Giridhar Ramachandran

BM Term V Session 2
Essentials of good communication

What do you want the audience to know?

How do you want them to feel?

What do you want them to do?

Quite often we fall short in all these areas

Instead of telling what they should know, we end up telling what we did

Here is a history lesson on letting data speak for itself

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How do data stories help?

Prescriptive
Analytics

Predictive Analytics

Descriptive Analytics

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An example

So .. As you show, so you reap!

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Why do we tell stories with data?

Chip Heath’s experiment in Made to Stick

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Why do we tell stories with data?

Carnegie Mellon Experiment with Save the Children charity

Stats version’s average $1.14

Rokia version’s average $2.38

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Driving action with data stories

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Components of a good story

Data, Visuals and Narrative

Prescriptive
Analytics

Predictive Analytics

Descriptive Analytics

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What could have Semmelweis done differently?

Prescriptive
Analytics

Predictive Analytics

Descriptive Analytics

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What are the building blocks of a powerful narrative?

1. What is the type of analysis - Exploratory (analyzing and understanding) or

Explanatory (Communicating a specific story)
Our focus is the latter

2. Where to begin?
• Who is your audience? what is their relationship with you? what motivates
them? what keeps them up at night?
• What do you need them to do? Change? Create? Implement? Don't assume
they will connect the dots
• Will data help make the point? Be discerning. Which data/insight will act as
the best evidence
• How do we curate the information? (B-U-S)

3. How do we assemble the story?

4. How do we narrate the story?

5. How do we choose the visuals?

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What is the structure of a story?

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What is the structure of a story?

There are two crucial characteristics of a story - emotion and meaningful climax

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Some story structures that have been documented

The seven basic plots (by Christopher Booker)

Overcoming the monster - The central character (let’s call him or her the protagonist) sets out to
defeat an antagonistic force, often evil.

Rebirth - The protagonist experiences an important event and is forced to change his or her ways,
often for the better.

Rags to Riches. The poor protagonist acquires power, wealth, love, etc. before losing it all and
then gaining it back as he or she grows as a person.

Voyage and Return. The protagonist goes to a strange/different land, overcomes some obstacles,
and returns with some experience, typically having grown for the better.

Comedy. Humorous character with a happy and cheerful ending (but noting that comedy is more
than just humor).

Tragedy. The protagonist is a hero with a major character flaw and, ultimately, his or her undoing.

The Quest. The protagonist (usually with some companions) set out to acquire an object or get to
a specific location, facing obstacles and temptations.

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Some story structures that have been documented

Kurt Vonnegut

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Some story structures that have been documented

John Campbell’s Hero’s journey

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Some story structures that have been documented

Gustav Freytag

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Group exercise

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An example

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Story structure adapted to data storytelling

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An example

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