Mapping the Invisible: Inside the Atlas of Macroscopes

Outlier 2026: What to Expect at This Year's Data Visualization Society Conference

Episode #310! This week I sit down with Jennifer Roscoe and Shrishti Vaish, two of the key organizers behind Outlier 2026, the annual data visualization conference hosted by the Data Visualization Society. We talked about what it takes to pull off a fully virtual, global conference, and why going virtual this year was a strategic choice, not a compromise. Jennifer and Shrishti walked me through the conference dates (June 23–26), the brand-new pre-conference data challenge in partnership with the United Nations, and the exciting new feedback and career clinic designed to give attendees a safe space for honest critique and professional growth. We also get into the behind-the-scenes logistics: the 30-person volunteer committee, the technology stack (mostly Google Sheets, if you were wondering), and the delicate art of playing Tetris with 34 talks across a 12-hour global schedule. Whether you’re a first-time attendee or a longtime DVS community member, this episode is your guide to making the most of Outlier 2026. KEYWORDS: DATA VISUALIZATION, DATA VIZ, OUTLIER CONFERENCE, DATA VISUALIZATION SOCIETY, DVS, DATA VIZ CONFERENCE, JENNIFER ROSCOE, SHRISHTI VAISH, VIRTUAL CONFERENCE, DATA STORYTELLING, DATAVIZ COMMUNITY, CONFERENCE PLANNING, CAREER CLINIC, INFORMATION IS BEAUTIFUL, DATA CHALLENGE, UNITED NATIONS DATA, POLICYVIZ PODCAST Subscribe to the PolicyViz Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Check out the 2026 Outlier Conference [https://www.datavisualizationsociety.org/outlier]. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Substack, Twitter, Website, YouTube Email: jon@policyviz.com

Reimagining Civic Participation: The Digital Democracy Project

I talk with Ramon Perez, Executive Director of the Digital Democracy Project this week. DDP is a nonpartisan nonprofit using secure mobile voting technology to give citizens a real-time voice in legislation. Ramon explains how the platform lets verified, registered voters weigh in on bills being debated in Congress and their state house—and then scores legislators on how closely their votes match what their districts wanted. We dig into how AI, including a RAG-powered chatbot called VoteBot, helps everyday citizens parse thousands of pages of complex legislative text. We also discuss digital security, participatory budgeting, and Ramon’s ambitious goal of expanding the platform to all 50 state legislatures by 2027. KEYWORDS: DIGITAL DEMOCRACY, MOBILE VOTING, CIVIC TECH, LEGISLATIVE TRANSPARENCY, AI IN GOVERNMENT, RAMON PEREZ, DIGITAL DEMOCRACY PROJECT, VOTEBOT, PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING, VOTER ENGAGEMENT, LEGISLATOR ACCOUNTABILITY, POLICYVIZ PODCAST, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, GOVTECH Subscribe to the PolicyViz Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Become a patron of the PolicyViz Podcast [https://patreon.com/policyviz] for as little as a buck a month Follow Ramon Perez and the Digital Democracy Project at digitaldemocracyproject.org and download the Votes (VOATZ) app to participate. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Substack, Twitter, Website, YouTube Email: jon@policyviz.com

Mapping the Invisible: Inside the Atlas of Macroscopes

Welcome back to the show! This week, I sit down with three co-authors of the Atlas of Macroscopes—Katy Borner, Elizabeth Record, and Todd Theriault from the Cyberinfrastructure for Network Science Center at Indiana University—to explore what a macroscope actually is and how it differs from a standard interactive visualization. We trace the 20-year journey of the Places and Spaces: Mapping Science exhibit, from two-dimensional wall maps to the 40 richly interactive pieces featured in this stunning 11×14-inch MIT Press book. Along the way, we talk about design strategies for making complex systems legible to general audiences, the role of AI in data visualization, and what it takes to grab and hold attention on a museum floor. Each guest shares a personal favorite from the book—ranging from Smelly Maps to an Appalachian opioid overdose tool to a skills-landscape explorer—and we close with a look at the exhibit’s exciting third decade, focused on visualizing intelligences. KEYWORDS data visualization, macroscope, atlas of macroscopes, interactive visualization, Katy Borner, Indiana University, Places and Spaces, complex systems, information visualization, scrollytelling, AI and data visualization, opioid epidemic mapping, data communication, science exhibit, data science podcast Subscribe to the PolicyViz Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Become a patron of the PolicyViz Podcast (https://patreon.com/policyviz) for as little as a buck a month Find the Atlas of Macroscopes [https://amzn.to/3PoaITJ] and explore the Places and Spaces exhibit at scimaps.org. Follow Katy Borner, Elizabeth Record, and Todd Theriault through Indiana University’s CNS Center. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Substack, Twitter, Website, YouTube Email: jon@policyviz.com

Data Vandals: Taking Data Visualization Off the Screen and Into the Streets

In this episode, I sat down with Jen Ray and Jason Forrest—the married duo behind Data Vandals—to talk about their remarkable approach to bringing data visualization off the screen and into the physical world. What started as a pandemic-era poster campaign in New York City evolved into street theater, interactive gallery installations, and a Piaggio Ape three-wheeler touring London with opinion surveys. We talked about how they use isotypes, stickers, and hand-painted signs to spark real conversations between strangers about everything from gun violence to foxes to billionaires. We also got into their recent workshops in the Netherlands and Budapest, and their stunning new installation at Los Angeles Union Station about the city’s native wildlife. If you’ve ever wondered whether people will actually stop and engage with data—even on a cold March day in the East Village—this episode will convince you they will. KEYWORDS: DATA VISUALIZATION, DATA VANDALS, JEN RAY, JASON FORREST, PHYSICAL DATA VISUALIZATION, DATA ART, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, ISOTYPE, STREET DATA, DATA PHYSICALIZATION, DATA COMMUNICATION, POLICYVIZ PODCAST, DATA STORYTELLING, INTERACTIVE DATA, DATA LITERACY, PUBLIC DATA, DATA JOURNALISM, DATA DESIGN Subscribe to the PolicyViz Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Follow Data Vandals on Instagram @datavandals and visit their website at datavandals.com Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Substack, Twitter, Website, YouTube Email: jon@policyviz.com

Why Government Makes Things Hard: Don Moynihan on Administrative Burden

In this episode, I chat with Don Moynihan, professor of public policy at the University of Michigan and author of the widely-read Substack newsletter Can We Still Govern? Don’s research focuses on administrative burdens—the learning, compliance, and psychological costs people experience when interacting with government—and how those frictions shape public trust. We talk about the data challenges involved in measuring these experiences, how the shift to digital services changes the picture, and why governments historically have ignored the costs they impose on the people they serve. We also get into Don’s own journey as a public communicator: how a rejected op-ed about Joe Manchin and the child tax credit sparked his newsletter, what it took to retrain himself to write for a general audience, and how he thinks about balancing timeliness with depth. If you’re a researcher wondering whether public communication is worth the risk—or just curious about what makes government work (or not)—this one is for you. KEYWORDS administrative burden, public policy, government services, bureaucracy, policy communication, Substack newsletter, academic writing, public administration, government trust, policy research, data visualization, civic engagement, open government, policy podcast Subscribe to the PolicyViz Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Become a patron [https://patreon.com/policyviz] of the PolicyViz Podcast for as little as a buck a month Read Don’s newsletter Can We Still Govern? [https://donmoynihan.substack.com/] Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Substack, Twitter, Website, YouTube Email: jon@policyviz.com