Storytelling with Data (Simplified)

Using data to tell stories is a powerful way to share important information, get people interested, and inspire action. Let's break down some key ideas and tips for telling stories with data in a way that anyone can understand:

1. Tell a Clear Story: Start by creating a story that makes sense and is interesting. Figure out the main idea you want to share with your audience and organize your information in a way that flows logically, like a beginning, middle, and end of a story.

2. Know Your Audience: Think about who you're talking to and what they care about. Adjust your storytelling style to match their interests and level of understanding. Use examples and details that will grab their attention and keep them engaged.

3. Highlight the Main Points: Every good story has a main character and a problem to solve. In data storytelling, the main character could be a specific piece of information or a trend, while the problem is the challenge or opportunity the data reveals. Make sure to point out these important parts of your story.

4. Start with Something Interesting: Grab your audience's attention right away with something that makes them want to hear more. You could start with a surprising fact, an interesting question, or a story that relates to your data.

5. Use Data and Pictures: Back up your story with facts and visuals. Pick out the most important information that supports your story and use pictures or graphs to help people understand it better. Make sure your visuals are easy to understand and look nice.

6. Make it Relevant: Connect your data to the real world and show why it matters to your audience. Use examples or stories that relate to their lives or experiences to help them see why the information is important.

7. Keep it Simple: Don't overload your audience with too much information or complicated words. Keep your story simple and focused on the most important points. Use plain language and avoid technical terms to make sure everyone can understand.

8. Practice and Improve: Practice telling your story until you feel confident and comfortable. Ask for feedback from friends or mentors to help you get better. Keep practicing and making changes until your storytelling skills are just right.

I follow these pointers with all of my reports and dashboards using various data visualization tools. It is not specific to any particular tool. From PowerPoint to Qlik Sense, you can use any medium to follow them.

“There is a story in your data. But your tools don’t know what that story is. That’s where it takes you—the analyst or communicator of the information—to bring that story visually and contextually to life.” - Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic, Storytelling with Data: A Data Visualization Guide for Business Professionals

I hope it will be helpful. :)

Thank you,

Rushika