Episodit
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Join Cole as she chats with Nathan Yau, founder of FlowingData and author of Visualize This and Data Points. Nathan shares his journey from grad school at UCLA to becoming a renowned figure in data visualization. They discuss the evolution of his work, the inception of FlowingData, and the impact of his books on the field. Dive deep into the creative process behind visualizing data, the importance of asking questions, and the iterative nature of both data analysis and visualization.
Listening time 51:25 | related links:
Follow Nathan: flowingdata.com | LinkedIn | Twitter
Buy Nathan’s new book! Visualize This, 2nd edition
Book: Exploratory Data Analysis (Tukey)
Interactive visual: How Americans Spend Their Day
Blog post: How You Will Die
Blog post: Ebb and Flow of Box Office Receipts (steam graph)
Online to do list: Remember The Milk
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Data storyteller Alex talks with information designer Alli Torban about her new book, Chart Spark. Alli believes that creativity isn’t a synonym for art; instead, it’s the ability to generate new ideas or remix existing ideas in a useful way. When you learn to harness that creativity, you can develop new approaches to create more impactful data communications. Tune in to discover helpful prompts and strategies that will help you push past a mental block when you aren’t sure how to visualize your data and capture inspiration for the next time you need a creative idea.
Listening time 42:28 | related links:
Follow Alli: website | podcast | LinkedIn | Twitter
sChart Spark: https://www.chartsparkbook.com/
SWD live event: http://storytellingwithdata.com/exploreexplain
Flatten the curve: https://x.com/drewaharris/status/1233267475036372992?lang=en
Alli’s tessellation viz: https://www.allitorban.com/home/work4
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Puuttuva jakso?
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In this repost of the Data Viz Today podcast, Information Designer Alli Torban talks with Cole about strategies for delivering data presentations, particularly for introverts. From identifying and managing nervous habits to intentionally adjusting style while maintaining authenticity, they share quick tips and broad strategies to put into practice. Discover how to signal confidence, even before feeling it, and learn about real-time data collection techniques to continually refine your speaking skills. Tune in to learn actionable insights that apply whether you're presenting informally to colleagues or commanding attention in front of a crowd!
Listening time 49:18 | related links:
Follow Alli: website | podcast | LinkedIn | Twitter
Original post & show notes: dataviztoday.com/shownotes/94
Book: storytelling with you: plan, create, and deliver a stellar presentation
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Cole talks with New Zealand-based data storyteller, Kat Greenbrook, about her new book, The Data Storyteller’s Handbook: How to create business impact using data storytelling. Kat shares her empathy for anyone who has ever been told to “make your data tell a story” and isn’t sure where to start, and offers guidance for better understanding your audience and arranging insights into a narrative structure. Tune in to learn about frameworks that can help you plot time and character data stories, how to keep things honest, bridging knowledge gaps between you and your stakeholders, and more!
Listening time 52:00 | related links:
Follow Kat: website | LinkedIn | BlueSky
Book: The Data Storyteller’s Handbook
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Cole shares low-tech planning strategies that will set you up for success in any important scenario in which you need to communicate. From crafting the Big Idea (plus a super useful worksheet to assist your efforts) to storyboarding to bringing it all into your tools, you’ll learn how a little time up front can streamline the rest of the creative process. Also tune in to hear Cole address questions on feedback, slides that don’t quite fit, filler words, and more.
Listening time 49:01 | related links
The Big Idea worksheet
Book storytelling with you: plan, create, and deliver a stellar presentation
Blog article 8 tips for avoiding filler words
Podcast episode 70 prepare to present
Attend a workshop (use discount PODCAST10 for 10% off)
Premium sale through 1/31/24 in SWD community: go premium!
University instructor upcoming event & resources
Watch videos on the SWD YouTube channel
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Consider all of the things you do in the course of your daily work from a seated position: might you benefit from changing it up? In this episode, Cole discusses the power of standing up for different reasons and across a variety of situations. Tune in to understand how standing can boost creativity and keep updates and introductions from being overly lengthy. Learn what kinds of feedback and conversations are best had with your feet on the ground, as well as how standing up to present affords you—the presenter—with greater opportunities for better communication.
Listening time 18:10 | related links
Blog article let it sit
Podcast episode 6 say it out loud
Book storytelling with you: plan, create, and deliver a stellar presentation
Join our 8-week online course (use discount PODCAST10 for 10% off)
Attend a workshop (use discount PODCAST10 for 10% off)
Video stand up
Subscribe in SWD community: go premium
Mugs, coasters, books and posters in SWD shop
Watch the mini-workshop; more videos on the SWD YouTube channel
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Alberto Cairo drops by to talk about his new book "The Art of Insight," which offers a unique take on data visualization. In conversation with data storyteller Mike, Cairo shares his Camus-inspired belief that life's meaning comes from community and work, and how that conviction shapes his own interests and endeavors. They discuss the impact of artificial intelligence on journalism, how seemingly frivolous pursuits can actually be essential, and where to find personal and professional connection amidst ever-changing online communities. Eschewing the mantle of “thought leader,” Cairo reveals why he is reluctant to wield the "soft power" he holds in the data visualization community. Tune in for a fascinating exploration of responsibility, the political nature of work, and the human aspects behind visualization.
