Effective data storytelling

Recent Blog Posts

4 Keys To Better Data Interpretation Skills For Any Manager

4 Keys To Better Data Interpretation Skills For Any Manager

Brent Dykes Avatar Photo

June 16, 2022

Many managers are uncomfortable with interpreting the numbers in their reports and dashboards. If this common data literacy problem isn't addressed across management levels, companies will continue to struggle in their efforts to develop data-driven cultures. In this article, I cover four key areas of data interpretation that are essential for all managers who are striving to make data-informed decisions.

100 Essential Data Storytelling Quotes

100 Essential Data Storytelling Quotes

Brent Dykes Avatar Photo

May 25, 2022

As I was writing my book, I gathered 100 quotes related to data storytelling. They are all featured in my book and span 10 different categories from action to visualization. I hope you find them as inspiring as they were to me.

Data Literacy And Data Storytelling: How Do They Fit Together?

Data Literacy And Data Storytelling: How Do They Fit Together?

Brent Dykes Avatar Photo

May 12, 2022

Data literacy is a key focus of many organizations as they seek to help their employees take full advantage of their data. While data storytelling is often included in data literacy training, the question is whether it is a required skill to be data literate. In this article, I explore the minimum viable skills someone needs to qualify as being data literate. I then share where data storytelling fits in the data literacy landscape.

Every Good Data Story Has An Insight At Its Core

Every Good Data Story Has An Insight At Its Core

Brent Dykes Avatar Photo

March 17, 2022

Today, more and more people realize there is more to data storytelling than just data visualization. If you were to evaluate what makes a data story "good," you'd discover one crucial ingredient that's necessary--a meaningful insight. In this article, I review what insights are and the critical role they play in data stories. I also share thoughts from a recent journal article by Sorin Adam Matei and Lucas Hunter on the importance of insights to data storytelling in science communication and data journalism.

Data Storytelling: Is It Art or Science?

Data Storytelling: Is It Art or Science?

Brent Dykes Avatar Photo

February 15, 2022

Data storytelling is one of the few data skills that combines both disciplines of art and science. In this article, I look at the different elements under each discipline and explain how they contribute to crafting and telling data stories effectively.

Why Data Storytelling Requires a Mindset Shift

Why Data Storytelling Requires a Mindset Shift

Brent Dykes Avatar Photo

December 9, 2021

To become an effective data storyteller, you must shift your mindset from being reporting centered to embracing a different storytelling approach. In this article, I introduce the Insight Funnel and how reports/dashboards complement data stories. Then I explore the six key approach differences between reports/dashboards and data stories.

Get the Book

Effective Data Storytelling

Master the art and science of data storytelling—with frameworks and techniques to help you craft compelling stories with data.

Effectively communicating with data is a necessity in organizations of all types and sizes. It’s often the crucial last mile in the analysis process that determines whether an insight will inspire action. Transforming data into visual communication is only one part of the picture—it’s just as important to engage your audience with a memorable and persuasive story. Narratives are more powerful than raw statistics, more enduring then pretty charts. Effective Data Storytelling teaches you how to communicate insights that influence decisions, inspire action, and drive change.

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