting and structuring your stories. You will be guided through the principles of visual storytelling – which elements work together, such as layout, hierarchy, colour, shape, and typeface, to dramatise your story, and will begin creating your own rough wireframes to showcase your ideas.

Finally, you will discover how interactivity can be used to tell more complex stories, such as through animation or interactive charts, and will begin sketching your own dynamic designs.

Throughout the bootcamp, you will receive sample data sets to work from and will start putting your learnings into practice, whilst receiving guidance and support from your masterclass tutors Adam and Tobias.

Please be aware that although you do not need any specific technical expertise to participate in this course, your learning experience will be richer if you have a basic understanding of MS Excel or Google Sheets.

Course content

Designing stories
Finding stories in data
Designing infographics
Sketching charts
Interactive storytelling
Animated storytelling
Sketching dynamic charts

This course is for ...

Anyone who is looking to improve their knowledge of infographics
Anyone who wants to learn how to visually communicate the stories found in their data

Our masterclasses are also available for businesses and can be tailored to suit the training needs of your team or organisation. Please contact us at masterclassesforbusiness@theguardian.com to receive further information.

Tutor profiles

Adam Frost was formerly head of data visualisation at the Guardian’s digital agency. He is now content director at Add Two, an agency specialising in data visualisation. His work has appeared on the Guardian, the New Statesman, Buzzfeed and elsewhere. Adam has also produced infographics and interactives for a range of public and private sector clients including the Department for Education, Google and Unilever.

Tobias Sturt was head of creative at the Guardian’s digital agency and is now creative director of Add Two. He has been working in digital storytelling for almost two decades using all kinds of media – from web to TV, games and infographics.

Communicating with Data Visualisation: A practical guide, written by Adam Frost, Tobias Sturt, Jim Kynvin and Sergio Gallardo is available to purchase in paperback. You can purchase a book and ticket for the combined price of £329 including P&P.

Course Details

Date: Thursday 22 June 2023
Time: 10am-4.30pm (BST)

A catch up recording will be shared after the class and will be available for two weeks.

10am BST | 11am CET | 2am PST | 5am EST

This masterclass is available globally. If you are joining us from outside the United Kingdom, please use this time zone converter to check your local live streaming time.

You will be sent a link to the webinar 24 hours and 30 minutes before the start time. Please email masterclasses@theguardian.com if you do not receive the access link.

We aim to make Guardian Masterclasses accessible to all. If you require any adjustments to enable your participation in this course, please get in touch with us at masterclasses@theguardian.com.

This event will be hosted on a third-party live streaming platform Zoom, please refer to their privacy policy and terms and conditions before purchasing a ticket to the class.

Once a purchase is complete we will not be able to refund you where you do not attend or if you cancel your event booking. Please see our terms and conditions for more information on our refund policy.

Data visualisation: A one-day bootcamp