How to incorporate data visualizations into a story

While all stories can be better told with data visualizations (an all-encompassing term for charts, graphics, tables, maps, visual or interactive features), we strive to maximize the impact of the visual components to tell the story most effectively.

It takes years of practice to perfect the craft, but we have summarized a few guiding principles and best practices for reporters and editors to consider when working with data visualizations:

Guiding principles

Do not bury the data visualization.

Instead of spending 500 words describing what’s in the visualization and showing it after bulks of text, put the visualization upfront. The value of the visual is to engage audiences in a different form of storytelling, make them curious, and provide information that couldn’t be easily grasped in a text story. Putting text upfront dilutes the experience and often buries the most interesting and informative aspect of the story.

It’s also good for building relationships with your audience. If you already mention “Chart/ Graphic/ Watch/ See” in the story/SEO headline and have the visual in the promo image, give your audiences what you promised upfront.

Show, don’t tell. Let the visualization shine and let your audiences be amazed.

Data’s got nowhere to hide.

Get the most important information in the visualization to readers sooner than later. Don’t put important information behind user-expensive clicks. Complex and interactive visuals should facilitate storytelling.

Text and data visualizations should tell a single story.

The text should be aware of the visualization, so should the visualization. Don’t tell the same information twice and avoid logical jumps. There are a few approaches to achieve this: If the visualization is ready first, write the text around the visualization. If the text is written before the visualization is ready, rewrite it to flow better with the visual. Make sure the headline and dek of the visualization (if they exist) speak to the story as well as stand on its own.

This often means the editor should budget additional time after the copy and visualizations are ready to read the story as a whole and make sure the narrative glue together, and coordinate who needs to make changes.

If the text and data visualization ultimately tell two different stories. Then file two different stories.

Clarity before beauty

Don’t let aesthetic considerations override clarity of the narrative. When you are giving or receiving feedback that relates the graphic’s particular design choices: Be extra careful that steps to make something more visually compelling is not at the cost of legibility.

We mean legibility both from a narrative or reporting standpoint, but also from an accessibility one.

Disclaimers

We are specifically talking about data visualizations as they relate to reporting. While some of these principals may apply more broadly to this discipline, we are not commenting on data art, dashboards, experimental storytelling, etc.

Your work culture may be incompatible with these principals. We hope these points provide guidance, but understand mileage may vary.