The PolicyViz Podcast

In this episode, I talk with Nick Hart, President and CEO of the Data Foundation, about the rapidly changing landscape of federal data, statistical agencies, and evidence-based policymaking. We explore how the Evidence Act reshaped government data infrastructure, why privacy protections and data governance matter more than ever, and what’s been happening behind the scenes over the last year as agencies faced staffing cuts, data removals, and unprecedented political pressure. Nick explains how government data systems actually work, why the U.S. model is both admired and strained, and what a “Data System 2.0” might look like in the future. We also discuss state and local data roles, the risks of politicizing data, and two public-facing initiatives from the Data Foundation: the Evidence Act Hub and the People’s Data 100. This is a wide-ranging conversation about trust, transparency, and why government data quietly underpins far more of our lives than most people realize.
Subscribe to the PolicyViz Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.
Become a patron of the PolicyViz Podcast for as little as a buck a month
Check out the Data Foundation and their People's Data 100 project!
Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Substack, Twitter, Website, YouTube
Email: [email protected]

In this episode, I talk with Amanda Makulec about what it really takes to design dashboards and data products that people can understand and use. We dig into why so many dashboards fail, how designers and analysts often misjudge their audiences, and what it means to take a truly human-centered approach to data visualization. Amanda shares insights from her work leading the Data Visualization Society and from her book, including practical ways to think about context, cognition, and decision-making. We also discuss common misconceptions about dashboards, stakeholder expectations, and the gap between technical correctness and real-world usefulness. This conversation is packed with ideas for anyone building data tools meant to inform decisions, not just look impressive.
Subscribe to the PolicyViz Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.
Become a patron of the PolicyViz Podcast for as little as a buck a month
Pick up the new book, Dashboards That Deliver.
Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Substack, Twitter, Website, YouTube
Email: [email protected]

In this episode, I talk with Denice Ross about the fragile state of federal data and her new work at DataIndex. We discuss how the removal, alteration, or disruption of federal data collections and data products affects research, policymaking, businesses, and everyday life. Denice explains the vision behind DataIndex and EssentialData, which monitor data risks, highlight data dependencies, and help users recognize how federal data benefit society. We also explore the roles of private-sector data, civic tech efforts, and public advocacy in building a more resilient national data infrastructure. It’s a fascinating look at what’s at stake when the country’s information backbone is no longer guaranteed.
Subscribe to the PolicyViz Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.
Become a patron of the PolicyViz Podcast for as little as a buck a month
Check out America's Essential Data
Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Substack, Twitter, Website, YouTube
Email: [email protected]

In this episode, I’m joined by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic and Mike Cisneros from Storytelling with Data to talk about their new book, Before & After. We dig into where the examples came from, how they selected and refined real client work, and why the book focuses so heavily on process rather than rules or templates. We also reflect on how the data visualization field has evolved over the past decade—from best practices and chart types to iteration, audience empathy, and real-world constraints. Along the way, we talk about teaching data viz, common pitfalls, and why there’s no such thing as a true “201 course”—only practice.
Keywords: ddata visualization, storytelling with data, data storytelling, before and after charts, visualization process, data communication, chart design, visual analytics, design iteration, audience-focused data, PolicyViz Podcast, Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic, Mike Cisneros
Subscribe to the PolicyViz Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.
Become a patron of the PolicyViz Podcast for as little as a buck a month
Grab the new book, Before and After - Practical Makeovers for Powerful Data Stories
Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Substack, Twitter, Website, YouTube
Email: [email protected]

In this episode, I sit down with Bill Rankin, historian of science at Yale and author of Radical Cartography, to unpack what maps really do beyond simply showing data. We talk about why mapping is an act of representation with real consequences, how common techniques like choropleths and cartograms shape what we see—and what we miss—and why there’s no single “correct” way to visualize the world. Bill shares how his background in architecture influences his approach to mapping as drawing and world-making, not coding or dashboards. We also dig into static versus interactive maps, accessibility, and why starting with questions—not tools—leads to better visualizations. It’s a thoughtful conversation about intention, trade-offs, and responsibility in data visualization.
Keywords: PolicyViz Podcast, Bill Rankin, Radical Cartography, data visualization, maps and mapping, cartography, choropleth maps, cartograms, population maps, map projections, visualizing data, representation in data, ethics of data visualization, static maps, interactive maps, storytelling with data
Subscribe to the PolicyViz Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.
Become a patron of the PolicyViz Podcast for as little as a buck a month
Grab Bill’s new book, Radical Cartography, and check out his website at radicalcartography.net.
Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Substack, Twitter, Website, YouTube
Email: [email protected]