We‘ve all sat through dreadfully dull data presentations. Walls of numbers, an alphabet soup of acronyms, complex graphs unfurled with little explanation. Our attention quickly drains away as the presenter drones on.
But sometimes, the black and white pixels shift into technicolor. A compelling data narrative draws us in, transforming abstract figures into meaningful trends we connect with. We perk up, lean forward, and actually enjoy discovering insights within the numbers.
That ability to captivate an audience and steer their perspective lies at the heart of great data storytelling.
In our sea of information overload, attention is the premium currency. Using strategic visual communication and narrative techniques, analysts can break through the noise to highlight what matters – making data stories stick in our minds long after the presentation ends.
For example, take Hans Rosling’s famous 2006 TED talk unveiling global health trends. By animating bubbly scatter plots, Rosling challenged ingrained assumptions and brought dry international statistics to vibrant life. His presentation captured minds worldwide as an inspiring model for data storytelling’s potential.
But you don’t need fancy interactive graphics or big data sets to weave an engaging data narrative. The core foundations apply to presentations large or small. Whether you’re reporting customer research learnings to your team or pitching investors on a new idea, strategic data storytelling fuels understanding and action.
This guide collects 10 best practices to help craft more powerful data stories that captivate and convince. Let’s dive in!
Why Data Storytelling Matters
- 74% of people relying more on data visualizations to understand information, research shows
- Reports integrating data visualizations have 94% higher viewing rates
- Decision makers who engage with data stories have 160% higher capacity for informed judgements, according to Deloitte
- Workers realize 32% gains in productivity from better data accessibility
Know Thy Audience
Clarity depends hugely on understanding the viewer‘s context – their background, concerns, motivations and blindspots around the topic.
- Step 1: Get perspective by directly asking some audience representatives:
- What do you already know about this topic?
- What questions do you have?
- What challenges does this issue cause?
- How could insights here affect your decisions?
- Step 2: Digest feedback to pinpoint info gaps and identity hooks aligned to their circumstances.
- Step 3: Shape content elements – data details, terminology, examples, explanations etc. – tailored to what your defined audience needs to know.
Research on mental models shows that tapping into the audience‘s existing frameworks for thinking about a topic helps cement new learnings by linking to familiar concepts. Design the flow of data details to build new insights upon old.
Spotlight Your North Star Metric
Every good data story rallies around a focal point. Reduce complexity by isolating the chief insight within a sea of statistics.
This key metric becomes your data lighthouse – shining attention towards a single illuminating concept you want your audience to remember. Common choices like:
- Trend Over Time – Feature how a key figure has changed against historical baselines
- Term Comparison – Spotlight performance differences between competing offerings or models
- Correlation Insight – Showcase how two metrics relate, like sales lifting with marketing spend
- Benchmark Evaluation – Contextualize performance by comparing against an industry average score
Rally all supporting details around expanding on the chief insight designated as your North Star metric. Other data included should orient viewers towards discovering its meaning and importance.
Cull Relevant Supporting Evidence
Now get down to the nuts and bolts of pulling concrete proof to substantiate your key claim.
- Step 1: Gather quantitative metrics backing up assertions, like statistics from analyses and reporting.
- Step 2: Blend in qualitative credibility evidence too, like customer testimonials, expert opinions, case studies etc. that add real-world validity.
- Step 3: Curate multimedia sidebar stories – anecdotes, pictures, video clips – that reinforce the central narrative, embodying its human impact.
Varied data types trigger different cognitive processing to multiply memorability. Counterbalance hard facts with softer human stories.
Harness the Power of Visual Perception
The brain absorbs imagery exponentially faster than text with 90% of information transmitted visually. Effective data visualization taps into instinctive perceptual systems honed over millennia of evolutionary development that help us pull insights from scenes in a glance.
Strategic design directs innate visual attention towards key data details by leveraging principles from fields of visual cognition, hierarchy and information foraging theories.
