The world of Data Analysis and Big Data Engineering seems too complex for common people who don’t have IT education.
But nowadays, when IT technologies are widely implemented in different spheres, they have to be explained to everybody. Our expert, Diana Cherkezian, will explain to us how to make IT easier and more accessible. Diana is a Senior Data Analyst in sales and management and a member of the Raptors association.
What is Data Storytelling?
Data Storytelling is creating a narrative (story) around data research results. That’s a great way to explain Data Analysis or Data Engineering processes intuitively.
‘The description of data processes, algorithms, or just raw data can be too complex or even overwhelming for the audience. But how can I explain my innovative IT project to investors? How can I explain what kind of data I need from the sales department to put it into an analysing algorithm? How do I inspire my coworkers? In these cases, data storytelling can help overcome the gap between data and real life’.
Structure of Data Narrative
Every compelling story should have a logical structure. This can be a classic beginning or introduction, then the middle part, and the end or conclusion. The content is variable depending on the aim and audience.
‘You can propose questions or real-life challenges as a beginning of your narrative. Then your middle part is your arguments, that will support your final answer or conclusion. Don’t forget about your audience and adjust the content of your presentation to their preferences’.
Key Methods to Make Data Accessible
As mentioned above, every story should have a clear narrative. When working with Data Analysis it is easy to fall to complex descriptions and even get mixed up by yourselves. Information can also be presented in different ways according to its type: for instance, bar and pie charts are great for quantitative data and line charts are suitable for showing continuous data.
‘People can perceive information through several channels: sound, vision, touch, smell and taste. When we present information about data we can’t touch, taste, or smell it, only sound and vision are left. So don’t forget to use a visual presentation of your ideas. That can be pictures, charts, diagrams, images, or schemes. They help highlight key points or summarise a large amount of data. Use proper design to make your story better, not to distract from it. You can make your presentation almost “tangible” if you use real business cases as examples of your story. Data storytelling works great when you transfer IT processes into real life using metaphors or even anecdotes, like in the intuitive explanation of the DBSCAN algorithm’.
Modern technologies can create a personalised experience with interactive elements. Allowing the audience to explore different facets of the data themselves can lead to a more engaging experience.
Why is Data Storytelling important?
Data storytelling is essential in a modern world of data-driven decisions. Complex information, transferred into insights can influence actions, justify strategies, and engage stakeholders across various levels of an organization.
‘People are afraid to take risks, they are mostly conservative, and that’s why we tend to use old tools and methods in our work: they withstood the test of time. Data Storytelling helps convince people that innovations are useful, efficient, and trustable’.
Common Mistakes
He that never climbed never fell. But Diana Cherkezian helps you with common mistakes and solutions.
‘1. Don’t make your storytelling too complex and don’t present too much data at once — instead, try to simplify and break down your narrative into smaller parts.
2. Don’t use IT jargon, it is not understandable for a broader audience — try to speak plainly. For example, instead of “numerical assessment,” tell “is presented as a percentage or ratio.
3. Always support your data with sources — you’re building a bridge of trust between the audience and IT. Strengthen it with transparency: identify potential biases in your data sources and analysis, and discuss them openly’.
Conclusions
Data storytelling is a great method to share insights, trends, and findings from data efficiently. When data is presented in the form of a story it is informative and engaging for the audience. Correct and successful Data Storytelling flows like a river, which brings a clear message and motivation to the audience.
