To avoid any scares or spooky situations, we are treating you to a recap of some important pieces of advice:
- If you're sending an email to more than 20 people, it should go through an email marketing system. Using Outlook will hurt your company's brand and risk getting yourself black listed on various spam filters.
- Reboot (often). Shut down your laptop nightly (or at least every other night). Rebooting flushes system memory and allow updates to complete which will lead to better performance
- If you will be traveling out of the country and need to utilize your work laptop or your company email on your phone while you are traveling, please send in a support ticket prior to your departure.
- Be careful when clicking on links or attachments. These can lead to phishing websites or malware downloads. Always hover over a link to see where it leads before clicking.
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At the onset of Covid in March 2020 I found myself with unexpected free time. With travel to client locations and AT world headquarters (imagine a spinning globe on the top of the building with our logo) on hold, I decided to dive deeper into data analytics.
Since then, data analytic topics have taken me through various phases, including data science methodologies, analytic tools, and, most recently, data visualization. This last topic has captured my attention, particularly after reading Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic's book, Storytelling with Data: A Data Visualization Guide for Business Professionals. My experience tinkering with Power BI over the years sparked my interest in understanding which visualizations effectively convey messages amidst a myriad of options.
Knaflic emphasizes the importance of storytelling with data. It's not enough to create a chart simply because you have data; instead, you must consider how to guide your audience's focus. This involves identifying the critical elements that resonate with your viewers. Key strategies include selecting appropriate colors, minimizing distractions, leveraging white space, and, most importantly, considering where the viewer’s eye is drawn. If attention is diverted to irrelevant aspects of your visual, it may undermine your message.
Additionally, Knaflic stresses that your audience should not have to make assumptions about the data. Using clear titles, headers, and labeled axes is essential. Words serve as powerful tools to guide your audience's understanding and emphasize the significance of the data. Remember, the data shouldn’t be expected to speak for itself. For example, here are two examples I recently ran across that illustrate this point. The eye is drawn to the large number and this reference point sticks with the reader while they read the text. |
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| Another resource that echoes Knaflic’s insights is Chartr (Subscribe), an email subscription service that delivers engaging data storytelling four times a week. Each email presents current topics in a visual format, accompanied by a summary that highlights the data's importance—definitely worth checking out. |
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| By applying these principles of effective data visualization, we can enhance our storytelling and ensure our messages resonate with our audiences. |
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| If you haven't already, you will soon receive a notification about adjustments to our workstation management tools. This past year AT reviewed the technology security stack of software and chose to make a few adjustments that better match and serve our customers. We are in the process of changing our End Point Detection software to SentinelOne. |
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Card sorting helps you grasp how users perceive information, their opinions on various concepts, and aids designers in organizing a site or product’s content. During a card sort, participants categorize ideas or information on cards in a way that feels logical to them (not you!). This can be done using virtual cards, pieces of paper, or online card sorting tools.
By conducting a card sorting exercise, this allows researchers and designers to:
- Evaluate the information architecture (IA) of a website or homepage
- Comprehend how individuals perceive various concepts and their feelings about them
- Determine where users anticipate finding specific content
- Gain ideas for labeling and organizing content or concepts
Conducting a card sort is super easy: |
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| From there, usability analysts compile all the results into an “agreement matrix” to find how often users agree that a card belongs in a category: |
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The result is a compiled mental mapping of your information architecture that represents your end-users (again, not you!). This is extremely useful in creating one of the most important aspects of your website: Primary Navigation.
As we have iterated multiple times in our usability column – your website is for your end-users, not you. The best way to understand how they would like to use your website is by conducting usability tests, such as a simple card sort, on your end-users. |
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Help shape the future of associations and unions by sharing your thoughts! Participate in iMIS's Annual Membership Performance Benchmark Survey—it takes just 7 minutes.
Your input matters! As a thank you for your time, you'll get early access to the survey findings in early 2025. Make sure your experience and opinions are heard before the benchmark survey closes on October 31st, 2024.
