On December 1st, 2022, I held a presentation at Pydata Copenhagen on the topic of storytelling with data. It was a great experience sharing my learnings with the amazing community of data enthusiasts. The agenda for the presentation went through quite a few topics focused on creating engaging and informative visualizations that tell a story with data. We covered a lot of ground, so let me give you a quick summary of what we discussed.
- We started by discussing the importance of colorscales in creating effective data visualizations. Choosing the right colors can make a big difference in how your audience interprets the data. We explored different colorscales and how to use them effectively.
- Next, we looked at ways to visualize tabular data. We discussed different strategies for presenting complex data in a clear and concise way, such as grouping and sorting data, using heatmaps, and highlighting important data points.
- One key point that I emphasized throughout the presentation was the importance of communicating uncertainty. We talked about how to present data in a way that acknowledges the limitations and potential errors in the data, while still presenting a clear and compelling story.
- Another important aspect of storytelling with data is highlighting the change in data, rather than the changes in the plots. This is quite important when making decisions based on differences in plots.
- Time series data can be particularly challenging to visualize effectively, but we discussed some pitfalls and how showing different timescales at the same time can create engaging and informative visualizations with this type of data. We also explored how to quickly find anomalies in the data with just a glance.
- Finally, we talked about the importance of selecting the right plot for the right audience. Different types of visualizations are more effective for different types of data and different audiences. We explored some strategies for creating easily digestible visualizations that resonate with your audience.
Overall, it was a great evening and I’m grateful for the opportunity to share my experience and insights with the Pydata Copenhagen community. I hope these tips and strategies are useful for you as you work to tell stories with data.
The presentation can be downloaded here: 2022-12-01-Storytelling-with-data-Thomas-Jansson.pdf
