When creativity meets code
Abstract
When we think of R, it’s often as a practical tool for analysis, reporting, and reproducible research. But it can also be a space for creativity, which encourages experimentation, curiosity, and a different way of engaging with data. In this talk, we’ll explore how using R as a creative outlet (whether through treating data visualisation as a design process, developing generative art systems, or simply building “useless” things) can deepen our understanding of the tools we use every day. By stepping outside the usual workflows, we’ll uncover new ways to think about visualisation, design, and storytelling with data.
Along the way, we’ll reflect on how these creative practices translate back into day-to-day statistical work, helping us build clearer, more engaging narratives and more thoughtful visualisations. The aim isn’t to turn everyone into an artist, but to show how a creative mindset can make us more effective communicators and more confident users of R.
Speaker
Nicola Rennie is a data visualisation specialist with a background in statistics and data science, who is interested in understanding how to effectively communicate complex quantitative ideas in an accessible way. She advocates for using open source tools, particularly R, Python, Quarto, and JavaScript. Nicola has been using R for around 10 years, has developed multiple R packages, and is the author of ‘The Art of Data Visualisation with ggplot2’. She co-authored the Royal Statistical Society’s Best Practices for Data Visualisation guidance and is a member of the Editorial Board of Significance magazine, particularly focused on data visualisation.