Effective Data Storytelling

Effective Data Storytelling

by Brent Dykes
Released December 2019
Publisher(s): Wiley
ISBN: 9781119615712

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Book description

Master the art and science of data storytelling—with frameworks and techniques to help you craft compelling stories with data.

The ability to effectively communicate with data is no longer a luxury in today’s economy; it is a necessity. Transforming data into visual communication is only one part of the picture. It is equally important to engage your audience with a narrative—to tell a story with the numbers. Effective Data Storytelling will teach you the essential skills necessary to communicate your insights through persuasive and memorable data stories.

Narratives are more powerful than raw statistics, more enduring than pretty charts. When done correctly, data stories can influence decisions and drive change. Most other books focus only on data visualization while neglecting the powerful narrative and psychological aspects of telling stories with data. Author Brent Dykes shows you how to take the three central elements of data storytelling—data, narrative, and visuals—and combine them for maximum effectiveness. Taking a comprehensive look at all the elements of data storytelling, this unique book will enable you to:

  • Transform your insights and data visualizations into appealing, impactful data stories
  • Learn the fundamental elements of a data story and key audience drivers
  • Understand the differences between how the brain processes facts and narrative
  • Structure your findings as a data narrative, using a four-step storyboarding process
  • Incorporate the seven essential principles of better visual storytelling into your work
  • Avoid common data storytelling mistakes by learning from historical and modern examples

Effective Data Storytelling: How to Drive Change with Data, Narrative and Visuals is a must-have resource for anyone who communicates regularly with data, including business professionals, analysts, marketers, salespeople, financial managers, and educators.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Foreword
  3. Preface
  4. Acknowledgments
  5. Chapter 1 Introduction to Driving Change through Insight
    1. Why Change Is Important
    2. Everyone Becomes an Analyst
    3. Data Literacy Is Essential in Today’s Data Economy
    4. What Is an Insight?
    5. Effective Communication Turns Insights into Actions
    6. Data-driven Change Isn’t Easy
    7. Strive to Communicate, Not Just Inform
    8. Telling the Story of Your Data
    9. References
  6. Chapter 2 Why Tell Stories with Data?
    1. Humans Are Storytelling Creatures
    2. Stories Beat Statistics
    3. Three Essential Elements of Data Stories
    4. Driving Action with Data Stories
    5. Why Your Insights Need Narrative and Visuals
    6. References
  7. Chapter 3 The Psychology of Data Storytelling
    1. Most Decisions Are Not Based on Logic
    2. How We React to Facts
    3. How We React to Stories
    4. Data Stories Bridge Logic and Emotion
    5. What Could Semmelweis Have Done Differently?
    6. References
  8. Chapter 4 The Anatomy of a Data Story
    1. The Six Essential Elements of a Data Story
    2. Data Stories Come in All Shapes and Sizes
    3. Every Data Story Needs a Storyteller
    4. Know Your Audience before Telling Your Story
    5. When It Makes Sense to Craft Data Stories and When It Doesn’t
    6. References
  9. Chapter 5 Data The Foundation of Your Data Story
    1. Examine the Building Blocks of Your Data Stories
    2. Every Data Story Needs a Central Insight
    3. Do You Have an Actionable Insight?
    4. The Analysis Process: Exploration to Explanation
    5. Analyzing and Communicating Data Demands Discipline
    6. When Too Much of a Good Thing Is Bad
    7. References
  10. Chapter 6 Narrative The Structure of Your Data Story
    1. Defining a Narrative Model for Data Stories
    2. Fleshing Out Your Narrative with Story Points
    3. Storyboarding Your Data Story
    4. When They Want Just the Facts
    5. Uncovering the Heroes in Your Data Story
    6. How Conflict Amplifies the Impact of Your Data Narrative
    7. Make Your Ideas More Digestible with Analogies
    8. References
  11. Chapter 7 Visuals (Part 1): Setting the Scenes of Your Data Story
    1. Human Perception and Our Innate Pattern-seeking Abilities
    2. Facilitating Meaningful Comparisons with Visuals
    3. Principle #1: Visualize the Right Data
    4. Principle #2: Choose the Right Visualizations
    5. Principle #3: Calibrate the Visuals to Your Message
    6. End of Part I: The Scenes Are Set
    7. References
  12. Chapter 8 Visuals (Part 2): Polishing the Scenes of Your Data Story
    1. Principle #4: Remove Unnecessary Noise
    2. Principle #5: Focus Attention on What’s Important
    3. Principle #6: Make Your Data Approachable and Engaging
    4. Principle #7: Instill Trust in Your Numbers
    5. A Principled Approach to Visual Storytelling
    6. References
  13. Chapter 9 Crafting Your Own Data Story
    1. Learning from a Master Data Storyteller
    2. Deconstructing a Data Story
    3. Everyday Data Stories Come in All Shapes, Sizes, and Flavors
    4. Data Storyteller: A Guide and a Change Agent
    5. References
  14. About the Author
  15. About the Website
  16. Index
  17. End User License Agreement

Product information

  • Title: Effective Data Storytelling
  • Author(s): Brent Dykes
  • Release date: December 2019
  • Publisher(s): Wiley
  • ISBN: 9781119615712