data doesn't speak for itself

Today’s post is the final installment in our series of five questions to ask yourself when designing a graph for explanatory purposes. Recall our journey started with this visual which was ripe for improvement: 

In the previous posts, we improved it by decluttering, designing thoughtfully in our chart choices, and considering our audience. We’re left with the pair of graphs shown below—note that while we also discussed use of color, I’ve removed it intentionally for now:

On to our final question—and how I might visually address all five we’ve considered—to build a compelling slide for our audience. 

QUESTION 5: Have I used words effectively? 

In data visualization, words can be more powerful than we realize. When designing graphs, the non-negotiable text includes explicit axes labels, descriptive chart titles, supporting annotations, and footnotes with relevant methodology and assumptions. Never assume it's apparent what’s being shown—make it your default to include this important context so your audience doesn’t have to guess what they’re seeing. 

Resist leaving it up to your audience to figure out the overarching “so-what?” Rather, make a habit of stating the main takeaway in words in a prominent place. Effective slide titles are one strategy for making sure the point isn’t missed.

Additionally, use annotations and subtitles to help your audience understand your visuals:

Now turning back to the example we’ve been improving, let’s assume my audience has asked for a summary of my findings on one slide. My single-page view could look like the visual below. This amount of text would serve me best as a leave-behind or send-around, rather than flashed up a live presentation.

Check out the improvement from the original! We removed the non-essential elements, used color purposefully, iterated through different graphs, considered the broader context and used text to make the takeaways unmistakeable.

To improve your value within your organization, ask yourself these five questions the next time you need to create a graph for someone else. If you’re time-constrained, the biggest bang for your buck will be questions 2 and 4: the power pairing of color and words.

For more examples of visual transformations, check out the before-and-afters in our newly launched makeover gallery. Then, practice honing your data storytelling muscle by undertaking an exercise in the SWD community and subscribe to premium support to participate in our become a data viz superstar virtual session on January 26 at 12pm ET.