Smart Community Data Stories for Environmental and Policy Change, with Jack Zhao

Hi #SmartCommunity friends, in this episode of the Smart Community podcast I have a fantastic chat with Jack Zhao.

Jack is a designer and maker of data visualisation with over 15 years of experience in research and industry. He co-founded Small Multiples with his partner Andrea Lau, where they help clients across all industries and sectors make data useful. Their recent focus has been on environment and sustainability projects, recognising the urgent need for attention in this space given the ongoing climate situation globally.

In this episode Jack tells us about Small Multiples' work on environmental projects including helping councils measure recycling accessibility through spatial data visualisation and tracking litter across New South Wales for the Environmental Protection Agency. Jack and I discuss their design process from initial client conversations through to deployment, emphasising the importance of understanding audience needs and iterating based on feedback.

We talk about memorable examples including Periscopic’s powerful US gun deaths visualisation and Small Multiples' own Census Explorer project spanning three Australian censuses. We finish our chat discussing Jack's advice about leveraging AI to break capacity bottlenecks while focusing on specific audiences rather than designing for generic users. As always, we hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it.

Connect with Jack Zhao on LinkedIn

Connect with me via email: [e-mail]

Connect with My Smart Community via LinkedIn and watch on YouTube

Podcast Production by Perk Digital
This podcast is recorded on  Yugarabul country and edited on Gaibal country.   I pay my respects to traditional owners of country and their elders past and present. I also extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening today. Here on the Smart Community Podcast, we talk about data, technology, communities and the future. First Nations peoples have been sharing knowledge, caring for country, and telling stories for tens of thousands of years. I honour that deep connection of storytelling and community connection as we continue our conversation together here today.

Disclaimer

The views, opinions, and perspectives expressed by guests on The Smart Community Podcast are solely those of the individual speakers. They do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of the host, Zoe Eather, or of The Smart Community Podcast as a whole.

Any discussion of ideas, products, organisations, or services by podcast guests does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the host or the podcast. Listeners are encouraged to form their own opinions and seek professional advice where appropriate.