Zurich by numbers

Web-based data visualisation for the canton of Zurich

In the context of an internal innovation project at EBP, we set out to demonstrate the potential of digital data visualisation.
We choose the publication “Canton of Zurich in Numbers” as an example for our case study. This printed publication by Canton Zurich’s Statistical Office and the Zurich Cantonal Bank (ZKB) appears once a year. The “data stories” presented in the magazine combine the figures, presented in the form of tables and visualisations, with related editorials and explanatory texts.

After an initial workshop together with employees from Zurich Statistical Office and ZKB we designed a prototype of a web platform which could replace the print magazine as a means of publishing “data stories” at regular intervals.

This new form of publication would introduce Data presentetation that is both contemporary and target group appropriate. Through the data stories users would gain access to important content and with the comment function get the options for interaction and engagement. The regular updates with new stories could generate more traffic and attention to the site compared to the once a year attention of the print publication. And last but not least stories could be shared on social media.

Date: Ocotber 2018-2019 / Internal project at EBP Schweiz AG / Project Team: Andrea Bianchin, Monika Rohner, Sarah Schöni, Noa Spörri / Link: Prototype on Vimeo / Link: Marvel Klick-Prototype

↑ Screengrab of our Klick-Prototype

We visualised our concept in the form of a clickable prototype. Using a sample story on the subject of municipality mergers, our prototype offers a look at the advantages of a digital implementation. Moreover, we rendered our sample story in the contemporary form of “scrollytelling” and contemplated on additional formats such as “Quick Viz” and “Tracker.”