Visual Communication In Presentations

One of the biggest challenges in data visualization is deciding 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 chart to use for your data. Here’s a breakdown to guide you through choosing the perfect chart to fit your data’s story: 🟦 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 If you’re comparing different categories, consider these options: - Embedded Charts – Ideal for comparing across 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, giving you a comprehensive view of your data. - Bar Charts – Best for fewer categories where you want a clear, side-by-side comparison. - Spider Charts – Great for showing multivariate data across a few categories; perfect for visualizing strengths and weaknesses in radar-style. 📈 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 When tracking changes or trends over time, pick these charts based on your data structure: - Line Charts – Effective for showing trends across 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 over time. Line charts give a sense of continuity. - Vertical Bar Charts – Useful for tracking data over fewer categories, especially when visualizing individual data points within a time frame.    🟩 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 To reveal correlations or relationships between variables: - Scatterplot – Best for displaying the relationship between 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴. Perfect for exploring potential patterns and correlations. - Bubble Chart – A go-to choice for three or more variables, giving you an extra dimension for analysis. 🟨 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 Understanding data distribution is essential for statistical analysis. Use these to visualize distribution effectively: - Histogram – Best for a 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 with a few data points, ideal for showing the frequency distribution within a dataset. - Line Histogram – Works well when there are many data points to assess distribution over a range. - Scatterplot – Can also illustrate distribution across two variables, especially for seeing clusters or outliers. 🟪 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 Show parts of a whole and breakdowns with these: - Tree Map – Ideal for illustrating hierarchical structures or showing the composition of categories as part of a total. - Waterfall Chart – Perfect for showing how individual elements contribute to a cumulative total, with additions and subtractions clearly represented. - Pie Chart – Suitable when you need to show a single share of the total; use sparingly for clarity. - Stacked Bar Chart & Area Chart – Both work well for visualizing composition over time, whether you’re tracking a few or many periods. 💡 Key Takeaways - Comparing across categories? Go for bar charts, embedded charts, or spider charts. - Tracking trends over time? Line or bar charts help capture time-based patterns. - Revealing relationships? Scatter and bubble charts make variable correlations clear. - Exploring distribution? Histograms or scatter plots can showcase data spread. - Showing composition? Use tree maps, waterfall charts, or pie charts for parts of a whole.

In #datastorytelling, you often want a specific point to stand out or “POP” in each data scene in your data stories. I’ve developed a 💥POP💥 method that you can apply to these situations: 💥 P: Prioritize – Establish which data point is most important. 💥 O: Overstate – Use visual emphasis like color and size as a contrast.   💥 P: Point – Guide the audience to the focal point of your chart. The accompanying illustration shows the progressive steps I’ve taken to make Product A’s Q3 $6M sales bump stand out. Step 1️⃣: Add headline. One of the first things the audience will attempt to do is read the title. A descriptive chart title like “Products by quarterly sales” is too general and offers no focal point. I replaced it with an explanatory headline emphasizing the increase in Product A sales in Q3. The audience is now directed to find this data point in the chart. Step 2️⃣: Adjust color/thickness I want the audience to focus on Product A, not Product B or Product C. The other products are still useful for context but are not the main emphasis. I kept Product A’s original bold color but thickened its line. I lightened the colors of the two other products to reduce their prominence. Step 3️⃣: Add label/marker I added a marker highlighting the $6M and bolded the label font. You’ll notice I added a marker and label for the proceeding quarter. I wanted to make it easy for the audience to note the dramatic shift between the two quarters. Step 4️⃣: Add annotation You don’t always need to add annotations to every key data point, but it can be a great way to draw more attention to particular points. It also allows you to provide more context to help explain the ‘why’ or ‘so what’ behind different results. Step 5️⃣: Add graphical cue (arrow) I added a graphical cue (arrow) to emphasize the massive increase in sales between the two quarters. You can use other objects, such as reference lines, circles, or boxes, to draw attention to key features of the chart. In terms of the POP method, these steps align in the following way: 💥 Prioritize – Step 1 💥 Overstate – Step 2-3 💥 Point – Step 4-5 Because data stories are explanatory rather than exploratory, you need to be more directive with your visuals. If you don’t design your data scenes to guide the audience through your key points, they may not follow your conclusions and become confused. Using the POP method, you ensure that your key points stand out and resonate with your audience, making your data stories more than just informative but memorable, engaging, and persuasive. So next time you craft a data story, ensure your data scenes POP—and watch your insights take center stage! What other techniques do you use to make your key data points POP? 🔽 🔽 🔽 🔽 🔽 Craving more of my data storytelling, analytics, and data culture content? Sign up for my newsletter today: https://lnkd.in/gRNMYJQ7

