How to Craft an Engaging Data Story
Striking the right balance between data and narrative.
Crafting a story around data may seem like an unnecessary, time consuming effort. The insights may seem sufficient to stand on their own but this is a flawed point of view. Our decisions are not based solely on logic. When you tell a story with data, you create a shared human experience. We tend to believe that numbers alone drives our decision making. Now more than ever a company’s survival will require disruptive change and that will call for inspiring employees and consumers to act in unfamiliar and untraditional ways. This involves combining data, emotion and empathy to tell a well balanced story.
Our opening visual captures the audience’s attention and sets the tone for our story. As the soccer player dribbles the ball across a subway platform, a train pulls into the station. The player makes a split second decision and leaps across the platform! Just as athletes are trained to think strategically and shift course when necessary, so must leaders. They must respond quickly to identify changes that can either serve as inspiration to shake up their industry or wreak havoc on their market share.