VISUALIZATIONS,

LEADERSHIP, AND
BUSINESS
COMMUNICATIONS
WEEK 8 DATA NARRATIVES
Review of Last Week

Designing & Creating Visualizations

◦Create effective visualizations to support decision-making.
◦Compare the strengths and limits of the visualizations being
used.
◦Think like a designer when creating visualizations to tell a
coherent story.
◦Understand how each stakeholder would respond to
different visualizations.
WEEK 8 –DATA
NARRATIVES
Week 7
◦Data Narratives
◦Summarize how data narratives both influence and expedite decision-
making.
◦Explain how to combine visualizations together to support a strong data
narrative.
◦Assess data narratives and their effectiveness based on common
approaches, clarity, audience priorities, and call to action.
◦Assess the presentation approach according to communication practices.
◦Give examples of effective data narratives and examples of those that are
not.
What is a story?

◦A story is a series of connected

events presented in written words,
spoken words, images, and
animations.
Why do We Tell Stories?

◦Why would we need stories to explain anything?

◦Stories are powerful Logical response Emotional response

The magical science of story
telling
◦Watch this video :
◦https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj-hdQMa3uA

Now that you’ve finished watching this video, what do

you remember?
 But besides the fact that it’s a
story, why else would we
remember the watch?
Q
What is a Good Story?
Example:
“Accounting just saved us
a lot of money. Bob went
out of his way last Sunday
◦Grabs your attention to look more deeply into
◦Takes you on a journey the books. We were able to
capitalize quite a few of
◦Evokes an emotional response.
our expenses. Bob is just
◦You can still remember it after
awesome!”
a day, week, month…
Truth stories doesn’t tell the
Whole truth
◦Watch this video :
◦https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZtdhLndVYg

◦Good Stories have a Patterns of Word Use :

Use good choice of words with right emotional context to make
your story powerful and memorable.
Story Structure
Every good story has a
four-act structure:

1. Setup
2. Confrontation
3. Resolution
4. Theme
 Excellent themes for business presentations included

◦Underdog to Top Dog

◦The Turning Point
◦Phoenix Rising from the Ashes
◦They Said it Couldn’t Be Done
◦Teamwork in Action
◦Breaking New Ground
Video
Telling your stories in data with three steps(4.5 mins)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hhk4N9A0oCA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5_34YnCmMY

Where is three elements in your data :

Setup
Conflict
Resolution
For you to read:

Stanford Vis Group’s perspective on data storytelling

◦http://vis.stanford.edu/files/2010-Narrative-InfoVis.pdf

Microsoft’s perspective on data storytelling

◦https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/wp-content/uploads
/2016/04/MSR-TR-2016-14-Storytelling-Techniques.pdf
Put Your Audience in the Shoes
of Heroes
1. Cover relevant background
2. Add comparison points
3. Give examples
4. Include data
5. What happened for no action
6. Solutions for the problems
7. Recommended solution benefits
8. Emphasize your audience importance
Narrative Flow
◦Chronologically Lead with the ending

1.Start with the call to action:

1.Identify a problem, what you need your audience
2.Understand the situation to know or do.
3.A finding or solution
2.Back up into the critical
4.Recommended action
pieces of the story that
support it.
 Helpful Techniques

1.Share your structure at the

beginning if possible, especially in
live presentation.
Helpful Techniques -Cont’d

2.Inform audience through taking questions and answer

them together at the end

Repetition
Ask someone to provide input –a fresh perspective
What is a Data Narrative?

A story follows a sequence of events

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePO8DI2tNlY

A narrative is a manifestation of a story

Narrative includes the manner of telling, the style, and the reflections.
A way to navigate through a story
Help people think analytically about data

Narrative Story
videos

◦ Storytelling with Data (8.25 mins) :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIMHicxQ0LY&feature=youtu.be

◦ Using data storytelling -Qlik Sense (2.25 mins).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCAJy_F2Weg
 How do you feel visualization tools
like Qlik can help you with your data

Q
narratives?

A. Personal connection
B. Clear Narratives
C. Story Arcs
Video

The Speech that Made Obama President (6.25

mins) :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFPwDe22CoY
What is groups and sets in
Tableau
◦Groups are static and through collecting or choosing
multiple members, you can create a category with a higher
dimension.
◦In groups you can have different sub groups.

◦Sets are dynamic and you can do grouping through multiple

dimension and you can use formula to make it dynamic.
◦In set you have IN/OUT.
Example about groups and sets
◦ Go to “samplesuperstore” dataset and do the following:
◦ Create 4 different groups from sub categories and show different sales in them.
◦ Create two groups of countries with lowest profit and highest profit.
◦
Example about groups and sets
◦ Create two sets that shows top 10 customers
by highest sales and top 10 customers by
highest profit.
◦ Create a combined set and show the union of
them in a bar chart.
◦ Show what states they live.
Clustering in Tabeleua
◦ Import “Risk level by X and Y ” dataset and
clustering the number of records based on
the coordinates and risk level.
◦ Show the trend lines for clusters.
◦ Show details of each cluster in a bar chart
(Risk level )
 Practice activity
◦ Download the dataset
named
“washingclothesco
mpany” and
“uspopulation” and
do the following:
◦ Which branches
among new ones are
the best one to
invest? Consider
population as well.
◦ Show the average
population in each
cluster in a bar chart.
Example 1
◦ Download the dataset from week9 named startup
◦ 1. create a bar chart to shows the number of established start up in 2009and before in one bar and next years in
separate bars. (Use Groups)
◦ 2. show the average number of employee in each industry. Group similar industry and show the average number
of employee in that group as well. (Is average number of employee in the new group is the whole average or
average of average? )
◦ 3. create a static set and shows the top 10 companies in terms of growth rate in 2015? Compare them in tree
map.
◦ 4. create a dynamic set that do the same as static set does. Change the number of top companies to see the
difference.
◦ 5. create a scatter plot to show which companies has higher revenue with lowest expenses? (Use set to
differentiae expenses higher than 9million.
◦ 6.create a set to show the revenue more than 5 millions and create another set to show the expenses less than
6millions.
◦ Create parameters to control your dynamic set both expenses and revenues in 2015.
◦ 7. create a combined set in scatter plot and show which start up is the best to invest?
 Practice activity 1
◦Download UK bank customer from DC connect week7 and do
the following :
◦Show the number of customers in map for each state.
◦How much percentage of the customers are female and how
much are male?
◦Create 5 bins to show the distribution of membership by age
across those bins.
◦Create adjustable bins to show balance distribution in the
bank.
◦Show the portion of job types by tree map.
◦Make a dashboard.