Check out the diagram a story exercise in the community for some related practice.Don't simply show your data tell a story with it! Storytelling with Data teaches you the fundamentals of data visualization and how to communicate effectively with data. Determine which resonates with you or your situation and reflect on how you might use it effectively to communicate with your audience. The next time you need to communicate in a data-driven way, consider the various structures of story put forth here. It is exactly this idea that I explore further and illustrate via example-taking inspiration from one of my own favorite stories-in the recorded SWD community live event, “ lessons from Oz: story in business.” When we are the ones communicating, we generally need to have a good sense of all or most of the peaks, but then need to identify and weave together the specific combination that will work for our audience. The finance partner will be interested in a completely different set of peaks, combining into a widely varying storyline or narrative, than what you would use to communicate to the marketing lead. The exec might only want the high level arc or pyramid.
#Cole knaflic storytelling with data full#
Third-and this is the most important and relevant to the conversation here- it’s rare that you actually need to tell the full story with every single peak.ĭifferent audiences will care about different levels of detail.
We’re often visualizing data in areas outside of our immediate expertise and need to both make assumptions and generalize for communication to a broader audience. In a workshop or blog post or even in the books, we’re limited by how much time we have to set the context for an example and get into various nuances or storylines. This is the case for a couple of reasons.įirst, there’s the time constraint. Rarely, if ever, are we able to illustrate the full and complete story with all of the peaks. It occurred to me recently, in the majority of our examples-in workshops, books, here on the blog-when we illustrate “story,” it’s often either the overarching story, the simplified view that follows the arc or pyramid, or it’s a single one of the jagged peaks from a broader narrative. The real story usually looks more like a jagged mountain: It is precisely because of all of these ups and downs that the story holds our attention, keeps us guessing, and provides points of satisfaction along the way. While the twist or climax might reflect the primary conflict or maximum point of tension, there are typically numerous other issues introduced and resolved over the course of the broader narrative. In a good story, there isn't a single smooth ascent and descent-there are ups and downs throughout that move the story forward, carrying us, entertained, from plot to ending. They give you an idea of what's going on at a high level, however they don’t convey the full picture. Whether arc or pyramid, these constructs are still each simplifications. I am partial to the French denouement (thought to be introduced post-Freytag), which suggests an unravelling of complexities (literally, “untying the knot”). Exposition, to me, feels more thorough than plot (likely the result of the multi vs. While the pyramid has basically the same pieces as the arc, different words are sometimes used to describe them.
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