Storytelling with Data

STORYTELLING WITH DATA: A Data Visualization Guide for Business Professionals

by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic

Data is essential for understanding trends and insights and for making sound decisions. Unfortunately, it’s often presented in a boring, confusing or even misleading way. Data visualization skills can allow you to present your ideas/proposals more persuasively, communicate findings clearly to facilitate decision-making, and stand out as a job candidate or employee. In this book, Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic explains how you can use data to tell a clear and compelling story in 6 steps (including concepts, principles, tips, examples and diagrams).

In this summary, you’ll learn:

• The context of your communication, including your Who-what-how, core message and storyline;

• Which types of visual displays to consider, which ones to avoid, and the dos and don’ts for your visuals;

• The Gestalt Principles and other useful principles to eliminate visual clutter;

• How people read or process materials, and how you can use a range of preattentive attributes to direct your audience’s focus to the right place and with the right sequence to achieve your goal;

• How you can think like a designer and master the principles of Affordances, Accessibility, Aesthetics, and Acceptance.

• How to construct your story with a 3-part narrative arc, and to strengthen it with several strategies.

Who should read this:
• Analysts, managers, leaders, professionals and students who must communicate with data
• Anyone who wishes to improve business presentation skills, or convey a message effectively using data/statistics