Note: Image created with Canva, a handy visual content creation tool
Illustrative Example: How Visual Cues Focus Important Areas
Here, complementary colors distinguish the max sales value from the trendline drawing more consideration, while the arrow + text callouts annotate the precise meaning for quick context.
Shape Story Arcs That Resonate
Structure visualizations and descriptive narration to form memorable plot progression, like chapters in a book. Creative templates abound to spark ideas:
- Before & After
- Problem & Solution
- Origin Story – How circumstances developed over time
- Survival Against the Odds
- David vs Goliath – Defying negative expectations
- Discovery – Revealing hidden opportunities
- Perspective Flip – Challenge assumptions
Select data details that construct an emotionally compelling trajectory from start to finish while still accurately reflecting the underlying evidence.
Check for Clarity Missteps
Common communication mistakes muddy understanding. Verify you avoid these hazards:
- Unexplained jargon – Define acronyms and technical terminology
- Sparse annotations – Label chart elements and metrics
- No average benchmark – Add comparative reference points
- Assumed awareness – Link concepts to common knowledge
- Unconscious bias – Check phrasing doesn’t inadvertently stereotype groups
Test check-in questions during presentations provide clues about lingering weak spots. Asking ‘What does this mean to you?’ and ‘What’s most important here?’ yields helpful qualitative feedback for improvements.
Direct Gaze Strategically
Image from Hoffman Labs
Eye-tracking studies reveal visual scanning patterns. People instinctively look first at whatever is largest, most contrasting, bright, colorful, high-resolution, centered or text-heavy in their field of view.
Mimicking conventions from magazines, road signs and web interfaces leverages implicit familiarity. Tactically highlight key data storyline elements utilizing techniques like:
- Bright contrasting palette swatches
- Large, bold sizing
- Banner headings
- Spatial positioning – higher & centered
- Creative iconography
Cultivate an Action Orientation
Ground observations in practical relevance to daily circumstances. Demonstrate tangible applicability answering:
- What new capabilities does this unlock?
- How can people directly use these learnings?
- What next step commitment can I obtain?
Share examples of decisions, behaviors and processes audience members may adjust, along with likely outcomes from doing so. Arm them to implement changes.
Overlaying annotated sparks and lightbulbs onto graphics hints at unlocked epiphanies, emphasizing enlightened ideas accessible through data insights.
Carefully Evaluate Message Integrity
As analysts, our duty centers on responsibly representing findings from systematic observation. But data can mislead. Ensure messaging adheres to scientific rigor with fidelity checks:
- Scale axis consistently
- Highlight uncertainty ranges
- Document sampling methodology
- Disclose data cleaning procedures
- Quantify margin of errors
- Reveal analysis assumptions
- Cite external sources
Transparent processes allow audiences to critically evaluate analysis fairness and determine appropriate confidence levels in conclusions presented.
Optimize Visualization Medium Fit
Print poster or digital presentation? Static snapshot or interactive web dashboard?
Consider which formats and features best suit analytic communication goals and audience needs.
Prioritize responsively designed, mobile-friendly options providing versatile access. Flexible cross-platform visualization tools like Tableau, Power BI and Google Data Studio simplify portability.
Review if all elementscompliant with target sharing system limits on resolution, colors, fonts, dynamic ranges and export compatibility.
Internalize Lessons From the Masters
Like any skill, data storytelling flows intuitively only with repeated practice and exposure to what works.
- Learn from talented professionals: Study presentations, dashboards and reporting from leading analytics teams and firms to model winning blueprints
- Join online course communities: Enroll in programs like storytelling with data offering robust curriculums and coaching
- Seek critiques on drafts: Testing visualizations gives invaluable feedback to sharpen approaches
- Familiarize with dataviz galleries: Immerse in best-of compilations highlighting excellence
Referencing diverse examples reveals new creative possibilities to amp impact. Iterate onto glory!
Ready to start crafting better data stories? Download the 10 Best Practices Checklist to easily reference while building your next presentation, report or dashboard!