When presenting visuals like charts and graphs, please don't say, "As you can see here...". More often than not, I can't see what you're talking about and others can't either. Instead of saying, "as you can see," intentionally describe the visual information that you're referring to and explain the details. Examples: - "In this graph, the tallest bar corresponds to the month of May, when we experienced the largest number of leads." - "This pie chart shows that the majority of survey respondents selected mental health as their priority wellbeing concern." - "This line graph shows two peaks at different points in the month. On the left side, there's a peak early in the month where our website had a jump in traffic. On the right side, there's a peak near the end of the month with another jump in traffic on February 25th. This is when we launched our marketing campaign." I'm not giving you this advice because I'm blind with 5% of my vision remaining. This is not advice about accessibility for blind and low vision participants. This advice is about increasing the overall comprehension and understanding for your visuals among ALL the participants. Unfortunately, visuals can often be small and hard to interpret when shown on slides. Text can also be small, such as labels for graph bars. Not everyone quickly grasps the information presented in visual content either. This best practice will help your presentations be more effective for everyone. What do you think of this advice? Have you noticed yourself saying "as you can see" before and will you start making this change? I'd love to hear from you. #Accessibility #DisabilityInclusion #Inclusion

When we build presentations (or dashboards), we falsely assume that our audience carefully examines the graphs before making a decision But in reality, the human brain gathers information before conscious thought even begins That's called pre-attentive processing Our brain’s automatically detects basic visual features such as: -color  -shape -orientation -size -spatial position to instantly notice what “pops out” in a slide For this reason, when used well, pre-attentive cues make comprehension effortless and our presentations really memorable and insightful ❓For example check the two graphs below (before / after): > What is the most important insight your audience should see first? > Which pre-attentive attributes (color, size, contrast) helped? > Is the graph and its message clearer in 2nd graph? Why? 💡 Long story short, give your slides to a friend without text or context. Can they spot your key takeout? If not, pre-attentive processing #data #analytics #communication #presentation

When a chart raises more questions than it answers, it's bad dataviz. A well-designed chart doesn’t just present data. It guides the audience effortlessly to the insight. But when a chart lacks clear meaning, it forces viewers to work too hard to interpret the data, leading to misinterpretation and disengagement. Take this chart, “Gold in 2020.” Everything about its design make it harder — not easier — for the audience to understand what it means. 1. Vague Title, No Headline, No Clear Message - “Gold in 2020” is too broad — does it track price, supply, or investment? - Does it cover the full year as the given title implies or just a segment? - A missing headline leaves viewers guessing at what the chart means. Fix: Be precise and include the chart's story in writing. • Instead of “Gold in 2020,” use a more accurate title like “Gold Prices in Early 2020.” • Add a clear headline that states the main message your chart is trying to deliver. 2. Missing Labels Create Unnecessary Cognitive Load - The y-axis lacks a unit — are these prices in USD? - The x-axis doesn’t define if the data is daily, weekly, or monthly. Fix: Labels should eliminate guesswork: • “Gold Price per Ounce (USD)” on the y-axis • “Daily Closing Prices (Jan–Feb 2020)” on the x-axis 3. No Annotations to Explain Key Trends - A sharp price spike in February is left unexplained — was it due to COVID-19 fears? Market speculation? - Without context, the audience is forced to speculate. Fix: Strategically add annotations to provide clarity -- a few simple Google searches reveal these important contextual datapoints around the times of price surges: • Jan 4: WHO reports mysterious pneumonia cases in Wuhan. • Mid-Jan: First COVID-19 case confirmed in Thailand. • Jan 21: First U.S. COVID-19 case announced in Washington. • Late Feb: Markets crash; gold surges amid economic turmoil. 4. No Visual Cues to Guide Attention - All data points look equally important, even though the February spike is the real story. - No reference points to show how these prices compare historically. Fix: Use design intentionally: • Bold or darken the February spike to emphasize its significance. • Add a horizontal benchmark line for comparison to 2019 prices. • Shade key periods to highlight market shifts. The Takeaway A chart should remove ambiguity, not create it. Better data visualization means: • Writing precise titles and headlines that frame the insight. • Using labels that eliminate guesswork. • Adding annotations that tell the story behind the data. • Applying visual cues that direct attention to key insights. Art+Science Analytics Institute | University of Notre Dame | University of Notre Dame - Mendoza College of Business | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | University of Chicago | D'Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University | ELVTR | Grow with Google - Data Analytics #Analytics #DataStorytelling

