Senthil Natarajan—Outlier2021—Spotting Minard on the Corner Three

Spotting Minard on the Corner Three The way certain historical moments in sports never leave our fandom, certain pieces of historical data visualization are timeless, adaptable to any era. And when both fields intersect for someone like me, to whom sports are not only a source of entertainment but also education, DuBois spirals can suddenly become a vessel for a study of African-American hiring into leadership positions within the NBA, and Minard’s map of Napoleon’s march a means of analyzing momentum in an overtime playoff game. Having taught myself data visualization by poring over historical works and attempting to apply an author’s style and intentions to basketball datasets, my professional life hasn’t strayed far from my passions. Since graduating, I have moonlighted as a consultant in sports analytics while also being a data visualization leader at my day job, teaching classes for incoming analysts for the last three years and creating an extensive public library of Python data visualization tutorials. From crafting my own unique data visualization path, I’d like to reflect upon and pay forward some of the learnings from my experiences: how the study of historical data visualization allows us to evolve beyond a rigid set of rules, how it enables us to re-contextualize our modern world, how cross-pollination between divergent fields can actually increase the appreciation across both straits. For anyone getting started in data visualization, studying information graphics, or simply interested in sports or data art, I’d love an opportunity to share how the pioneers of data visualization each expanded the possibilities of the field in their own way, and how we can leverage those ideals into finding our own voice as graphical story tellers.