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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”

Data analysts’ three misconceptions of storytelling

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I asked Fern Halper, director at TDWI Research, what misconceptions data analysts have about data storytelling. She and I wrote a report last fall for TDWI Research on data storytelling, and she was the data analyst on that team.

1. That data storytelling is easier that it really is. That sounds right to me. After all, everyone knows how to tell a story, don’t they? Sure, just like everyone knows how to analyze data, at least if you have a tool that’s “easy to use.”

2. That people care about the details. That rings true, too. As we said in the report, some do and some don’t.… Read the rest “Data analysts’ three misconceptions of storytelling”

Data storytelling will be bigger than data itself

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I heard an IBM marketing vice president say last summer, “Storytelling will be huge.” I think so, too. But what are data stories?

The big question on the table was what it would take for BI to break out of its miserable five percent penetration into business? Two regulars at the Pacific Northwest BI Summit — Harriet Fryman, IBM vice president of portfolio marketing, big data and analytics, joined Claudia Imhoff, founder of the Boulder BI Brain Trust and well known author — to consider the problem at last summer’s event.

Vendors tell us that data stories are whatever they’re selling.… Read the rest “Data storytelling will be bigger than data itself”