Making Data Talk: How to Set and Execute on Powerful Data Stories (The Three Steps of Presenting Data Visualization)

At my upcoming presentation at #TDWI in Las Vegas I thought it worthwhile to layout a short brief on the 3 hour workshop I will be teaching. https://tdwi.org/Events/Conferences/Las-Vegas/Sessions/Sunday/Making-Data-Talk-How-to-Set-and-Execute-on-Powerful-Data-Stories.aspx.

Anybody who works with data and asks the question how can I make this data tell a story. The techniques for this are applicable to a wide range of backgrounds from pure data science to marketing analytics and from BI implementation teams to end users. Data visualization is a powerful technique for making this work, the question is how?

Data visualization can make the most complex story understandable. In fact pictures can take the learner to a deep level of understanding in a truly accelerated manner. Well delivered data visualization makes learning the story of the data both memorable and relevant. However so often what we present misses the mark, in short it does not address the business need or maybe it is presented in the incorrect context.

To be effective in your data visualization stories I recommend the three steps of data visualization presentation:

1) Setting of the story: Setting the story properly is hard as it requires both specific details giving a broad contextual understanding. The details are oftentimes text that adds important background or clarifies key elements of the data visualization. When passing the data visualization to a third party work is required to set the story, this work is normally a written text that the reader can hear the thoughtful context.

2) The random walk of the data: Once you have presented the data visualization give the readers a chance to absorb it, unlike text they will begin their journey at a random point and they may flow from bottom to top from right to left as they take in the story. After this pause describe the key elements, make sure that the details are illuminated and build on the underlying story of the data using the specifics of the graphic.

3) The memorable conclusion: This is the hardest step, to make the conclusion effective one needs to make is personal by relating to your audience and ask how they feel about the data journey. The conclusion should to circle back to you setting of the story and tie in closing points that will leave the reader with a lasting image in their minds.

AND on the graphic (a favorite of many data viz fans):

Drawn by Mr. Minard, Inspector General of Bridges and Roads in retirement. Paris, 20 November 1869.

1) Setting the story: The numbers of men present are represented by the widths of the colored zones in a rate of one millimeter for ten thousand men; these are also written beside the zones. Red designates men moving into Russia, black those on retreat. — The informations used for drawing the map were taken from the works of Messrs. Thiers, de Ségur, de Fezensac, de Chambray and the unpublished diary of Jacob, pharmacist of the Army since 28 October.

2) The random walk: Notice the river crossing on the retreat at Studienska with the reduction in force from 50k to 288. See the temperature in (in Celsius) and imagine how the cold nights would have felt. See the overall picture of how 422k entered Russia and a 10k survived.

3) The conclusion: The story is a tragedy for the French but to this date the cannon fire in the 1812 overture celebrates the Russian victory. We can imagine just how devastated the French were and how jubilant Russians were with this tragic story.