Storytelling with Data: A Data Visualization Guide for Business Professionals

by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic

There are a few strategies you can leverage for gaining acceptance in the design of your data visualization: Articulate the benefits of the new or different approach. Sometimes simply giving people transparency into why things will look different going forward can help them feel more comfortable. Are there new or improved observations you can make by looking at the data in a different way? Or other benefits you can articulate to help convince your audience to be open to the change? Show the side-by-side. If the new approach is clearly superior to the old, showing them side-by-side will demonstrate this. Couple this with the prior approach by showing the before-and-after and explaining why you want to shift the way you’re looking at things. Provide multiple options and seek input. Rather than prescribing the design, consider creating several options and getting feedback from colleagues or your audience (if appropriate) to determine which design will best meet the given needs. Get a vocal member of your audience on board. Identify influential members of your audience and talk to them one-on-one in an effort to gain acceptance of your design. Ask for their feedback and incorporate it. If you can get one or a couple of vocal members of your audience bought in, others may follow.

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