Data Storytelling

Transform data into compelling narratives.

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About this course

“Data storytelling” is the ability to effectively communicate data findings to the right audience. It might sound superficial, but this is far from the truth. An effective data researcher can undoubtedly influence an organization with well-supported evidence and clear communication. It is not just about creating attractive visualizations but also understanding the audience, the climate of an organization, and the most effective ways to convey the truth.

In this course, you’ll learn how to tell a compelling story with data, starting with gathering context and exploratory data analysis (EDA). Next, you’ll learn some visualization and narrative techniques that deliver a tailored message to a specific audience. Finally, you’ll explore the “Storyteller’s Survival Guide,” discussing how to navigate real-world challenges, such as organizational politics, using tools like diplomacy.

What you'll learn—and how you can apply it

By the end of this hands-on course, you’ll understand:

  • Why data storytelling is critical for organizational impact 
  • How data storytelling is distinct from EDA
  • The importance of context and objectives for sharing a narrative

And you’ll be able to:

  • Communicate data findings more effectively by assessing the setting and audience 
  • Convert EDA and visualizations into a compelling data story 
  • Share truths diplomatically in organizational climates that might be resistant

This training is for you because…

  • You’re a data scientist wondering how to better publicize your findings so they make an impact
  • You’re a project manager or team leader who wishes to communicate data to executive leadership more effectively
  • You are an analyst or engineer looking to develop soft skills for presenting to leadership and telling them what they need to hear

Prerequisites

  • No prerequisites required but understanding of data science and basic understanding of Python would be helpful

Setup

To open Anaconda Notebooks:

  1. Go to Anaconda Notebooks
  2. Click on 'Sign Up' or 'Sign In' if you already have an account from the top navigation menu
  3. Click 'Launch Notebook

Recommended follow-up

Facilitator bio

Thomas Nield is the founder of Nield Consulting Group and Yawman Flight, as well as an instructor at University of Southern California. He enjoys making technical content relatable and relevant to those unfamiliar or intimidated by it. Thomas regularly teaches classes on data analysis, machine learning, mathematical optimization, and practical artificial intelligence. At USC, he teaches AI System Safety, developing systematic approaches for identifying AI-related hazards in aviation and ground vehicles. He's authored three books, including Essential Math for Data Science (O’Reilly) and Getting Started with SQL (O'Reilly).

He is also the founder and inventor of Yawman Flight, a company developing universal handheld flight controls for flight simulation and unmanned aerial vehicles. You can find him on Twitter | LinkedIn | GitHub | YouTube.

Questions? Issues? Contact learning@anaconda.com.

Curriculum03:08:54

  • Getting Started
  • How to Use Anaconda Notebooks 00:01:02
  • Course Overview and Learning Objectives 00:01:52
  • What is Storytelling?
  • Storytelling Overview 00:06:21
  • Exploratory vs. Explanatory Analysis 00:04:50
  • Exercise: Your Audience 00:07:40
  • Your Objective 00:04:30
  • Exercise: Tell a Story 00:03:29
  • Gathering Context
  • What Are You Trying To Achieve? 00:01:59
  • Thinking Outside the Data: Who, What, When 00:07:47
  • Thinking Outside the Data: Why, Where, How 00:04:31
  • Nussbaumer’s Communication Continuum 00:08:46
  • Exercise: Sizing Up the Audience 00:04:23
  • Gathering Findings and Hypotheses
  • Bird Strike Dataset 00:06:41
  • Exploratory Data Analysis 00:11:48
  • Preview
    What Story Are We Going To Tell? 00:02:40
  • Exercise: Pivoting to Another Objective 00:02:09
  • Creating Visualizations
  • Choosing Visuals 00:07:24
  • Problematic Visuals 00:11:02
  • Avoiding Clutter and Graphic Hacks 00:04:15
  • Exercise: Choose a Chart 00:03:37
  • Telling a Story
  • Framing the Narrative 00:05:17
  • Choosing Your Visual Format 00:11:28
  • Stock Photos and Illustrations 00:03:01
  • Humor, Pop Culture, and Memes 00:06:13
  • AI-Generated Images 00:04:48
  • Delivering the Data Story 00:12:28
  • Exercise: Reorganize Narrative 00:02:21
  • Storyteller’s Survival Guide
  • Stage Fright 00:07:09
  • Difficult Questions 00:04:16
  • Politically Sensitive Topics 00:05:42
  • Practicing Diplomacy 00:04:10
  • Remaining Ethical 00:08:16
  • Exercise: Remaining Ethical Under Pressure 00:04:13
  • Conclusion
  • Summary 00:02:46
  • End of Course Survey
  • Course Completion

About this course

“Data storytelling” is the ability to effectively communicate data findings to the right audience. It might sound superficial, but this is far from the truth. An effective data researcher can undoubtedly influence an organization with well-supported evidence and clear communication. It is not just about creating attractive visualizations but also understanding the audience, the climate of an organization, and the most effective ways to convey the truth.

