Storytelling with Data: A Data Visualization Guide for Business Professionals by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic. Above all, Cole explores a basic understanding of visualizing data. Based upon excel spreadsheet data Cole makes an honest attempt to teach how communicating visually is important. That is to say, this book is aimed at users exploring visual data models for the first time.
While Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic succeeds in this delivery, the storytelling component is not as convincing. Storytelling is certainly no easy task. The challenge is even more important today as many tools provide visually appealing toolsets. Data visualization tools are misused unintentionally and results create confusing data patterns. I would leave the storytelling component to others.
Cole certainly references Nancy Duarte and I would lean heavily to Nancy to learn how to tell stories. Storylines do not require charts as a default rule. The best outcome for Cole’s work is to actually spin the lessons as a what not to do.
Storytelling with Data delivers the following key points. Certainly understanding context about your audience is the top priority. Secondly choose a visual data type that works for the data as Cole repeated avoiding pie graphs, multiple y-axis labels, and 3D at all costs. As a result, eliminating clutter, as suggested by Cole is a solid reference for removing everything that may hurt your story.
However one suggestion, to think like a designer is misleading. Meanwhile ask any BFA designer if anyone can really think like a designer. For instance, asking users about Tufte will result in an email to their marketing team.
Finally Cole asks you to use data to tell a story. Likewise, this is a bit outside her silo. The suggestions are good but to really tell a story requires a true understanding not only of the data, but the mood of the organization. For an outsider looking in this is certainly a real struggle.
In conclusion, Cole provides the basic entry to understanding data visualizations via Excel.
Talks at Google | Storytelling with Data
SuperDataScience Podcast | How to Tell Stories with Data
Urban Institute | Data@Urban Digital Discussions
Story by Data | Storytelling with Data