Telling stories with Data
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Design BasicsCommunicating Data
Storytelling
ContrastCRAP
Differentiate similar elements from
each other
ContrastCRAP
Differentiate similar elements from
each other
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785461346758446151579864315467
How many nines are there?CRAP
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54674854215747683619784578451243469
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There are nine nines!CRAP
Contrast Example
CRAP
This is a headline
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec suscipit velit in ex aliquet, tempus hendrerit urna laoreet. Aliquam ac lorem eros.
This is also a headlineLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec suscipit velit in ex aliquet, tempus hendrerit urna laoreet. Aliquam ac lorem eros.
Is this a headline?
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec suscipit velit in ex aliquet, tempus hendrerit urna laoreet. Aliquam ac lorem eros.
RepetitionCRAP
Repeat some aspects of the design
through the work
● consistent treatment of charts,
texts, headlines
This is a headline
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec suscipit velit in ex aliquet, tempus hendrerit urna laoreet. Aliquam ac lorem eros.
This is also a headline
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec suscipit velit in ex aliquet, tempus hendrerit urna laoreet. Aliquam ac lorem eros.
You know this is a headline
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec suscipit velit in ex aliquet, tempus hendrerit urna laoreet. Aliquam ac lorem eros.
RepetitionCRAP
Repeat some aspects of the design
through the work
● consistent treatment of charts,
texts, headlines
AlignmentCRAP
AlignmentCRAP
Alignment ExampleCRAP
ProximityCRAP
Group related elements together
Contrast Example
CRAP
Contrast ProximityRepitition Alignment
DESIGN PRINCIPLES
C.R.A.P.
Our brains are already hardwired to be better at understanding certain
visual cues better than others. Let’s take advantage of that!
COMMUNICATING DATA
Length
COMMUNICATING DATA
Size
COMMUNICATING DATA
Position
Size & PositionCOMMUNICATING DATA
COMMUNICATING DATA
Shape
COMMUNICATING DATA
Color
COMMUNICATING DATA
Color
Ask a Question
Explain, Don’t Decorate
Know your Audience
Tell the Truth
STORYTELLING
Storytelling
Telling a story in one chart
STORYTELLING
Data is part of the story
STORYTELLING
Story unfolds
Scrollytelling
Know your audience
Bar charts start at the baseline
DOS AND DONTS
Be careful with pie charts
DOS AND DONTS
Be careful with pie charts
DOS AND DONTS
The 9 most populous states have more people than the next 41 states combined.
2D > 3DDOS AND DONTS
Ask a Question
Explain, Don’t Decorate
Know your Audience
Tell the Truth
STORYTELLING
Storytelling
1. Bar chart (examine best practices)
2. Heatmap (examine use of colors)
3. Deviation chart (looking at data in other ways)
4. Map (location based data)
5. Line chart (time based data)
Same data, different ways
Same data, different ways
Questions?
● Flowing Data, Nathan Yau
● Stephen Few
● Raw Data Density
● Scrollytelling
● Slide:ology by Nancy Duarte
● Wall Street Journal Guide to Information Graphics by Dona
Wong
● The Functional Art by Alberto Cairo
Resources
Danielle CarrickCondé Nast