Effective Data Storytelling How to Drive Change with Data, Narrative and Visuals

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.

BRENT DYKES brings a unique perspective to data storytelling that blends both qualitative and quantitative skills. Currently the Senior Director of Data Strategy at Domo, Brent has more than 15 years of experience in the analytics industry consulting with global brands such as Microsoft, Sony, Nike, and Amazon. He is a regular Forbes contributor and has published more than 100 articles on various data-related subjects, including two books on digital analytics. In 2016, Brent was awarded the "Most Influential Industry Contributor Award" from the Digital Analytics Association (DAA). He enjoys speaking at various data conferences around the world and working with organizations to advance their data cultures and data storytelling skills.

Foreword ix

Preface xi

Acknowledgments xiii

Chapter 1 Introduction to Driving Change through Insight 1

Chapter 2 Why Tell Stories with Data? 21

Chapter 3 The Psychology of Data Storytelling 47

Chapter 4 The Anatomy of a Data Story 81

Chapter 5 Data: The Foundation of Your Data Story 121

Chapter 6 Narrative: The Structure of Your Data Story 157

Chapter 7 Visuals (Part 1): Setting the Scenes of Your Data Story 195

Chapter 8 Visuals (Part 2): Polishing the Scenes of Your Data Story 229

Chapter 9 Crafting Your Own Data Story 265

About the Author 305

About the Website 307

Index 309

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