visual storytelling

Confusing ConvincingStorytelling

Animation

Michael Freeman | @mf_viz Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation

Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluationhttp://mfviz.com/gh590/syllabus/

http://mfviz.com/gh590/syllabus/

http://mfviz.com/gh590/syllabus/

http://mfviz.com/gh590/syllabus/

http://mfviz.com/gh590/syllabus/

What went wrong?

What went wrong?Unclear visual encodings

What went wrong?Unclear

Too much data

visual encodings

What went wrong?Unclear

Too much

Too many variables

data

visual encodings

Storytelling is the solution

Structure of a story

Set the stage

Structure of a story

Set the stage

Structure of a story

Set the

Structure of a story

Introduce characters

stage

Set the

Structure of a story

Introduce characters

stage

Set the

Structure of a story

Introduce

Create tension

stage

characters

Set the

Structure of a story

Introduce

Create tension

stage

characters

Set the

Structure of a story

Introduce

Create

stage

characters

Provide resolution

tension

What was different?

What was different?Unclear visual encodings

What was different?Explicit encodingsUnclear visual encodings

What was different?Explicit Unclear

Too much data

visual encodings encodings

What was different?Explicit Unclear

Too much Gradual intro of data

visual encodings encodings

data

What was different?Explicit Unclear

Too much Gradual

Too many variables

visual encodings encodings

data intro of data

What was different?Explicit Unclear

Too much Gradual

Too many Independent intro of vars

visual encodings encodings

data intro of data

variables

Why does it matter?

Maximize how quickly and accurately people decode information from graphics

Preattentive cognition(quickly)

How many 3's are there?

28049385628406947862485839220894862089476901878509883426092846872485982382409852468749875220894852029848509248532908845202988452902884352892842589987458784958784985

How many 3's are there?

28049385628406947862485839220894862089476901878509883426092846872485982382409852468749875220894852029848509248532908845202988452902884352892842589987458784958784985

Effectiveness(accurately)

Storytelling is an extension of these principles

Engagement

Focus

Memorability

Semantic

Semantic Episodic

Humanity

Eliciting emotion with motion

What can you do?

Set the scene(contextualize)

Introduce characters(explicit encodings)

Create tension(gradually expose data, variables)

Provide resolution(conclude, explore)

Let the data tell its own story

Data are stories

Thank you

Michael Freeman mikefree@uw.edu @mf_viz mfviz.com mfviz.com/strata