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.