Storytelling with Data

chapter fourfocus attention

Where do you want your audience to look? It’s a simple question, yet one we frequently don’t give much thought to when we are creating graphs and the pages that contain them. We can take intentional steps in our visuals to make it clear to our audience where they should pay attention and in what general order. This can be achieved by using preattentive attributes—such as color, size, and position—strategically. Not everyone sees the same thing when they look at data, but by taking thoughtful design steps, you can help your audience focus on the right things.

Let’s practice focusing attention!

First, we’ll review the main lessons from SWD Chapter 4.

Exercise 4.1: where are your eyes drawn?

I frequently employ a simple strategy to figure out whether I’m directing my audience’s attention effectively—the “Where are your eyes drawn?” test. It’s easy to do: create your graph or slide, then close your eyes or look away. Look back at it, taking note of the point your eyes go first. This is probably the place your audience’s eyes will land as well. You ...