In the public sector, a data artist might work with big data to highlight significant trends and patterns in population, demographics and public health. In the private sector, a data artist usually works with a single organization's data to provide information to business users in a clear, easy-to-understand manner.
In some organizations, data artists bridge the gap between the business intelligence and graphic design departments. In other organizations, the data scientists who are in charge of analyzing data and drawing conclusions are also in charge of deciding how data should be visualized and presented.
In order to succeed as a data artist, an individual must have a strong background in science, mathematics and data visualization. The individual must also be creative, have strong communication skills and be familiar with a variety of visualization software programs and tools, including those that support the creation of web-based interactive graphics.
See also: visual analytics