Dive into the data.
The Data Collaborative for Justice (DCJ) at John Jay College collects and distributes rigorously researched data in domains like misdemeanor arrest rates, civil and criminal summonses, and marijuana enforcement. Their data has been used in support of criminal justice reform bills and is consistently cited in mainstream media. Because this data is so critical, we wanted to put it front and center on the new website while also carving out space to articulate why this data matters.
First, we touched up DCJ’s logo so it was more legible and sleek, which was a great first step to modernizing the entire website. Our quest to make a more interactive and visual site began with the home page, where a combination of bar chart and line graph animations engage visitors from the start. We also created three animated infographics that represent DCJ’s three main areas of work, drawing users into the data without losing the seriousness of the work.
DCJ also needed a place to share the raw data that they collect each year, which journalists and politicians frequently cite. We redesigned DCJ’s three key data dashboards to be more dynamic and manageable for website visitors – there’s 15 years of data to sort through! – allowing anyone to filter by borough, age groups, sex and year. The filters are condensed and follow the user down the page, so there’s always an opportunity to dig deeper into the data.
We’ve enjoyed our ongoing partnership with DCJ, which has included adding new data to the site’s animated infographics. We’re looking forward to finding more ways to help their audience investigate and understand the criminal justice system.
