Name: The art of great data storytelling
Uploaded: 2023-11-23T11:55:54.315Z
Duration: 295.46

The art of great data storytelling V3.mp4

The art of great data storytelling V3.vtt

English

{{00:00:00}}
How can we tell our stories differently
than they always have been before?

{{00:00:05}}
How can we use data in a way
that isn't dry or boring?

{{00:00:16}}
Data storytelling is the skill that data
and analytics professionals need in order

{{00:00:21}}
to communicate insightful information
using data visualisation, really with the

{{00:00:27}}
intent of improving our data literacy.

{{00:00:29}}
We have too many pieces of technology.

{{00:00:33}}
We have too many dashboards.

{{00:00:35}}
We have too many reports out there.

{{00:00:36}}
We have a lot of data and
access to a lot of data.

{{00:00:40}}
So we have to find really unique ways,
whether it be through color or design,

{{00:00:45}}
to make things more interesting.

{{00:00:47}}
And I genuinely believe that with
our very assured attention span

{{00:00:51}}
these days, It has to be interesting
to catch people's attention.

{{00:01:00}}
Data storytelling skills is critically
important these days as much as analytical

{{00:01:05}}
skills are for the data science community.

{{00:01:08}}
We need to find more interesting
and imperative ways to communicate

{{00:01:13}}
our information for insights,
as well as for decision makers.

{{00:01:18}}
Finding unique ways to tell
stories with data is challenging.

{{00:01:22}}
Traditionally, we work with
dashboards, digital reports, sometimes

{{00:01:28}}
infographics for publication purposes.

{{00:01:31}}
But true data storytelling is
a skill set that gets embedded

{{00:01:36}}
within the data science community.

{{00:01:39}}
Really great examples of great data
storytelling are visualisations

{{00:01:44}}
that can give us tremendous insights
so that a leader of a company

{{00:01:47}}
can make a decision instantly.

{{00:01:55}}
Including objective authority in
your data storytelling is a really

{{00:01:59}}
critical part of this skill set.

{{00:02:02}}
Problem is, again, subjectivity.

{{00:02:05}}
We tend to care almost too much,
and a lot of leaders will ask for

{{00:02:10}}
their wants within the data versus
what they need to make decisions.

{{00:02:14}}
Eliminating the subjectivity is a critical
part of making sure that your facts,

{{00:02:20}}
your story, are as objective as possible.

{{00:02:28}}
Human beings are emotional creatures
by DNA, just simply by our genetics.

{{00:02:34}}
When we tell stories with data, there's
absolutely no reason why we shouldn't

{{00:02:40}}
be including some emotional elements.

{{00:02:43}}
Think of the stock market tickers.

{{00:02:45}}
Our emotions run high with those reds
and those green ups and down lines.

{{00:02:51}}
Data storytelling is about inducing
emotion, but again, it's about inducing

{{00:02:57}}
emotion in order to get someone to
care about what they're looking at

{{00:03:00}}
in order to make better decisions
for themselves or their company.

{{00:03:10}}
Oversimplification of data,
especially in complex scenarios,

{{00:03:15}}
is really, really challenging.

{{00:03:17}}
If you simplify too far, the
insight's lost, the message is lost.

{{00:03:23}}
But if you create an over-complex
visualisation, for example, the

{{00:03:28}}
individual audience is going to be
equally as lost with the insights.

{{00:03:32}}
Finding that middle ground is
where the skill comes into play.

{{00:03:36}}
Learning some of the best practices
of not just data storytelling,

{{00:03:39}}
but of data visualisation is an
absolutely critical first step.

{{00:03:48}}
Technology plays a phenomenal role
in the future of this skill set.

{{00:03:56}}
Business intelligence tools right now are
the primary vehicle for data storytelling.

{{00:04:02}}
AI integration into those tools are
really becoming more and more popular.

{{00:04:09}}
But what's interesting is that so
far the AI generation or the AI

{{00:04:13}}
integration into these tools is about
the processing and the curation and

{{00:04:19}}
the security of the data, not so much
in the creation of the story itself.

{{00:04:24}}
So, I see this partnership, this
relationship between the data

{{00:04:28}}
storyteller and the technology.

{{00:04:31}}
We have to be the ones driving the car.

{{00:04:35}}
There's nothing wrong with self driving
cars in this particular metaphor, but

{{00:04:40}}
we still have to control the technology
in order for the story to really come

{{00:04:46}}
across as powerful as it possibly can.

How can we tell our stories differently
than they always have been before?

How can we use data in a way
that isn't dry or boring?

Data storytelling is the skill that data
and analytics professionals need in order

to communicate insightful information
using data visualisation, really with the

We have a lot of data and
access to a lot of data.

So we have to find really unique ways,
whether it be through color or design,

And I genuinely believe that with
our very assured attention span

these days, It has to be interesting
to catch people's attention.

Data storytelling skills is critically
important these days as much as analytical

skills are for the data science community.

We need to find more interesting
and imperative ways to communicate

our information for insights,
as well as for decision makers.

Finding unique ways to tell
stories with data is challenging.

Traditionally, we work with
dashboards, digital reports, sometimes

But true data storytelling is
a skill set that gets embedded

Really great examples of great data
storytelling are visualisations

that can give us tremendous insights
so that a leader of a company

Including objective authority in
your data storytelling is a really

We tend to care almost too much,
and a lot of leaders will ask for

their wants within the data versus
what they need to make decisions.

Eliminating the subjectivity is a critical
part of making sure that your facts,

your story, are as objective as possible.

Human beings are emotional creatures
by DNA, just simply by our genetics.

When we tell stories with data, there's
absolutely no reason why we shouldn't

Our emotions run high with those reds
and those green ups and down lines.

Data storytelling is about inducing
emotion, but again, it's about inducing

emotion in order to get someone to
care about what they're looking at

in order to make better decisions
for themselves or their company.

Oversimplification of data,
especially in complex scenarios,

If you simplify too far, the
insight's lost, the message is lost.

But if you create an over-complex
visualisation, for example, the

individual audience is going to be
equally as lost with the insights.

Finding that middle ground is
where the skill comes into play.

Learning some of the best practices
of not just data storytelling,

but of data visualisation is an
absolutely critical first step.

Technology plays a phenomenal role
in the future of this skill set.

Business intelligence tools right now are
the primary vehicle for data storytelling.

AI integration into those tools are
really becoming more and more popular.

But what's interesting is that so
far the AI generation or the AI

integration into these tools is about
the processing and the curation and

the security of the data, not so much
in the creation of the story itself.

So, I see this partnership, this
relationship between the data

There's nothing wrong with self driving
cars in this particular metaphor, but

we still have to control the technology
in order for the story to really come

Explainer

Data and analytics professionals are trained to analyse and extract volumes of data for interpretation and scrutiny. But communicating trends and patterns to non-data professionals is a harder feat, requiring careful presentation and narrative. In short, data scientists need to be storytellers too! 
In this video David Ciommo, Data Visualisation Principal at Humana, details the ins and outs of great data storytelling. 

Data Analytics

Data Visualisation

Data Transformation

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David-Ciommo_502934_1694029498.jpg

David Ciommo

Discover insights from other experts

Data Visualization Principal

Ciommo describes the fundamentals of data storytelling.


What is data storytelling?

Ciommo argues why professionals should be upskilling themselves in data storytelling.


Why is good storytelling important?

Learn why and how to eliminate subjectivity of data presentation.


How do you make your data story objective?

The case for emotion in data storytelling is clear, says Ciommo.


Is there still room for emotion?

Ciommo urges data professionals to be diligent in finding a middle ground when simplifying data outcomes.
