How to Use Storytelling in Data Analytics Dashboards?

Despite being effective, storytelling isn’t used in the best possible way by companies, even those that actively use data for decision-making.

Worse still, only 29% of companies that collect data are able to connect data analysis to actual actions. This happens mainly because organizations use data for insights within their own systems, usually in closed loops, without the possibility of integration.

In other words, data that should be used for innovation ends up locked away and isn’t applied to real improvements.

This is the ideal context for exploring storytelling in analytics dashboards. That’s because there’s great potential for this information to be turned into narratives, using different resources to do so.

Keep reading to understand what storytelling is and how to apply the concept in data analytics dashboards. Let’s go!

What is storytelling?

Semantically, storytelling comes from “story” and “telling” (from the verb “to tell”). It’s a technique used to tell stories through captivating and engaging narratives.

In marketing, the technique aims for audience engagement and their tendency to get involved with content that captivates them. The goal here is to develop plots and narrative formats that can hold the listener’s attention.

You’ve probably come across an ad on social media or YouTube that made you interested in watching until the end, precisely because it told a story that caught your attention.

This probably happened because humans have always communicated through stories. From cave paintings to a conversation with a friend telling you about their vacation trip.

Both the painting and the story told by a friend have something in common: the ability to capture people’s attention, making them remember the narrative in the future.

The same happens with brands that manage to tell their stories in an engaging way. And in such a globalized world, with so many constant stimuli, this trait is essential for anyone who wants to stand out and stay in the public’s memory.

Why use data to tell a story?

In general, data analytics dashboards only present the visualization of information, graphic representations, and don’t necessarily tell a story. However, dashboards can indeed present an engaging narrative, one that goes beyond attractively representing data.

We live in a world where data is present in almost everything. Big Data is an indispensable tool for many organizations, which are constantly seeking ways to use it to achieve a range of goals.

With so much information gathered, narrative has proven to be a way to present data in a more accessible, assertive, and pleasant way. The listener can absorb it more easily, which increases engagement and the useful life of the data.

How to use storytelling in data analytics dashboards?

Now it’s time to answer the big question: how do you use data to tell a story? It’s a mistake to think charts only serve to present numbers, demographic data, etc.

You can use different resources, such as charts, infographics, tables, images, and other tools to build the narrative. That’s because all these tools present easily understood signs, and together they allow you to present a sequence of facts that reinforce the story being told.

Here’s how to build the strategy:

Define a goal for the storyteller

Basically, you need to define what will be told through the sequence of data. The story needs to be clear, relevant, and spark the audience’s interest. To do this, it’s essential to make the origin of the data and the reason for presenting it clear.

A well-known case was Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Maryland, which developed a global-scale COVID-19 data dashboard. The team monitored information from around the world and organized it into a public dashboard with real-time updates.

The dashboard was used by health systems, government agencies, and media outlets to stay updated and shape public policies to fight the virus.

“We were collecting data on a new virus that no one understood at a time when there wasn’t a single page dedicated to counting COVID-19 cases,” says Lauren Gardner, head of the project, associate professor and co-director of the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at the Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering.

Follow the basic guidelines for data analytics dashboards

• Provide visibility into the data;
• Provide a consistent, shared view of that data for a target audience;
• Present an overview of the metrics that matter to that audience;
• And most importantly, a dashboard reflects priorities, meaning the metrics and data should serve the storyteller’s goals.
  
  

Planning is key

You can’t build a narrative with random data. Beyond a logical sequence, it’s important to align the story with the needs of the business/organization and the audience, so it can be shaped in a relevant way.

It requires research, persona building, layout studies, and everything else needed to develop a rich and assertive storyteller.

In this context, it’s important to clearly define the following elements:

• Message – refers to the message you want to convey to the listener;
• Setting – where the story takes place. It’s important to be able to set the scene for the narrative so the audience can connect with the story;
• Character – the central piece of the story, in this case the focal point of the data that will convey the message;
• Conflict – any point that will create identification with the audience.
  
  

Explore infographics

An infographic brings together a range of tools, such as charts, tables, images, and text, in order to present an overview of a phenomenon, subject, or point of view. This combination is essential for the narrative, as it uses different visual resources to convey one or more pieces of information in a simple and clear way.

The key point here is to present a sequence of symbols in a way that carries relevant meaning, capable of captivating whoever is following that dashboard.

Was this content interesting, did it answer your question? Also read this post prepared by our team. Happy reading!