The importance of using data visualization when telling a story
How often do you find yourself developing a PowerPoint or dashboard filled with too many words, charts that are difficult to comprehend, and leaves your audience with more questions than answers?
If so, now is the time to perfect how to visually tell your story. Storytelling is the purpose of your dashboard. By designing your visuals in a meaningful way, you help the target audience grasp the data findings in a single glance.
Data Visualization is a simplified way of presenting raw data through graphical representation. Done right, it’s more impactful than words and standalone numbers, and more meaningful than graphics and images alone.
There’s a lot more to data visualization than pairing concepts and figures with eye-catching imagery. Ask yourself:
- Does it inspire action or emotion?
- Can everyone understand what I’m trying to say?
- Is there a theme or motif to reinforce the concept?
- How will my audience consume the data without the background knowledge I have?
At the end of the day, the way in which your data appears in the presentation matters most. Here are a few tips for perfecting the portrayal of data:
- Limit the amount of data you’re visualizing per slide, and focus only on critical, useful information. Less is more!
- Make data visualization the focal point of the slide. Keep distractions to a minimum.
- Keep imagery simple and to-the-point.
- Complexities take longer to digest.
- Use data and visualizations relevant to your audience.
