What to expect?

Let’s examine a practical application of basic Data Visualization concepts and Data Storytelling. We will look at one existing publicly available chart on the internet, preferably each week. You can take these lessons to your world of Data Storytelling. Apply them at the office or home when persuading your spouse about spending habits :-).

Data Storytelling Example

Our example will be a chart from an article about an “unknown” country. The chart is from an article about “Assessing the Economic situation of Country X“

The Setting

The article explains that Country’s X economic performance is not great. There is a strong sign that the country is entering a Stagflation phase. The chart has the data, but it does not tell the story. So, I would make the following adjustments to elevate the message part and increase the visual elements. Practice these Data Visualization skills to become fluent and progress in your career faster.

Further enhancements to the chart to improve the Data storytelling should be:

• Reduce the white space – I generally like white space to project cleanness but this chart has a LOT of white
• Reorganize the X axis – I believe that grouping the KPIs into three distinctive sections is better than have them spread across and strain your cognitive load going from left to right for each of the KPI
• Separate the KPI Groups visually in the chart – I prefer to show the separation in the chart itself, so that the audience doesn’t have to do mental work, always aligning the original “only bottom” separation to the above chart
• Change colors for the KPIs – the message needs to be visually visible that there is a growth in the KPIs and the colors are distinctive (avoiding RED as that connotes “bad”, and inflation is not the only one “bad”)
• Add a Telling Title – so that when you read the title. You got the message straight away and can easily follow it in the charts if you are more interested in the details
• Add coloring to the sub-headlines too – so that you can clearly associate the verbal narrative to the visual

An alternative result after application of a few concepts of Data Visualization:

Summary

Review the simple concepts for clear Data Storytelling. Keep practicing. You can do wonders—not only for the Visualizations but also for your Data Storytelling and professional career.

If there is a chart you wish me to review, just let me know. I can give some thoughts on revision. Please contact me via the contact form.

You can use the Chart of the Week tag to see other examples.