Communicating with Data

Chapter 7. The Medium for the Message: Complex and Interactive Data Communication

So far, you’ve learned how to use charts effectively one at a time. But single charts aren’t always the answer. When your findings are complex, trying to squeeze everything into one chart can make things confusing, convolute the key points, and confuse the message. This is even more true when you are not personally present to guide your audience through interpreting the data.

The solution to this problem is to use multiple charts that each tell an individual part of the story you’ve found within the data. This allows the reader to absorb your message in chunks. You can use each chart to build your story as well as provide context.

This chapter begins by looking at two communication styles: explanatory and exploratory. The style you choose will determine many of your design decisions.

The second part of this chapter examines how the medium of your data communication affects your work and your audience’s understanding, especially when it involves multiple charts. We’ll spend particular time on dashboards. The term dashboard is ubiquitous, but just because your stakeholder asks for a dashboard, it isn’t necessarily what they need or want. Your communications can take many forms, including infographics, presentations, and emails.

Explanatory Communications

Explanatory communication clearly articulates your findings to your audience. This book has so far focused on explanatory data visualization techniques. ...