Selecting the right
data
D ATA C O M M U N I C AT I O N C O N C E P T S
Hadrien Lacroix
Curriculum Manager
Chapter 2
How to prepare for communicating data?
Identify personas
Selecting findings and statistics
Selecting a visualization
Choose format
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Data storytelling road
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Data storytelling road
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
The right data
Selecting the right data implies including enough contextual insights in a story to better
support the main point without overloading with information.
==> Minimal amount of information to support our story
1 Dykes, Brent. Effective Data Storytelling. Wiley.
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Data storytelling
1. Data:
Garbage in, garbage out
Adapt to the audience
2. Narrative
3. Visuals
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Stakeholders
Any person interested in the project outcome or a decision or activity derived from it.
Technical
Non-technical
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Identifying personas
Description
Interests
Knowledge
Select tailored findings
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Identifying personas
Food project:
Identify personas
Select right findings
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Executive team
Role: Executive level (CEO, investor,
director, founder)
Knowledge: Fundamentals (technical
aspects)
Interest: Inform their decisions based on
findings
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Project manager
Role: Project manager
Interest: Project aligns with company
objectives
Right data:
Summary data: $2M cost of marketing
campaign
Metrics:
10% monthly increase in number of
customers
2% risk of declining profits
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Tech team
Role:
Project collaborator
Technical supervisor
Knowledge: Expert (Technical aspects)
Interest:
Replicate project
Continue project
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
General audience
Role:
Customer (external)
Other department staff (internal)
Knowledge: Novice or generalist
Interests:
To understand the general results and
impact of the project
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
General audience
Role:
Other department staff (internal)
Interests:
To understand the general results and
impact of the project
Right data:
Historical data: Decline in profits
Correlation/impact:
Chocolate needs rebranding
Impact next year earnings
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Audience skepticism
Different levels of skepticism
Different levels of argumentation
Convince yourself
Convince a friend
Convince a skeptic
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Let's practice!
D ATA C O M M U N I C AT I O N C O N C E P T S
Showing relevant
statistics
D ATA C O M M U N I C AT I O N C O N C E P T S
Hadrien Lacroix
Curriculum Manager
Data storytelling road
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Variations of data
Absolute Relative
Difference between 2018 and 2017 sales Percentage variation 2018 from 2017
Absolute change and relative change Small numbers more significant than
depend on the quantity reality
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Variations of data
Absolute Relative
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Ratio
Quotient of two variables
Revenue per customer (total product
revenue/number customers)
Normalize values = better comparisons
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Aggregates
Representative value:
Totals / counts
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Aggregates
Representative value: Average units sold per year
Totals / counts
Mean
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Aggregates
Representative value: Median price
Totals / counts
Mean
Median
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Aggregates
Representative value:
Totals / counts
Mean
Median
Mean can be misleading (outlier)
Distribution of the data
Example:
2019 US average salary: $51,916.27
2019 US median salary: $34,248.45
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
p-value
What is p-value? What is it not?
Convention: Not proof of evidence:
Value less than 0.05: statistical Reject our hypothesis, but not that is
significance false
Values close to 0.05: weak indicator Consider alternatives or complementary
metrics
1 P-Values: Misunderstood and Misused. Front. Phys. 2016.
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Let's practice!
D ATA C O M M U N I C AT I O N C O N C E P T S
Visualizations for
different audiences
D ATA C O M M U N I C AT I O N C O N C E P T S
Hadrien Lacroix
Curriculum Manager
Communication strategy
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Communication strategy
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Data storytelling
1. Data
2. Narrative
3. Visuals
Expertise
Familiarity
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Tailored message
Investor Technical lead
Marketing campaign avoid 20% revenue drop Model predicted revenue decline (RMSE: 1.2)
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Directly linked to message
Investor Technical lead
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Provide context
Investor Technical lead
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
More best practices
Pareto principle:
Aggregate less relevant data
Include chocolate, chips and other products (aggregated)
Approachable and engaging visuals
How many / how quickly
Less is more
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
McCandless method
1. Introduce visualization by name
Graph headline
Clear and obvious
y vs x technique
1 [Link]
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
McCandless method
1. Introduce visualization by name
2. Anticipate audience's questions
Focus on story not on decoding graph
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
McCandless method
1. Introduce visualization by name
2. Answer audience's questions
3. State insights
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
McCandless method
1. Introduce visualization by name
2. Answer audience's questions
3. State insights
4. Help the audience relate
Importance
Action items
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Let's practice!
D ATA C O M M U N I C AT I O N C O N C E P T S
Choosing the
appropriate format
D ATA C O M M U N I C AT I O N C O N C E P T S
Hadrien Lacroix
Curriculum Manager
Data storytelling road
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Data storytelling road
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Data storytelling road
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Data storytelling road
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Data storytelling road
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Which format is more effective?
Good communication format
Key information
Engaging
Easy to understand
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Which format is more effective?
1. Written reports
2. Oral presentations
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Presentation strategy
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Presentation strategy
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Presentation strategy
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Presentation strategy
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Presentation strategy
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Stakeholders
Who?
Why?
Accountability
Methodology
How?
Make decisions
Start new project
What?
Results
Impact
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Content
Results?
Conclusion?
Recommendations?
Methods?
1 Photo from Unsplash
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Requirements
Time
Authority
Time zone
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Consumption
Format
Document
Slide deck
Delivery mechanism
Live
Asynchronous
Audience
Conference room
Ballroom
1 Photo from Unsplash
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Oral communication
Advantages Disadvantages
Relationship with the audience No permanent record of communication
Immediate feedback Not suitable for long messages
Non-verbal cues
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Written communication
Advantages Disadvantages
Permanent record of communication Hard to see if the message was understood
Shared easily with a large audience No immediate feedback
Less emotional reaction to message
Suitable to share code with colleagues
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Appropriate format
Oral presentation
Who? CEO
Why? Monthly update
What? Accountability
Content: Conclusions
Requirement: Time
Channel: Meeting
1 Photo from Unsplash
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Appropriate format
Report
Who? CEO
Why? Important decisions ahead
How? Report to investors
Content: Recommendations
Channel: Email
1 Photo from Unsplash
DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS
Let's practice!
D ATA C O M M U N I C AT I O N C O N C E P T S