What Makes a Useful Data Story? 5 Questions to Ask 

Jan 17th, 2022 / Data Analysis
Ready to tell a story with data Great! Let’s remove the guesswork from our graphs. The next step is to figure out which message we’ll highlight. We can’t visualization everything—that dilutes the power of our graph. Here are five thought-starter questions to help you uncover useful nuggets in your data.  
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The 30-3-1 Approach with Unlimited Visual Appendices: The Bare Minimum for Designing Reports that Actually Inform Decisions

Jul 6th, 2021 / Reports
Want to design reports that actually inform decisions? With software you already have?? Nobody wants to pour blood, sweat, and tears into a document that sits on a dusty shelf. I recently gave a presentation where I shared about the 30-3-1 approach to reporting, which is the bare minimum for designing useful reports. And now I want to share it with you.
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Data Placemats: A 3-Step Process for Increasing Data Use

Jun 15th, 2021 / Data Visualization
Want to make sure that your data gets used to inform decisions? Get your stakeholders involved in the sense-making process! Are you familiar with data placemats? Here’s how they work: (1) Design Data Placemats, (2) Facilitate an Interpretation Meeting, and (3) Include those Insights in the Final Report or Slideshow.
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Customizing Reports for the Audience with Deven Wisner

Oct 13th, 2020 / Data Visualization
When we should follow APA format? When should we not? Earlier this year I sat down with my good friend Deven Wisner about customizing reports for the audience. During this six-minute conversation, we talked about Deven’s current work (he’s a managing partner, professor and student himself!) as well as the advice he gives to his own students.
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