Data can be used to tell a story. The story it tells does not need to be complicated. It can be as simple as how someone makes a cocktail. For example, using found objects, I created a data visualization of all the ingredients in a Cosmopolitan cocktail. To tell a story with data visualization, it is important to first know how to communicate it clearly.
Key Principles and Tips for Storytelling
In her book Storytelling with Data, Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic references an excerpt from Kurt Vonnegut’s article on writing with style. The excerpt outlines three key principles for clear, engaging storytelling: keep it simple, edit ruthlessly, and be authentic (2015). By keeping your story simple and editing out unnecessary information, you ensure it is as clear as possible. Viewers and readers will also care more if they see that you are genuine and that you care about the story you are telling.
Nussbaumer also offers additional tips to help ensure your story is clear. Although these, in the original context, apply mainly to a presentation deck, they can still be used in any form of storytelling. One such tip is to use vertical logic, in which all information on a given slide reinforces itself without any extra or unrelated information (Nussbaumer, 2015). This same logic can be applied to data visualization by ensuring that all the information on the graph builds on one another.
Telling a Story with Data
As an example of how data visualization can tell a story, I decided to go with something simple: how someone makes a cocktail. The cocktail I chose is a cosmopolitan because it is a favorite of mine to make at home. To represent the different parts, I poured the exact measurements for each ingredient of the cosmopolitan into four identical vessels. This is in hopes of mimicking a bar graph using the different liquids. I then arranged them so that you can see both the liquid and what it is by placing the bottles behind each vessel. By itself, the vodka could look like water to the naked eye. At the end of the line is a finished cosmopolitan, so the viewer can see the finished product as well as what ties the different liquids together.
Labels are shown at the top to indicate the percentage of each ingredient, along with the exact oz amount for clarity. The photo was taken in my kitchen, so there was a lot of background that could distract from the data. To keep the background from taking away from the focus of the graphic, the data, I blurred the background in Photoshop. The title, “The Parts of a Cosmopolitan,” clarifies what the viewer is looking at. To avoid any potential confusion, I added a small note that reads “Mix all these ingredients together for a perfect cosmo.” Adding this note also provides a call to action. All the content in the photo is meant to build on one another to provide the viewer with all the necessary information.
Double-Checking with a Fresh Perspective
One last tip for making sure your story is clear, as Nussbaumer (2015) notes, is to get a fresh perspective on your data by have someone with a fresh set of eyes look at your data and ask them questions about it, such as what they think is important and whether they have any questions. This will give you a good idea of whether your communication conveys the story the way you meant it to.
For my cosmopolitan visualization, I had my mom look at it and asked which parts she thought were most important and whether she had any questions. She said the most important part was the ounces, followed by the instructions on the side. These are the parts of the graphic I want the viewer to focus on.
I also sent it to a friend via Facebook Messenger, who said that what stands out to her is the vodka and the cranberry juices because they are the biggest. These are the larger parts of the drink, so it is fitting that they draw the most attention. She also asked if there was a specific way to mix them, since she knows sometimes that matters. This was helpful because I realized I should have specified that a cosmopolitan should be shaken. So, I updated the text to provide the correct instructions.
Final Thoughts
Since the story I wanted to tell was conveyed, I think I successfully created a data visualization that illustrates how to make a cosmopolitan. Showing the graphic to other people helped me make sure it told the right story and double-checked that it was as clear as possible. This shows how data can successfully tell a story and that a second set of eyes, or even a third, does help.
Reference
Knaflic, C. N. (2016). Storytelling with data: A Data Visualization Guide for Business Professionals. Chapter 7 Lessons in Storytelling. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.