How can you use experimental results to tell a compelling story?

2 Structure your story logically

A good story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. A good experimental story also follows a logical structure that guides your audience through your process and findings. A simple yet effective structure to use is one that connects the dots between your problem, hypothesis, experiment, results, and insights. To start, you must identify the challenge or opportunity you faced and explain why it was important or relevant. Then you must formulate your proposed solution or assumption. After that, you must test your hypothesis using methods and metrics. Once the results are in, you can draw insights from them to determine implications and recommendations. Using this structure, you can create a coherent and consistent story.

3 Use visuals and narratives

Data alone is not enough to tell a captivating story. You need to use visuals and narratives to make your data more accessible, understandable, and memorable. Visuals, such as charts, graphs, tables, and diagrams, can help you present your data in a clear and concise way, highlight the most important or interesting aspects, and compare or contrast different scenarios. Narratives, such as anecdotes, examples, metaphors, and analogies, can help you add context and meaning to your data, relate to your audience's emotions and experiences, and explain complex or abstract concepts. When using visuals and narratives, make sure they are relevant, accurate, and consistent with your data and message.

4 Simplify and emphasize

One of the biggest challenges of telling a story with experimental results is to avoid overwhelming or confusing your audience with too much or too complex information. You need to simplify and emphasize your data and message to make them more digestible and impactful. Simplify means to eliminate unnecessary or irrelevant details, use plain and clear language, and break down complicated or technical terms. Emphasize means to highlight the key points or takeaways, use contrast or comparison, and repeat or summarize your message. By simplifying and emphasizing your story, you can help your audience focus on what matters most and remember it better.