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FreshSpectrum Information Design
On a mission to make research and evaluation more accessible.
Introduction: A Little Story
Do you know the story of Cassandra? It goes something like this…
Girl meets a god who gives her a divine power to see the future. The girl then turns down the god’s romantic advances. The god, who is clearly a creepy jerk, feels scorned and curses the girl. The girl can still see the future (her gift) but nobody will believe her prophecies (her curse).
We researchers and evaluators also have a gift. We can’t see the future, but through our methods we can measure the past and monitor the present. Then we can use that knowledge to project the future.
And like Cassandra we also have a curse. There is no guarantee that anyone will hear our words or believe what we share.
But unlike Cassandra, our curse is at least partially self-inflicted. We use the web to share our work in much the same way as we did in the late 90s. And we write reports almost as if the last 20 years never happened.
I believe we need a change, a monumental change. Not necessarily in our tools but in our mindsets.
Because the status quo is a path towards irrelevance.
I wrote this book to be a practical guide for an alternative approach to reporting. It’s based on my real world experiences as a researcher, evaluator, and information designer over the last two decades.
Here is what you’ll learn:
In chapter 1 you’ll learn why I think a change in our reporting approach is necessary.
In chapter 2 you’ll learn how to identify and segment your reporting audiences.
In chapter 3 you’ll learn how to think about and build a modern digital reporting strategy.
In chapter 4 you’ll learn how to develop an efficient and effective report design system.
In chapter 5 I give you a simple call to action.
Note: This book is self-published and written informally. It’s filled with contractions, silly pictures, and possibly some typos. It will feel a lot like a really long blog post and not so much like a textbook.
Originally published in the summer of 2022. This current edition was updated in fall of 2025. The free digital edition was first published in December of 2025.
What’s new:
It’s print book is black & white. That makes it cheaper to print and lets me bring the price way down.
The print book is now 6×9, because I like it when text has breathing room.
I’ve added new illustrations and made a few tweaks.
I made this free-to-read digital version.