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...

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,...

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 |...

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...

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...

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...

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!...

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,...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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: ...

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 ...

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...

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...

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...

Cole shares a number of data visualization and communication questions that could be answered simply with the word, “Don’t!” From breaking axes and presenting boxplots to unfamiliar audiences, to providing unsolicited feedback to a colleague, and more—you’ll learn why generally not to take these actions, plus hear ideas on what you might do instead. related links: Video: the ins & outs of boxplots Video: transform the teleprompter slide Blog post: how many words should I put on my...

Cole sits down with husband, Randy Knaflic, for a fun chat about her new book, storytelling with you: plan, create, and deliver a stellar presentation. They discuss why building capability and confidence presenting is especially important for those in technical roles, overcoming challenges communicating to mixed audiences, navigating the writing process, and more. Tune in to learn what jazz improvisation has in common with presenting and gain appreciation for the art of the...

As anyone who has ever participated in a fantasy league can tell you, the most fun part of the whole experience is drafting your team. We took that idea to heart, and imagined, “What if, instead of drafting professional athletes, we did a fantasy draft of chart and graph types?” The data storytellers at SWD and premium members of our online community recently did just that, taking part in a (mostly!) friendly competition to build themselves the strongest possible roster of methods for...

How can we use beauty to convey meaning, and form to guide function, in our communications? In this episode of the SWD podcast, Dr. Vidya Setlur and Bridget Cogley explore these questions with data storyteller Mike Cisneros. In their upcoming book Functional Aesthetics for Data Visualization, Vidya (the “academic”) and Bridget (the “practitioner”) explore the relationships among what we see, how we encode information, and what we mean. You’ll hear about the “bento box” model of organizing our...

Data storyteller Mike Cisneros sat down with Iron Viz champion, Tableau Visionary, and self-described “data jackalope” Joshua Smith to talk about how folklore—the study of how information is communicated, primarily through informal means—provides us a fascinating lens through which to examine how data visualization has evolved and continues to develop, both as a discipline and as a community of practitioners. You’ll learn how “best practices” emerge, transform and persist (or are discarded)...

Recently, Cole chatted with senior data analyst Shashank Kalanithi for his YouTube channel, where he helps people break into the world of analytics. Listen to this repost of their conversation—you’ll hear Cole reflect on a wide range of topics, from why technical experts should double down on communication skills, to the ideal tech stack, to advice for undergrads, graduate students, and those transitioning into a career in data. Tune in also to be among the first to hear details about Cole’s...