Digital Insight: Storytelling with Data

By: Brittany Dow, Account Manager, Edelman Toronto

Humans are visual creatures and can absorb information faster when it’s presented that way. Below are five tips that will improve your ability to present data in a visual manner and process information more effectively.

1. Big Data

We’ve all heard the term “Big Data” and that it’s on the rise. The challenge is how to synthesize that information and turn it into something meaningful. It’s no longer the rise of data, but the rise of the dataviz expert. This is a skillset in increasing demand, which has led to the development of new courses, new books and new thought-leaders. 

2. Data Visualization

Why Visualization? Why not send your data in a table across several slides? After all, that’s what many executives are used to, right? Not necessarily. Data visualization is effective because the human brain is built to consume visual images faster than text.  For example, our brains are designed to identify patterns and create meaning out of those images simultaneously. When approaching data and considering how to present it, keep the Gestalt Principles in mind:  similarity, figure/ground, continuation, closure, proximity and alignment.

3. Work Towards Objectives

Before you begin to chart or sketch a design, ask yourself: What do I want people to understand with this information? Clearly defined objectives are essential to building a successful visualization. 

“A visualization is a tool and, as any other tool, its form (or forms) need to be adapted to its functions.”

-Alberto Cairo, The Functional Art

4. Represent the Data Effectively

Picking the right chart is dependent on the objective and what you’re looking to do with your data. Are you looking to make a comparison? Identify trends over time? These questions will dictate the type of chart or visual approach you choose. For example, comparing and ranking volume of conversation between different influencers is best displayed by a bar graph because it allows you to perceive differences without reading the numbers that accompany them. 

5. Create a Narrative

Developing the story and producing a final product involve editing and curating, adding effective titles, providing context and building a narrative around the data. Once the data is charted, begin designing a layout that takes the reader through a visual narrative based on the objective.