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| Report: Boards Need More Tech Savvy |
A white paper from the National Association of Corporate Directors suggests boards are at risk of succumbing to short-term, reactive responses to trends like generative AI.
Read More |
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| Why Associations Need To Be Ready To Make Strategic Use of AI |
There’s no time for fear when it comes to implementing AI. Here are three big ways it can benefit associations.
Read More |
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We have an archive of our newsletters and industry related
articles available on our website, click HERE to access them.
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| NOVEMBER |
| 6-7 |
| 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM CST |
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| Association Forum: Association 101 |
Location: Virtual
Associations are known for having unique cultures, environments, and dynamics that can seem unfamiliar and intimidating for new professionals transitioning from school or another industry.
Association 101 is designed to provide foundational knowledge for navigating these dynamics and achieving success which, in turn, increases the likelihood of career success, the feeling of belonging, and overall job satisfaction. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to meet other association professionals new to the industry and begin building your industry network. |
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| HighRoad Solutions Webinar: Scouting for your next team - building marketing teams of the future |
Location: Online
Business Analysts, Martech Specialists, Digital Transformation Agents, RevOps Specialists - these are some of the emerging roles in the world of digital marketing. How do you know if your association is ready for these roles? As you work to upgrade your marketing technology stack, you’ll also find that the resources skilled in omnichannel marketing and data analytics are also likely from younger demographics - which means you’re building and managing a cross-functional AND multigenerational marketing team. So what should you watch out for? How do you make the case to your management team for the need to upskill? How do you ensure harmony across generations while tapping into those unique skillsets? We’ll be sharing experiences and insights that will help shape the future of association marketing teams. |
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| iUG Webinar: Back-to-Basics Series: Process Automation |
Location: Virtual
Join us for this next round of Back to Basics topics, focusing on Process Automation. Discover how automation can enhance member, donor, and customer engagement while increasing your organization's operational efficiency. This course will introduce you to automating repetitive and routine tasks, helping you understand key process automation terminology and the use of Intelligent Query Architect (IQA) as data sources and more. |
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| ASAE AI Summit |
Location: Virtual
Unlock the Power of AI at the "AI Summit" Attention, association content and technology professionals! Prepare to dive deep into the transformative world of artificial intelligence (AI) at our second annual AI Summit. This two-day event promises to be a game-changer, offering a dynamic lineup of speakers, insightful case studies, and thought-provoking discussions on the intersection of AI and the association knowledge cycle. |
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| AMS Fest |
Location: Washington DC
If you’re considering a new AMS, implementing one for the first time, or just want to stay up to date on association management software, AMS Fest is the place to be.
Join us this November, in Washington, D.C., where we’ll have 30 AMS companies ready to demo their platform, consultants to help guide you during your experience to ensure you’re meeting with companies that best fit your organization’s needs, and industry partners to showcase their newest innovative technologies to integrate within your system. |
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| ASI iMIS Coaching |
Location: Virtual
This iMIS Coaching - General session is designed to provide you with updates on new features or functions, tips and tricks, best practice recommendations and to help answer your burning iMIS questions.
During this one hour online session, one of our experienced iMIS Coaches will be available to help answer any questions you might have about iMIS. |
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| Association Analytics: Data Analytics Network |
Location: Online
Attend the Data Analytics Network meeting scheduled for the first Tuesday of each month.
This opportunity is for association professionals to engage in peer-led discussions on topics related to data and analytics.
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| DECEMBER |
| 4-5 |
| 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM CST |
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| Association Forum Holiday Showcase |
Location: Hyatt Regency Chicago
Get ready to amplify your goals and rock your purpose at the ultimate celebration of the Chicagoland association community, Association Forum’s Holiday Showcase 2024—Amplify. Prepare to be immersed in a concerto of innovation and ingenuity, where groundbreaking strategies and visionary ideas unite, shaping the future of our industry.
Whether you seek to expand your network, hone your skills, or reignite your career goals, Holiday Showcase 2024—Amplify offers a gateway to limitless opportunities. Premier education, ample networking, and incredible resources are just a few key benefits of this must-attend industry staple, now a full 2-day conference! |
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