Designing Data Visualizations
to Successfully Tell a Story

Guide the View(er)

Cédric Scherer // posit::conf // September 2023


David McCandless & Lee Byron, Information is Beautiful (modified)


David McCandless & Lee Byron, Information is Beautiful



“Is white space always your friend?” by Neil Richards


Time series with annotations by William Playfair from “The Commercial and Political Atlas and Statistical Breviary” (1786)

“Yearly Fluctuations in Area of Arctic Covered by Ice” by Derek Watkins (New York Times)

Confuse with Colors

OurWorldInData 2020 (new version)

Confuse with Colors

OurWorldInData 2020, suggested fix

Don’t Confuse with Color

Guide with Colors

Guide with Colors

Assist the Viewer

“Frankfurt vies for UK banking jobs post-Brexit” by Alan Smith & Laura Noonan (Financial Times)

Assist the Viewer

“Frankfurt vies for UK banking jobs post-Brexit” by Alan Smith & Laura Noonan (Financial Times)

Assist the Viewer

“Tesco is the nation’s primary AND secondary supermarket” by Matthew Smith (YouGov)

Assist the Viewer

“Tesco is the nation’s primary AND secondary supermarket” by Matthew Smith (YouGov)

Assist the Viewer

“Tesco is the nation’s primary AND secondary supermarket” by Matthew Smith (YouGov)

Assist the Viewer

“Tesco is the nation’s primary AND secondary supermarket” by Matthew Smith (YouGov)

Assist the Viewer

“Yearly Fluctuations in Area of Arctic Covered by Ice” by Derek Watkins (New York Times)

Assist the Viewer

“Yearly Fluctuations in Area of Arctic Covered by Ice” by Derek Watkins (New York Times)

Assist the Viewer

“100 Years of Streamflow Drought”, in collaboration with USGS

Assist the Viewer

“100 Years of Streamflow Drought”, in collaboration with USGS

Assist the Viewer

Source: Jan Kühn

Assist the Viewer

Source: Jan Kühn

Assist the Viewer

Source: Jan Kühn

Assist the Viewer

Source: Lisa Charlotte Muth, DataWrapper Blog

Assist the Viewer

Source: Lisa Charlotte Muth, DataWrapper Blog

Assist the Viewer

Source: Lisa Charlotte Muth, DataWrapper Blog

Illustrate with Images

Modified #TidyTuesday Contribution | Images: Allison Horst

Illustrate with Images

“Not my Cup of Coffee” (#TidyTuesday Contribution)

Wrap-Up

Source: “Clearing the Air” by Adam Ginsburg (Washington Post)

Notes by Francis Gagnon (Voilà)

Exercises

Exercise 1

Take notes on the following fun graphic.

  • What is the take-home message you learn from the chart.
  • What are elements used to guide and assist the viewer?
  • Does the graphic work for you?

Exercise 1

Source: “How hot dog contestants went from eating 10 to 76 hot dogs in 10 minutes” by Carson TerBush (Washington Post)

Exercise 2

Take look at the following stacked bar graph.

  • What elements are used to guide the viewer? Does it work?
  • Draw a version that makes it easier for a viewer to see the main message.
  • How could you improve the aesthetic appeal of the graphic?

Exercise 2

Source: Storytelling with Data

Cédric Scherer // posit::conf(2023)