At Datasketch, we began with a conviction that has guided every one of our projects: information is everywhere, but we rarely know how to make the most of it. Over the past ten years, we’ve learned that data, when managed with purpose, can become a powerful tool to address public interest issues, improve people’s lives, and strengthen decision-making.
That’s what we talk about in the latest episode of our videopodcast, where Juan Pablo Marín, founder of Datasketch, and Juliana Galvis, project director, discuss the lessons learned, challenges, and achievements that have marked this decade of turning information into impact.
From mining to biodiversity: A universe of projects
Managing information for diverse organizations has taken us down paths as varied as they are challenging. Over the years, we’ve worked alongside local communities, media outlets, academic institutions, and international organizations—designing data-driven, technology-based solutions for each one.
One of the most emblematic examples is Minería Visible, a platform that enables local communities to share, access, and visualize information related to mining royalties in Colombia.
We’ve also organized databases on Colombia’s armed conflict, managed biodiversity datasets—learning about topics as specific as epiphytes and fungi—and developed data visualization dashboards on personal data laws in Latin America for the IDB. Additionally, we’ve collaborated with international media outlets to create platforms that bring complex information closer to new audiences.
Each of these projects has taught us something essential: data alone is not enough. What creates impact is transforming it into useful, understandable, and accessible knowledge.
Our Method: Turning Information into Useful Tools
Behind every platform, dashboard, or visualization lies a rigorous process that has helped us find answers over the years. It’s structured in four phases:
- Diagnosis: Understanding in depth the needs of the people who will use the tool—whether journalists, communities, or researchers.
- Design: Finding the best way to visually represent the information so it’s clear, engaging, and useful for users.
- Technical development: Defining how to process, update, and scale the data sustainably.
- Adoption: Supporting users so they understand how to use the tool and make the most of it.
This last step is crucial. The value of an information visualization lies in enabling those who need it to read it, interpret it, and turn it into action.
The Challenges: From Photos of Tables to Accessible Data
The path hasn’t always been easy. In many cases, the data we receive comes in unusable formats—from Word documents containing photos of printed tables to fragmented or outdated databases.
To this, we add the difficulty of both accessing and understanding public information. To analyze this kind of data properly, it’s essential to understand how it was built and what limitations it may have.
That’s why, when building a product, we aim to strike a balance between technical rigor and accessibility. Tools must be precise and reliable, but also intuitive and understandable for anyone, regardless of their technical background.
An Evolving Process
In our early days, each solution was almost handcrafted—a unique development for each client. Today, after years of learning, we’ve built scalable and automated solutions that allow us to connect, process, and analyze information continuously.
This includes direct connections to data sources such as DANE or the U.S. Census, and the implementation of algorithms for sentiment analysis and pattern detection. However, one thing hasn’t changed: we continue to bet on context-aware intelligence.
Many large AI solutions don’t work well in Latin America because they are not built with our contexts, languages, or data in mind. At Datasketch, we focus on creating technology that actually fits local needs and supports the way our communities work.
Democratizing Access to Data
A core goal of Datasketch has always been to democratize access to data and to the tools needed to process, visualize, and analyze it. For this reason, we’ve developed a range of tools within Datasketch that make everyday data tasks easier—from creating word clouds or icon-based charts to generating complete web pages simply by uploading an Excel file.
We want anyone—regardless of technical skill—to be able to explore, clean, and visualize their own data easily and for free.
At Datasketch, we aim to continue promoting initiatives that foster transparency, equity, and access to knowledge, just as we have for the past ten years. If your organization is looking to enhance its impact with the support of technology, we invite you to get in touch.
