Building Financial Stability One Family at a Time
Client
Gaithersburg Financial Empowerment Center
Services
Data Visualization
Graphic Design
A successful data visualization report that conveyed the impact of the FEC’s services, helping stakeholders understand the program’s reach and effectiveness.
Overview
The Gaithersburg Financial Empowerment Center (FEC) provides free, confidential financial counseling to Gaithersburg residents as a public service of the City. The FEC, launched in March 2022 with a grant from Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund, operates in partnership with Housing Initiative Partnership Inc., an innovative housing nonprofit. Financial counselors assist residents in reducing debt, increasing savings, improving credit, and accessing safe banking options.
I was responsible for the entire data visualization design process, from data cleaning and analysis to finalizing the visual presentation. My role included selecting visualization techniques, ensuring accessibility for diverse audiences, and designing both print and digital assets.
Design Concept
The design concept was based on a mix of infographics and charts, aligning with the FEC branding. The color palette featured greens, symbolizing financial growth and stability. Key branding elements such as the piggy bank, jars with a hand dropping coins, and bubbles with testimonials were integrated to create a cohesive and visually engaging presentation.
Challenges
One of the main challenges was communicating complex financial data in a way that was easily digestible for diverse audiences, including those with varying levels of data literacy. Additionally, maintaining data privacy while accurately representing service density required careful manipulation of geographic data.
Ensuring brand consistency across multiple deliverables added another layer of complexity, as the visual identity had to be adapted across print and digital platforms. Other potential challenges included balancing aesthetic appeal with data accuracy, making sure the visualizations remained engaging without distorting the information.
Solutions
Chart Variety: A combination of simple and advanced chart types catered to different audience segments.
Data Privacy: Adjusted map data points to obscure exact client locations while maintaining a sense of density.
Cohesive Branding: Incorporated consistent branding elements such as the piggy bank and testimonial bubbles to reinforce visual identity.
Diverse Materials: Used different formats for digital and print to reach audiences through all available media outlets.
Interactive Flourish Story
Process and Tools
Data Cleaning & Analysis:
- Processed raw data using Excel.
- Utilized pivot tables for basic analysis.
Chart Creation:
- Created various charts in Flourish, including stacked bars, pie charts, and pictograms.
- Exported select charts from Flourish and refined them in Adobe Illustrator.
- Used Illustrator’s native graph tool to create additional custom charts.
Map Creation:
- Acquired neighborhood boundaries from Montgomery County’s public ArcGIS resources.
- Processed GeoJSON files and uploaded them into Flourish for mapping.
- Mapped service density using longitude and latitude coordinates, adjusting points to protect privacy.
Infographic Assembly:
- Combined charts, maps, and branded elements in Adobe Illustrator to design a cohesive infographic.
- Ensured visual hierarchy for readability and accessibility.
- Incorporated branding elements such as the piggy bank and testimonial bubbles to enhance engagement.
- Adapted design to different print and digital formats.
Deliverables
Print Version: Letter-size flyer distributed physically and uploaded to the city’s website.
Digital Adaptations: Social media graphics and email-friendly reports tailored for broader outreach.
Interactive Story: A Flourish story allowing deeper engagement with the data.
Magazine Spread: A center spread for the printed inGaithersburg semiannual magazine.
Printed Booklet: A square-format printed booklet for distribution.
Large-Format Poster: A big-size printed poster for public display.
Results
The data visualization report successfully conveyed the impact of the FEC’s services, helping stakeholders understand the program’s reach and effectiveness. The interactive Flourish story enabled deeper engagement for data-savvy audiences, while the print and digital materials ensured accessibility across multiple platforms. By aligning with the FEC branding and leveraging strong visual storytelling, the report effectively communicated key insights in an engaging and informative way.