In this course, you’ll learn how to tell a compelling story with data, starting with gathering context and exploratory data analysis (EDA). Next, you’ll learn some visualization and narrative techniques that deliver a tailored message to a specific audience. Finally, you’ll explore the “Storyteller’s Survival Guide,” discussing how to navigate real-world challenges, such as organizational politics, using tools like diplomacy.

What you'll learn—and how you can apply it

By the end of this hands-on course, you’ll understand:

  • Why data storytelling is critical for organizational impact 
  • How data storytelling is distinct from EDA
  • The importance of context and objectives for sharing a narrative

And you’ll be able to:

  • Communicate data findings more effectively by assessing the setting and audience 
  • Convert EDA and visualizations into a compelling data story 
  • Share truths diplomatically in organizational climates that might be resistant

This training is for you because…

  • You’re a data scientist wondering how to better publicize your findings so they make an impact
  • You’re a project manager or team leader who wishes to communicate data to executive leadership more effectively
  • You are an analyst or engineer looking to develop soft skills for presenting to leadership and telling them what they need to hear

Prerequisites

  • No prerequisites required but understanding of data science and basic understanding of Python would be helpful

Setup

To open Anaconda Notebooks:

  1. Go to Anaconda Notebooks
  2. Click on 'Sign Up' or 'Sign In' if you already have an account from the top navigation menu
  3. Click 'Launch Notebook

Recommended follow-up

Facilitator bio

Thomas Nield is the founder of Nield Consulting Group and Yawman Flight, as well as an instructor at University of Southern California. He enjoys making technical content relatable and relevant to those unfamiliar or intimidated by it. Thomas regularly teaches classes on data analysis, machine learning, mathematical optimization, and practical artificial intelligence. At USC, he teaches AI System Safety, developing systematic approaches for identifying AI-related hazards in aviation and ground vehicles. He's authored three books, including Essential Math for Data Science (O’Reilly) and Getting Started with SQL (O'Reilly).

He is also the founder and inventor of Yawman Flight, a company developing universal handheld flight controls for flight simulation and unmanned aerial vehicles. You can find him on Twitter | LinkedIn | GitHub | YouTube.

Questions? Issues? Contact learning@anaconda.com.

Curriculum03:08:54

  • Getting Started
  • How to Use Anaconda Notebooks 00:01:02
  • Course Overview and Learning Objectives 00:01:52
  • What is Storytelling?
  • Storytelling Overview 00:06:21
  • Exploratory vs. Explanatory Analysis 00:04:50
  • Exercise: Your Audience 00:07:40
  • Your Objective 00:04:30
  • Exercise: Tell a Story 00:03:29
  • Gathering Context
  • What Are You Trying To Achieve? 00:01:59
  • Thinking Outside the Data: Who, What, When 00:07:47
  • Thinking Outside the Data: Why, Where, How 00:04:31
  • Nussbaumer’s Communication Continuum 00:08:46
  • Exercise: Sizing Up the Audience 00:04:23
  • Gathering Findings and Hypotheses
  • Bird Strike Dataset 00:06:41
  • Exploratory Data Analysis 00:11:48
  • Preview
    What Story Are We Going To Tell? 00:02:40
  • Exercise: Pivoting to Another Objective 00:02:09
  • Creating Visualizations
  • Choosing Visuals 00:07:24
  • Problematic Visuals 00:11:02
  • Avoiding Clutter and Graphic Hacks 00:04:15
  • Exercise: Choose a Chart 00:03:37
  • Telling a Story
  • Framing the Narrative 00:05:17
  • Choosing Your Visual Format 00:11:28
  • Stock Photos and Illustrations 00:03:01
  • Humor, Pop Culture, and Memes 00:06:13
  • AI-Generated Images 00:04:48
  • Delivering the Data Story 00:12:28
  • Exercise: Reorganize Narrative 00:02:21
  • Storyteller’s Survival Guide
  • Stage Fright 00:07:09
  • Difficult Questions 00:04:16
  • Politically Sensitive Topics 00:05:42
  • Practicing Diplomacy 00:04:10
  • Remaining Ethical 00:08:16
  • Exercise: Remaining Ethical Under Pressure 00:04:13
  • Conclusion
  • Summary 00:02:46
  • End of Course Survey
  • Course Completion