Joshua Smith - Analytics Manager, CoverMyMeds

We call a lot of DataViz work "stories", but let's be honest - most of the time, DataViz audiences don't walk away from our work as moved as after a trip to the movies. What are we missing? How do stories compliment data to help our users understand truth, and how can we apply narrative design to deliver a powerful experience to our audiences?

As buzzwords, we slap the labels "story" and "storytelling" on nearly any messaging with a logical flow — but, without the actual building blocks of narrative, we're missing out on the rhetorical power of stories. While our "stories" may provide accurate interpretation, we're often missing the empathy and experience that deliver a powerful and compelling impact.

Key topics:

What's the rhetoric of stories, and how do they support our understanding of the truth?
- What are the components of narrative design?
- What are common shapes for stories that involve data that we can use for our own work?

Understand how storytelling supports and strengthens our communication and persuasions via empathetic experience; learn the building blocks you need for a compelling story that drives empathy and understanding; and take away several narrative design templates to shape your next data visualisation work into a narrative.