The World Government Summit launched the World Data Visualization Prize, which explores new approaches to promoting government work and enhancing decision-making processes.
Organized in cooperation with the data visualization website and studio “Information is Beautiful”, the prize seeks to harness the potential of big data through aesthetic manifestations with the goal of supporting world governments in serving their citizens. Contestants will develop novel designs of presenting data and numbers from various fields such as infrastructure, energy, wellbeing, and policy.
Amal Bin Shabib: Employing Data to Shape Future Governments
Amal Bin Shabib, Deputy Managing Director at World Government Summit Organization, stressed that future governments need innovative solutions and tools to manage and utilize information and big data. This endeavor represents a main pillar in government efforts to design proactive solutions to potential challenges, and a step towards making informed decisions that contribute to societal development and prosperity.
Bin Shabib further added that the World Data Visualization Prize is a robust addition to the initiatives of the World Government Summit, which came in recognition of the vital role of data in building the future. She said that the prize offers world leaders, officials and change-makers the opportunity to benefit from data through sharing and transferring it in creative ways to skilled parties who are capable of employing it in developing governmental work.
Leveraging Innovation to Serve Humanity and Sustainable Development
The World Data Visualization Prize allows participants to design data in areas common to all governments, as they provide visual work featuring data related to the environment, employment, technology, agriculture, and happiness, while focusing on supporting the decision-making process of governments. This would ultimately boost the wellbeing of societies and promote innovation in designing sustainable development solutions.
The prize also welcomes the participation of visual thinkers who possess no tools or designing expertise. They may sketch their detailed idea on a piece of paper under the ’napkin’ category and have the chance of winning the prize in this category. The Napkin winners’ pieces will be worked up into fully produced pieces of work by the “Information is Beautiful” team.
Competition opened for submissions on 15th of October 2018, and closes on 15th of January 2019. The submitted works will be judged on 20 January 2019 by a panel of renowned data visualization designers, economists, academics and creative business leaders. The winners will be announced on the 29th of January 2019.
The winning works of the World Data Visualization Prize shall receive cash prizes, international press coverage, and the chance to have their work exhibited to world leaders at the 7th edition of the World Government Summit, scheduled to be held in Dubai on 10-12 February 2019.
McCandless: Data Visualization Facilitates Governmental Work
David McCandless, Founder of “Information is Beautiful” studio, noted that data visualization unveils the connection between data and information, making different subjects easier to understand and more meaningful, especially at this data-intense era. He added that information and data are increasingly gaining significance, and so is the ability to understand them and visualize a broader view in a way that serves governments’ action and decision- making processes.
He added, “anyone can conceive and sketch out an idea for a chart, a visualization, or a data narrative. That is what we call “prototyping”. However, not everybody can code or use complex apps to turn their idea into a fully produced design, this is where “Information is Beautiful” comes in. It primarily focuses on getting a wider, more inclusive range of participants from different; and not necessarily technical; backgrounds, and benefitting from their creativity, regardless of their expertise or technical skills”.