Most plots fail before they even leave the notebook. Too much clutter. Too many colors. Too little context. I have a stack of visualization books that teach theory, but none of them walk through the tools. In Effective Visualizations, I aim to fix that. I introduce the CLEAR framework—a simple checklist to rescue your charts from confusion and make them resonate: Color: Use color sparingly and intentionally. Highlight what matters. Avoid rainbow palettes that dilute your message. Limit plot type: Just because you can make a 3D exploding donut chart doesn’t mean you should. The simplest plot that answers your question is usually the best. Explain plot: Add clear labels, titles. Remove legends! If you need a decoder ring to read it, you’re not done. Audience: Know who you’re talking to. Executives care about different details than data scientists. Tailor your visuals accordingly. References: Show your sources. Data without provenance erodes trust. All done in the most popular language data folks use today, Python! When you build visuals with CLEAR in mind, your plots stop being decorations and start being arguments—concise, credible, and persuasive.

Most people don’t need more charts. They need the right chart. This graphic shows 50 ways to visualize data — and that’s exactly why many dashboards are confusing. Too many choices, not enough thinking. Here’s how I’d use this: Start with the question, not the chart. Comparison? Use column/bar. Trend? Line, area, or sparkline. Distribution? Histogram or box/violin (not 12 pie charts…). Choose by relationship, not aesthetics. Correlation → scatter, correlogram. Composition → stacked bar/area, not donut overload. Flow or structure → Sankey, org chart, network. One insight per visual. If your audience can’t say, “This chart shows X,” in 5 seconds, it’s decoration, not communication. Reduce cognitive load. Fewer colors. Clear labels. No 3D anything. Ever. Build your “go-to 10.” From these 50, pick 10 charts you’ll master. Use them 90% of the time. The pros look “simple” because they obsess over clarity, not complexity. Save this as a checklist for your next report or dashboard. And if you want to go deeper into data storytelling and visualization, Corporate Finance Institute® (CFI)'s resources are a great place to start.

You don’t need a PhD to choose the right graph representation. You just need to know what you’ll do with the graph and pick the structure that makes that fast and easy. Below is a quick, practical guide you can use today: 1. Edge List: Start here when you just need “a list of connections.” An edge list is literally a list of edges: (x, y) for directed graphs, (x, y) and (y, x) for undirected, and (x, y, w) if weighted. It shines when you process edges globally (e.g., sort by weight for Kruskal’s MST). It’s also the most compact when your graph is sparse and you don’t need constant-time lookups. When to use: • You’ll sort/filter edges (MST, connectivity batches) • You’re loading data from CSV/logs where edges arrive as rows • You want minimal structure first and you’ll convert later if needed Trade-offs: • Space: O(m) • Iterate neighbors of x: O(m) (unless you pre-index) • Check if (x, y) exists: O(m) (or O(1) with an auxiliary hash set you maintain) 2. Adjacency Matrix: Use this when instant “is there an edge?” matters. A 2D array G[x][y] stores 1 (or weight) if the edge exists, else 0 (or a sentinel like −1/∞). You get constant-time edge existence checks and very clean math/linear-algebra operations. The cost is space: O(n²) even if the graph is tiny. If memory is fine and you need O(1) membership checks, go matrix. When to use: • Dense graphs (m close to n²) • Fast membership tests dominate your workload • You’ll leverage matrix ops (spectral methods, transitive closure variations, etc.) Trade-offs: • Space: O(n²) • Check if (x, y) exists: O(1) • Iterate neighbors of x: O(n) 3. Adjacency List Choose this when you traverse from nodes to neighbors a lot. Each node stores its exact neighbors, so traversal is proportional to degree, not n. This representation is ideal for BFS/DFS, Dijkstra (with weights), and most real-world sparse graphs. Membership checks are slower than a matrix unless you keep neighbor sets. For sparse graphs and traversal-heavy algorithms, pick adjacency lists. When to use: • Graph is sparse (common in practice) • You’ll run BFS/DFS, shortest paths, topological sorts • You need O(n + m) space and fast neighbor iteration Trade-offs: • Space: O(n + m) • Iterate neighbors of x: O(deg(x)) • Check if (x, y) exists: O(deg(x)) (or O(1) if you store a set per node) ~ Pick the representation that optimizes your next operation, not some abstract ideal. Edge lists for global edge work, matrices for instant membership, lists for fast traversal. Choose deliberately, and your graph code gets both cleaner and faster. If you want a deep dive on graph representation, say “Graphs” in the comments and I’ll send it to you on DM.

𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮. 𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀. For Analysts: Deep exploration. Hidden patterns. Tons of context, and loads of graphs. For Everyone Else: Clear, simple visuals. Focused story. Easy to understand, no extra fluff. We often share complicated graphs with our audience. We think everyone will just get them — never the case (it’s called the curse of knowledge). So why use graphs meant for deep exploration when your goal is to communicate and present your insights clearly? Here’s how you can tailor your charts for the people who matter: * Get to the point: use a title that answers the question everyone’s asking. * Simplify: cut the noise, focus on one insight per graph. * Guide attention: use arrows, text, highlights, or comments to make your point clear. Remember, a good data story isn’t just about having the data, it’s about communicating it in a way that’s crystal clear to everyone. And Graphy makes it happen.

8 out of 10 analysts struggle with delivering impactful data visualizations. Here are five tips that I learned through my experience that can improve your visuals immensely: 1. Know Your Stakeholder's Requirements: Before diving into charts and graphs, understand who you're speaking to. Tailor your visuals to match their expertise and interest levels. A clear understanding of your audience ensures your message hits the right notes. For executives, I try sticking to a high-level overview by providing summary charts like a KPI dashboard. On the other hand, for front-line employees, I prefer detailed charts depicting day-to-day operational metrics. 2. Avoid Chart Junk: Embrace the beauty of simplicity. Avoid clutter and unnecessary embellishments. A clean, uncluttered visualization ensures that your message shines through without distractions. I focus on removing excessive gridlines, and unnecessary decorations while conveying the information with clarity. Instead of overwhelming your audience with unnecessary embellishments, opt for a clean, straightforward line chart displaying monthly trends. 3. Choose The Right Color Palette: Colors evoke emotions and convey messages. I prefer using a consistent color scheme across all my dashboards that align with my brand or the narrative. Using a consistent color scheme not only aligns with your brand but also aids in quick comprehension. For instance, use distinct colors for important data points, like revenue spikes or project milestones. 4. Highlight Key Elements: Guide your audience's attention by emphasizing critical data points. Whether it's through color, annotations, or positioning, make sure your audience doesn't miss the most important insights. Imagine presenting a market analysis with a scatter plot showing customer satisfaction and market share. By using bold colors to highlight a specific product or region, coupled with annotations explaining notable data points, you can guide your audience's focus. 5. Tell A Story With Your Data: Transform your numbers into narratives. Weave a compelling story that guides your audience through insights. A good data visualization isn't just a display; it's a journey that simplifies complexity. Recently I faced a scenario where I was presenting productivity metrics. Instead of just displaying a bar chart with numbers, I crafted a visual story. I started with the challenge faced, used line charts to show performance fluctuations, and concluded with a bar chart illustrating the positive impact of a recent strategy. This narrative approach helped my audience connect emotionally with the data, making it more memorable and actionable. Finally, remember that the goal of data visualization is to communicate complex information in a way that is easily understandable and memorable. It's both an art and a science, so keep experimenting and evolving. What are your go-to tips for crafting effective data visualizations? Share your insights in the comments below!