storytelling with data

A well-known phrase pops up in certain corners of the internet: Explain it like I’m five (often abbreviated as ELI5). You might be tempted to use this approach when presenting #dataviz —assuming that your audience wants you to break things down as if they were five years old. If you ask data storyteller Mike Cisneros, he'd say, "Don’t do it!" The ELI5 method encourages the wrong mindset. Five-year-olds need explanations that are superficial and stripped of nuance because their brains are still developing. We tailor our speech to their level, stretching their comprehension to its limits. But if you talked to an adult that way, they’d feel completely condescended to. Your audience isn’t made up of children. In almost every business setting, you’re speaking to intelligent adults—capable thinkers who can process complexity. The only difference between you and them at the moment you start your presentation is that they’re simply under-informed. Rather than dumbing things down, imagine you’re explaining the topic to the smartest people you know—on their very first day at a new job. Your role is to orient them, equipping them with the knowledge they need to make decisions, take action, and get others on board with your recommendations. With this mindset, you’ll frame your communication effectively. You’ll provide crucial context, guide people through key considerations, and help them understand both what needs to be done and why it matters.

QUICK EXCEL TIPS There's plenty to explore in our ever-growing library of YouTube shorts concentrating on easy-to-implement #dataviz tips & tricks in Excel. Check out the playlist. Link in the comments below.

WHAT’S YOUR KEY TAKEAWAY FROM THIS SLIDE? Adding an observational takeaway that represents the most important element from your visual makes it easy for your audience to understand what to look for in the supporting content. And, when pairing a takeaway title with a graph that reinforces it visually, your audience is much more likely to remember the information. To see how we’d tackle this slide, we’d love to see you at one of our two in-person full-day masterclasses this year. Join us in London (April 28th) or New York (October 14th) where we’ll be drawing on lessons from all three best-selling books. We’ll demonstrate the ins and outs of great graphs and stellar slides, how to weave your message and data into compelling narratives, and methods to refine your presentation skills to engage and drive action all via the magic of in-person learning.

CALLING ALL UNIVERSITY INSTRUCTORS If you would like to join the more than 400 universities from around the world teaching from the *storytelling with data* books, then take a look at this special page below to access real-world datasets, exercises, case studies, videos, podcasts, and other free materials available to assist you in teaching.

NEW VIDEO - DATA VIZ MAKEOVER In this data viz before & after we identify the key takeaways from an unclear line chart and table combo and apply techniques to bring them to life before combining them into an engaging and insightful visual that tells a compelling story.

We've got bad news for you. Not all data tells a happy story—and that’s okay. Whether it’s a marketing campaign that underperforms or a product launch met with negative feedback, we have a responsibility to present all findings accurately. Instead of minimizing bad news, SWD data storyteller Amy Esselman offers five tactics to share it effectively in our latest article.

DON’T LET YOUR LEGEND BE A MYSTERY A poorly designed legend makes readers work harder to understand your graph—distracting from the insights that matter. The fix? Customize it! This article from SWD covers eight ways to adjust your legend in Excel, from repositioning to direct labeling, so your visuals stay clear and effective. #DataStorytelling #DataViz #ExcelTips #StorytellingWithData

TABLES VS. GRAPHS Our brains process visuals much faster than text, which is why trends often stand out more in graphs than in tables. A well-designed graph taps into our visual system, making patterns and insights easier to grasp at a glance. See the difference for yourself below! 👇 #DataVisualization #StorytellingWithData

Simple steps, powerful results—see how transforming data into a story can drive insight and action. Join this Thursday’s storytelling with data workshop to learn how! https://lnkd.in/gdKX_FBd

An alternative to error bars: 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧 While error bars are common in technical communications, they often clutter graphs and distract from the main message. Instead, consider using shaded regions to represent data variability. Here are the advantages: ✅ 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐫: Shaded regions reduce visual noise, making graphs easier to read. ✅ 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞: Audiences can quickly grasp the concept of a range without decoding multiple lines. ✅ 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐞: This approach works well for both time series and categorical data. Check out the examples below! What's your take on error bars? Have you experimented with alternative ways to show data uncertainty? Share your thoughts in the comments below.👇