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storytelling

Tableau’s storytelling, conversation, and journalism

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I imagine the Tableau marketers sitting down over the coming year’s menu of trends. “What, storytelling again?” one says as if dreading the taste of dim sum for the hundredth time.

Storytelling was a staple there at the trendy headquarters. The research department had not too long ago lured Robert Kosara away from an academic career. First thing, he and Jock Mackinlay published a whitepaper on the future of storytelling.

But no marketing stays fresh forever. Even before business people finish chewing on the last trend, new ones come along with the alacrity of T-shirt slogans. Fortunately, there were choices on the menu that would give new zing to “storytelling” — not with one new trend but with two.… Read the rest “Tableau’s storytelling, conversation, and journalism”

Conversation: data’s roots

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Is time spent at a TDWI conference worthwhile? How would a prospective exhibitor or attendee judge beforehand? Perhaps the data would dictate — if the data could really tell the whole story.

At the recent TDWI conference in Boston, I counted a mere 18 booths in the exhibit hall. Most of the big names had stayed away, including Tableau, Qlik, and MicroStrategy. Only IBM planted itself there on the Hynes Convention Center’s big floor.

Even with much of the cavernous hall draped off, the stage designers still had a large space to fill — done with what seemed like overly abundant banquet tables.… Read the rest “Conversation: data’s roots”

Data storytelling: promoted but barely researched

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Data storytelling struck a chord with the data industry when Tom Davenport, of Competing on Analytics fame, gave it his blessing two years ago. Storytelling was a data scientist’s most important function, he said. Enthusiasts responded with columns, papers, and blog posts — but most of it did little more than echo Tom.

Fine, we agree that data storytelling is a good thing. But we still have scant observation of the actual practice of data storytelling — hard, direct evidence of what has worked, what hasn’t, which tools work, which career paths produce good practitioners, and other questions. I don’t even see consensus yet on what a data story is.… Read the rest “Data storytelling: promoted but barely researched”