INSIGHTS

INSIGHTS

What are the top 10 things you must do to guarantee failure in communicating data?

INSIGHTS

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PLAN

Audience Analyser

Know

Think/Feel

The individual I must communicate with is:

They care about:

What do they currently...

Know

Think/Feel

After my presentation, I want them to...

D I��C S

PLAN

Message Refiner

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The message of your presentation will form the core of your preparation and design.

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If my audience leaves remembering just one sentence, that sentence will be..

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To refine your message, ask yourself these questions and make changes above as necessary:

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• Is my message a short, simple sentence that is able to fit on a sticky note?
• Is my message written in simple, conversational language?
• Is my message action-oriented?
• Is my message relevant and important to my audience?
• Does my message speak to what I want my audience to know, feel and do?
• Does my message make sense to a friend or colleague?
• Does my message communicate just one idea; is it specific?

PLAN

SMARTER Recommendations

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• A message is a statement about the story the data tells.
• A recommendation is a business suggestion from the analysis.
• Recommendations can be rejected;�a message can’t.

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Specific

Measurable

Achievable

Relevant

Time-Bound

Expected Results

Is the action clear, specific and allocated to someone?

What are the expected results if the recommendation is implemented? Or if it is not?

Does it have a measurable, quantifiable outcome?

An action must feel possible for the person to whom it has been allocated.

Is it aligned with the story you’ve told and is it solving a problem that needs solving?

It must have a boundary for when it is completed, else it will never be done.

Develop

Approve

Proceed

Purchase

Investigate

Expand�Grow

Increase

START

Progress

Resolve

Meet

Qualify

Maintain

Retain

Restart

Renew

CONTINUE

Cancel

Reduce

Sell

Upgrade�Abandon

Discontinue

Complete

Boost

CHANGE

I/we recommend..

PLAN

Context

The history of the topic.�“What?”

Recommendation

The solution and recommendation.

“So What Next?”

Complication

The current situation.�“So what?”

and

so

Your interesting introduction (write this out word-for-word)

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Data Storytelling Structure

Re-state your message (if required after discussion)

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DESIGN

StoryChart™

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To have a chart support your story and be unmistakable to your audience, it needs to maintain these careful considerations. Use this process to build new charts and refine existing charts:

StoryChart™

DESIGN

EXPLORE: Use graphs like these to explore (analyse) data.

EXPLAIN: Use these graphs to explain (communicate) data.

Bar

• Rank categorical data

Line

• Show trends over time
• Comparison of trends
• Correlation of trends

Column

• Show distribution
• Show sets over time

Pie/Donut

• When number doesn’t matter�(only bigger/smaller/similar)

Choose Your Chart

DESIGN

Same Data, Different Graph

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In a single chart, you can not answer every possible question. The decision to select any visualization is always a compromise; you will always have to choose one feature over another.�

Consider what the audience can read from this data set, when visualized in different graphs:

DESIGN

Declutter Your Chart Checklist

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Anything that is not directly contributing to the story of the chart is distracting; lines, colour, text. Don’t let your program defaults dictate how your charts look and keep only what you need or sketched.

Bar/Column Charts

Line Charts

• Make all bars grey (~30%)
• Remove border and gridlines
• Remove any background
• Remove the legend
• Add data labels (~30% grey)
• Increase all text size to be easily readable
• Make text horizontal as much as possible
• Sort the data by the relevant criteria
• Make the bar gap width 50%

• Make all lines grey (~30%)
• Remove border and gridlines
• Remove any background
• Remove the legend
• Directly label the lines to the right (~30% grey)
• Increase all text size to be easily readable
• Make text horizontal as much as possible
• Remove line markers
• Make line size ~5pt

DESIGN

Insight Title

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Instead of writing what data your chart is displaying, the title should explain the insight taken from the data/information.

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To get yourself towards what that insight is, ask yourself one of the following:

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• Why am I showing/sharing this chart?
• What is the specific insight the audience should take from this chart?
• What should the audience be focussed on when looking at this chart?

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Also, left-align your title. Because of reading gravity. And it looks neater.

Insight Title

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Chart Description (what this data is)

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Decluttered, highlighted, explain graph

“Here is my assertion”

“This is the evidence”

DESIGN

Highlight Your Chart

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Use appropriate method/s to draw attention to the focus of the chart to ensure the message is clear and help tell your story.

Add Colour

Use considered colours to draw attention to the key data point

Annotate Directly

Directly label key points, especially if there’s a lot of information.

$57M

A notable thing happened in this month to cause this result

Package Sections

Connect data points to show relationships and groups

117

41%

Add Benchmarks

Clearly show where targets are/aren’t being met by adding a line.

Target (400)

Goal: 4

INSIGHTS

When..

Instead of..

I will..

Because..

Good Little Habits

INSIGHTS

Friendly Feedback Flow

Audience

• The audience analysis seems clear, including what they care about.
• The content of the presentation is directed at the individual in the audience.

What

What do you see that does/doesn’t work?

How

How would you suggest to fix it?

Why

Why does this work/not work?

Why does it feel like it’s not achieving the above?

Message

• There is a single message which is clear, succinct and relevant to the audience.

Structure

• The structure makes sense and flows smoothly between segments.
• Including the recommendation and/or purpose at the start/end of the presentation makes sense.

Recommendations

• An action-driven recommendation is included that follows the SMARTER framework.
• The presentation answers the question “So What” about its topic.

Data Visualisations

• The data visualisations included are unmistakable in their message and clear for the audience.
• Charts are able to be understood within a few seconds.

Delivery

• The overall delivery is well paced both in terms of movement through the content and level of detail.
• Any heavier slides or visuals are drip-fed appropriately.

NOTES