Data Visualisation : Telling a story
By now, most of you know my love for data and the importance data holds in any business decision. But data in its crude form, even after it has been cleansed and classified, means nothing unless it is interpreted and laid out to the business in a manner that helps them to understand the information relevant to the decision making process. This brings me to my blog topic today, “Data Visualisation : Telling a story”
What does it mean?
There is ample literature to support the enjoyment of storytelling on the part of both the story teller and the listener. Storytelling forges a connection between people and people with ideas. Few forms of communication are as effective as a compelling narrative. Data in its crude form is just a collection of numbers and words. Data visualization refers to showcasing those data, numbers and statistics through images and charts. Reports and Dashboards can be overwhelming without a proper explanation. This is becoming more and more important as analytics and data are transforming decision making processes in leading organisations across the world. A great visualisation explains what happened, why it happened and how it can be used to turn into something actionable.
Why is story telling important?
There is a lot of enthusiasm in organisations today about analytics and “big data.” However, unless decision makers understand analytics and its implications, they may not change their behaviour and adopt analytical approaches when making decisions. Simply put, data is only as good as ones ability to understand and communicate it to others. Telling a great data-driven story can be useful for both stakeholders and consumers. Stakeholder engagement rises as they navigate through the story and take note of actionable items. Consumers can be understood better when data concerning consumers and the way in which they behave is displayed in a clearer, more efficient way.
Clear depiction of data and trends impact human brains in a way which aids retention of information. The two charts below, as mentioned in Hubspot, represent exactly the same data. However the one with the image engages audience attention immediately.
How do visualisers do it?
So how does an analyst and a visual designer go about telling a story that engages the stakeholder. The following 5 points are crucial when designing an analytical dashboard.
- Know your audience – Visualisation should always be centred around your audience. Is it meant for decision makers, general interested parties or others? What are they interested to see? What topic or message should it deliver?
- Find a compelling narrative – Along with giving facts and establishing connections between them, visualisation should always aim to capture viewers time and attention, so it is important to make sure that it has a hook, momentum and a captivating story to keep the audience engaged throughout.
- Be impartial and offer balance – Visualisation should be devoid of bias. Reports and Dashboards tend to influence an opinion, but reports should be based on what the underlying data represents and not what the designers or visualisers want to show.
- Be inclusive – Visualisers should not be selective about the data they display. There should be no censorship. Visualisation should consider all the available data for the context and for the story it narrates.
- Rehearse again and again – Like any narrative in front of an audience, designers and visualisers must rehearse and take care to really explain the data, not just decorate it with pretty graphs. Something that “looks cool” may not be the best way to narrate the story, so rehearse and rehearse again.
Data Visualisation is as much an art as it is science. It can be a difficult task but it is important. Telling a story with data in reports and dashboards can massively improve an organisation’s growth and decision making power, giving them a distinct advantage
About the Author: Sarbani is the Managing Director of ei²® a consultancy specialising in #data #insights #performance