The Role of Visualization in Data Storytelling: Understanding the Whole Picture

The use of data storytelling is prevalent in many industries, but the many definitions and opinions about it can be confusing. Some view data storytelling as a way to engage and persuade decision makers to take action, while others see it as a translation of data analytics results to help business leaders better understand the data. Another perspective is that data storytelling is a new and useful skill, similar to traditional storytelling, that includes a “hook” to draw in audience members, themes, the use of emotion and a beginning, middle and end. However, each of these definitions provides limited insight into the capabilities of data storytelling. Understanding the broader picture of data storytelling involves gleaning insights from data through a multi-layered process that includes gathering raw data, cleaning it, and modeling it. The end result is visualizing the results of data analysis, but before that, one should understand the story behind the data. To tell an effective data story, one should start with high-quality data, decide if there is a story to tell, remember the audience, find the compelling narrative, collaborate with experts and avoid compromising data with visuals.