Dataklubben sæson 1 episode 9

Take a bow for storytelling with data expert, Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic

Facts on a slide are not inherently memorable - stories are! We are beyond proud to welcome storytelling and data visualization expert, Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic, to Dataklubben.

In today’s podcast, Cole shares heaps of advice and practical examples with us from her 2015 bestseller, Storytelling with Data - a Data Visualization Guide for Business Professionals, and the expansion, Storytelling with Data – Let’s Practice.  

If you are always chasing more data, you could experience death by data. Just don’t. Treat yourself to 40 minutes in the company of Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic and listen and learn. Tomorrow, you will look at your data with fresh eyes and be able to apply today's findings on your own data.

Topics in the podcast:

10.00 / Exploratory vs Explanatory 
What's the difference between exploratory and explanatory - and how do you visualise the two?  Don't mix up storytelling and data visualisation by using the dashboard or the monthly report to tell a story!

16.00 / How do you tell a story with data? 
Always be storyboarding! If you go straight to your tool, you may feel the need to answer every possible question.  Start low-tech to achieve shorter and more effective communication. Anyone who ever needs to communicate a number, should be practicing data storytelling and data visualisation. 

19.30 / Data Scientist vs Data Storytellers
Anybody communicating numbers, should be practicing!

22.15 /  How do you actually promote data?
Small changes over time that will build confidence into your storytelling and credibility to your person. Do you really want to be data-driven? Build a culture that values data, and decide when you use data - and when do you not? 

25.40 / No company went data-driven from buying a tool   
Organisations that strive to become data-driven and tell effective stories often invest in tools.  Too bad the tool you need to tell effective stories resides in your head, not in your tool or in augmented analytics!  

27.15 / Create that magic aha-moment based on data done well (and do it live) 
Think about the circumstances, context and your audience before you consider anything else.  When you choose a new type of graph, are you actually doing your audience a favour or is it even more confusing?  One of the benefits of a live audience, is to build data live - piece by piece. It works!

30.25 / Take away the cognitive burden from your audience 
The list of things you don't need in your visualisation is long! Be nice to your audience and declutter your visualisation, as it takes brain power to process any kind of information. 

32.48 / Join the makeover challenge 
Watch and learn from others! 

35.44 / Be data critical. Be the devil's advocate
No good analysis without asking good questions!

37.32 / Don't lie with data! 
The golden rule of data visualisation: Don't lie with data! Hold each other accountable. All data is biased so be sure to ask the tough questions and the right questions. 

39.40 / Democratizing data
You don’t need buzzword bingo, you need to ask the right questions!

41.15 / Break free from your habits
If you are stuck in your way of looking at data, start by bringing different skillsets together.

42.34 / How does a designer think? 
When somebody looks at your graph, make sure you drive focus towards the important aspects. If the word design scares you, think functionality and help your audience. 

Summing up