Data Storytelling: Leverage Data to Interpret Valuable Insights Through Stories
Communicate information hidden in Data for Business use
Have you ever seen old data becoming alive through the hidden stories? Archived news in libraries , an old dusty picture in your attic or the family tree charts, health reports, MRI and x-Ray images all are trying to tell something. Deep research and interpretation of results will provide important insights about what happened in the past, or forgotten lineage, or hidden ailment that can lead to solution of the problems. Therefore Data storytelling: leverage Data to interpret valuable insights through stories, is an art to visualize data and provide solutions to the business and health and other similar problems.
What is Data Storytelling?
Putting forth data, displaying visual representation and interpretation of data and its significance, through a narrative, to explain a pain point, is Data Storytelling.
The data visualization, representation and narration provides intelligent predictions and insights and leads to actionable items. Following these actions result in mitigating risks and removing obstacles.
There are innumerable examples from healthcare, information and media, software, weather reports, business, community services, job prospects and university student intake, customer interests and pain points and so on.
Important Elements of Data Storytelling
Same data collection may decipher different stories for different set of target audience. Same data sets can be interpreted in multiple ways to bring it alive with important insights in business context by using following three elements:
- Data
- Visuals
- Narratives.
Visualization of data is important though greater value is inherent in its narration. Visualization is just a tool to articulate the data storytelling to make it more direct, simple and effective to put forward key points.
Communication through visuals become more effective and reach to target audience to compel them to take action.
How to make Data Storytelling effective
- Collecting data of appropriate and relevant time interval.
- Using limited though precise and accurate data.
- Visualizing data through maps and graphs.
- Keeping each storyboard simple and not overwhelming for audience.
- Choosing color schemes judiciously.
- Providing color legend for better understanding.
- Choosing perfect Title for Story interpretation.
- Providing source of authentic data.
- Understanding the target audience.
- Forming a story around data that audience will remember after the presentation.
- Cutting short unnecessary and irrelevant details.
- Understanding importance of audience time.
- Reaching to the main point without complicating the story.
- Listening what audience has to say.
- Incorporating feedback on the go.
- Concluding the data story in crisp and effective way.
Data will talk to you and become alive, when you are creative enough, to communicate and interpret it and convey the same to others effectively — Shikha Saxena.
