16: Storytelling with Data

Content for Wednesday, May 27, 2026

Before class

📖 Readings:

ImportantAssignment 7 is due today

Assignment 7: Joins & Missing Data — due Sunday, May 24 at 11:59 PM.

During class

We’ll cover:

  • Why storytelling? Data + visuals + narrative = change
  • The Knaflic framework:
    1. Understand the context — who is your audience?
    2. Choose appropriate visuals — match plot type to message
    3. Eliminate clutter — less is more
    4. Focus attention — use preattentive attributes strategically
    5. Think like a designer — visual hierarchy, accessibility
  • Critical evaluation of figures:
    • Misleading figures — truncated axes, cherry-picked ranges, 3D charts
    • Boring figures — no title, too many colors, wrong plot type
    • The “so what?” test
  • Applying storytelling to your final project
TipAssignment 8 is assigned today

Assignment 8: Storytelling Report — due Sunday, May 31 at 11:59 PM.

Slides

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Embedded slides

After class

✅ Practice:

  1. Pick one figure from your final project draft. Apply the “so what?” test — can you state the takeaway in one sentence?
  2. Declutter that figure: remove unnecessary gridlines, legends, and default styling
  3. Add a clear, informative title that tells the reader what to see (not just what the axes are)
  4. Try annotate() to add a text label highlighting the key finding
  5. Show your figure to someone who hasn’t seen your data. Can they understand the point without explanation?
NoteThe “so what?” test

Every figure should answer a question. If you can’t complete this sentence, the figure needs work:

“This figure shows that _______________.”

If you find yourself saying “this figure shows the data,” you haven’t found the story yet. Dig deeper.

Handout

The APA figure formatting guidelines handout is available in the course files. It covers journal-specific formatting conventions for reference — but remember, the core principles of good visualization apply everywhere.