Data Visualization

Storytelling and Data Visualization

Why not tell a story with your data? An effective pairing of visual data with a story allows your customers and employees to gain insight in ways they could not otherwise. Taking your ideas and bringing them to life with data, can be utilized as one of your most effective tools for communication.

This is especially important now with the excess of information we are presented with daily, messages need to stand out. It’s time to turn your visual data into stories that captivate your audience.

Use storytelling to boost your message

Data is powerful. When presented within a story, it provides more clarity, is more relatable to your audience and increases persuasion. Stories take a previously excessive amount of data, usually presented in a report, and creates a compact and impactful narrative for your audience to enjoy. The interest created by the story aids comprehension and overall makes the message more effective.

Stories and credibility

Data visualization brings credibility to the information and gives significance to each point you are presenting. Through the use of a narrative, storytelling encourages your audience to critically think as they explore the data, therefore planting seeds for thought. When you achieve credibility with your employees and they trust the data, it opens up room for debate. Analytical thinking is a valuable asset – it’s the means by which your employees step outside the box and discover new ideas and solutions.

Understanding your audience

To effectively communicate with your audience, you need to know who they are. Are you trying to reach your target market, your customers or your employees? What are their goals and how can your data serve them in achieving them? The visualizations will differ significantly for each audience. They key is clarity of message.

Keep it simple

Limit your data storytelling to visuals that are simple and uncluttered. It’s easy to get swept away with charts, graphs, and colors, but it can create a lot of “noise” that is difficult for your audience to make sense of. Too many visuals are like a story with too many plots – it becomes complicated for your audience to follow and understand. Each visual component of your data should serve a purpose, otherwise it has no reason being there.

Stories need a beginning and an ending

Just like any story, visual data needs to have a beginning and an ending. What do you want your audience to learn as they progress through the story? It could be an awareness or understanding of something.

What makes a good beginning? Your data is like a book – if it doesn’t grab audience attention right away interest is lost. Your visual data needs to captivate your audience from the very first image and keep them intrigued as the narrative progresses.

Be clear and to the point

Visuals and the story they tell need to be clear and concise. You have a limited amount of time to catch the attention of your audience, so keep your story relevant and succinct.

If you have a lot of information to relay to your audience, break it into sections and decide what can be saved for another time.

Great storytelling

An effective pairing of visual data with a story allows your customers and employees to gain insight in ways they could not otherwise. Taking your ideas and bringing them to life with data, can be utilized as one of your most effective tools for communication.

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