Listening time 48:59 | related links
Attend a workshop (use discount PODCAST10 for 10% off)
Book: The Art of Insight by Alberto Cairo (in addition, don’t miss Cairo’s earlier books How Charts Lie, The Functional Art, and The Truthful Art)
Book: The Grammar of Graphics by Leland Wilkinson
Follow: Aaron Williams on X/Twitter: @aboutaaron
Games: many tabletop and role-playing games were mentioned, including Twilight Struggle, Dungeons and Dragons, RuneQuest, Call of Cthulhu, Here I Stand, Gloomhaven, and Empires in Arms
Book: Ruined by Design by Mike Monteiro
Book: Building Science Graphics by Jen Christiansen
Book: Joyful Infographics by Nigel Holmes
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Sending slides before a meeting and asking your audience to do a pre-read has become the norm. Unfortunately, pre-reads never quite lead to the desired outcome of better questions and discussion, instead they create more challenges. Data storyteller Alex shares her thoughts on pre-reads and how she navigates requests to share content outside of a meeting. Tune in to also hear related questions on slide templates, speaker notes and more!
Listening time 24:57 | related links:
Article: how to create an executive summary slide
Attend a workshop (use discount PODCAST10 for 10% off)
Combo chart example: diverging bar + data table
Combo chart example: line + Gantt chart
SWD challenge: create a clever combo chart
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Cole walks listeners through her process of preparing for a recent presentation—from turning an idea into slides, to how she readied herself to present powerfully. Tune in to hear how a visual navigation scheme can help you stay on track as you present and create memorable takeaways for your audience, why building buffers into your presentation is key for staying on time, the major benefits of practicing aloud, and more. Plus learn how you can watch the presentation Cole describes preparing! (spoiler: visit storytellingwithdata.com/goodtogreat)
related links:
Join Cole’s upcoming virtual mini-workshop: storytellingwithdata.com/goodtogreat
Book: storytelling with you: plan, create, & deliver a stellar presentation
Audiobook: storytelling with you: plan, create, & deliver a stellar presentation
Podcast ep 45: the power of post-its
Podcast ep 37: it’s for THEM
Resources for university instructors
Attend a workshop (use discount PODCAST10 for 10% off)
Join data storyteller office hours by going premium in SWD community
Learn via videos: SWD YouTube channel
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Whether you’ve asked for it or not, sometimes critique from others simply gets under our skin. From feel-good platitudes that lack actionability to outright requests to manipulate data—Cole covers five categories of common graph and slide feedback that people hate to receive. Tune in to learn strategies and practical tips that will help you turn undesirable feedback into useful and insightful input for better graphs and presentations.
related links:
Book: storytelling with you: plan, create, & deliver a stellar presentation
SWD challenge: rebrand it!
Attend a workshop (use discount PODCAST10 for 10% off)
Resources for university instructors
Learn via videos: SWD YouTube channel
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What does Cole’s 7-year-old daughter have in common with the typical audience member for your data stories? Tune in to find out! In this short episode, Cole discusses a handful of specific things you can do to help set yourself—and others—up for successful data stories.
Listening time 12:29 | related links:
Resource: the BIG PICTURE worksheet
Related SWD community exercise: the big picture
Podcast episode 49: become a data viz superstar
Video series: become a data viz superstar
Article: showing the insights vs. showing off
Video: the final presentation
More videos: SWD YouTube channel
Book: storytelling with you: plan, create, & deliver a stellar presentation
Book: let’s practice! (exercise 9.9)
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Graphs and slides are often the first tools we reach for when we need to communicate with data—but when might storytelling withOUT data yield better results? Cole outlines numerous scenarios for alternative approaches, sharing examples from clients, workshops, and her books.
From boardgames to baby pics, tune in to learn about humanizing data, when low fidelity solutions work best, the Picture Superiority Effect, and much more.
related links:
Book: let’s practice!
Book: storytelling with you: plan, create, & deliver a stellar presentation
Register for debut storytelling with you virtual workshop (use code PODCAST10 for 10% off)
Organize a workshop for your team or organization
Access resources for university instructors
Learn via video on the SWD YouTube channel
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Mike and Alex discuss the advantages and drawbacks of designing visualizations with light and dark backgrounds, using examples from SWD community members to highlight where each approach can be preferable. Then, they dive into history and discuss the staying power of some famous graphs. What makes them memorable—and how we might be able to elevate them, using modern tools and perspectives?
Listening time 27:06 | related links:
Challenge: Light and dark backgrounds
Viz: Rob Reid’s gun ownership viz
Viz: Rishi Selva’s newspaper homage
Tool: Datawrapper
Tool: Accessible Colors
Viz: Mike Cisneros’s Last Words viz
Challenge: Remake a famous graph
Challenge: Making or missing the mark
Join data storyteller office hours by going premium in SWD community
Learn via video on the SWD YouTube channel
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Cole draws on a recent experience that underscored the power of thoughtful EMPHASIS. Tune in for practical tactics to create contrast visually and verbally, whether for important numbers or words, focusing attention within your table or graph, or communicating clear emphasis through how you speak and move. Cole and colleague Simon also address related questions on tips for virtual presentations, eliminating filler words, preparing content for someone else to present, and more.
