People love stories. People can connect with stories. People remember great stories. Make your data tell a story. If you can make stories come alive with data, people will pay attention.

There is no magic formula for a great story, data or otherwise. Here are some guidelines for telling a great data science story.

  • Clearly state the problem
  • Explain the data
  • Share the struggles of doing the analysis
  • Do not focus on the algorithms
  • Show how the analysis progressed, take your listeners on a journey
  • Finish with something remarkable

The late Hans Rosling could tell as good of a story with data as anyone. Do a quick internet search for his name, and you can easily find his Ted talks or other videos. He provides an excellent model for telling a story with data. It is worth your time to watch some of his videos.

The entire goal of telling a story with data is to get people engaged in the problem.

Leave a comment if you have others tips for telling an effective data science story.