Listening time 41:54 | related links:
Register for Chicago masterclass on May 5th (use code PODCAST10 for 10% off)
Order storytelling with you: plan, create, & deliver a stellar presentation
Access resources for university instructors
Join data storyteller office hours by going premium in SWD community
Learn via video on the SWD YouTube channel
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You'll probably make a few mistakes when learning to visualize and communicate data. That's okay! It's all a part of the learning journey and can be preferred since we often learn more from our mistakes than our successes. SWD storyteller Alex embraces her early missteps as she takes a trip down memory lane to share where she went wrong and what she learned.
Listening time 18:11 plus intro/outro | related links:
Podcast episode: data viz research with Steven Franconeri
Research article (Visual Thinking Lab): Declutter and focus
Steve Wexler’s article: Should you use dashboards to tell stories?
Video: sample presentation with chart animation
Workshops: 2023 calendar (use special code PODCAST10)
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SWD storytellers Elizabeth and Mike join forces to tackle some thorny questions about connecting with your audience: how do you know if you’ve done a good job, and what if you have to deliver bad news? In light of a recent “partner up!” challenge in the SWD community, they explore the benefits of working together with colleagues, friends, strangers, and even family members, while sharing some lessons learned from their own collaborative experiences.
Listening time: 34:00 Related links:
Website: SWD challenge
Article: stop, collaborate and listen (to your audience)
Workshops: 2023 calendar (use special code PODCAST10)
Order storytelling with you
Get sample content from Cole’s new book
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Tension is a key component of story—and can be used in powerful ways to communicate in a business setting. In this episode, Cole talks tension: what it is, why you should care, and how to identify and use it in your data stories and beyond. Tune in also to hear common questions related to communicating with tension and their answers, plus related resources that will improve your next graph or presentation.
Listening time 35:00 | related links:
Article: a quick presentation makeover
Article: the structure(s) of story
Article: when tension is high, get to the point
Book: storytelling with you
Book: let’s practice!
Exercise: build the tension
Resource: big idea worksheet
Video channel: SWD YouTube
Video series: storytelling with cole
Video: dashboard to data story makeover
Video: record yourself
Video: create a storyboard
Video: focus attention in data viz
Video: avoid these 5 slide mistakes
Video: the final presentation
Video: don’t keep me in suspense (open to premium)
Workshops: 2023 calendar (use special code PODCAST10)
University: instructor resources
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SWD storytellers Simon and Mike offer their thoughts on how the recent advancements in AI tools may transform the way we analyze and communicate with data. They also discuss some of their favorite entries and interesting themes from the most recent SWD challenge on the quantified self.
related links:
Website: SWD challenge
A year of fitness by Evelina Judeikyte
Number of steps in 2022 by Iris van Bussel
Reads 2022 by Kirti Vardhan Rathore
My 10 Years of Book Reading by Sibi Maran
Cook more, eat less meat: Is my good resolution for 2023 being kept? by Line Ton That
Water Usage by Rob Reid
Personal Carbon Footprint by George-Alexandru Gavrilovici
Meditation Tracking + Blue Sky Goals by Sarah Stern
A Year of Disc Golf by Bryan Boyle
By the time you finish reading this sentence… by Zen Faulkes
Lizzy’s Goodreads by Shane Reynolds
Order storytelling with you
Get sample content from Cole’s new book
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Have a listen to this cross-cast of Cole’s conversation with Brendan McGurgan, host of the ScaleX Insider Podcast and author of Simple Scaling: Ten Proven Principles to 10x Your Business. They discuss scaling organizations and dive deep into the topics of audience, the big idea, storyboarding, using tension to engage your audience, plus tips for improving how you present through practice.
related links:
Follow Brendan: LinkedIn | Website | Youtube Book: Simple Scaling: Ten Proven Principles to 10x Your Business Podcast: ScaleX Insider Podcast Order storytelling with you Get sample content from Cole’s new book -
Why don’t we use triangles in charts more often? Can design considerations come before we have the data? Do we take data visualization too seriously? Author, speaker, and data literacy advocate Neil Richards raises (and occasionally answers) these and other questions in his new book, Questions in Dataviz: a Data-Driven Process for Data Visualization. In this episode, Neil stops by the podcast to talk about the value of creativity, personal passion projects, experimentation in data visualization, and whether dataviz can change the world.
related links:
Follow Neil: Twitter | Website | Tableau Public (portfolio) Book: Questions in Dataviz Podcast: Alli Torban’s Dataviz Today Project: Makeover Monday SWD challenge: https://community.storytellingwithdata.com/challenges Project: Viz for Social Good Project: Andy Kirk’s The Seinfeld Chronicles Viz: US county hexmap Viz: Pet ownership in the UK Project: Data Visualization Society Project: Information is Beautiful Awards Get sample content & order storytelling with you: storytellingwithyou.com University instructor resources: storytelling with data.com/university SWD YouTube channel: storytellingwithdata.com/youtube - Näytä enemmän
