Introduction

Bad graphs are everywhere

Nobody sets out to make a bad graph. But it happens. Again and again. At every company throughout all industries and by all types of people.

We aren't naturally good at storytelling with data

It's rare that language and math are paired：no one teaches us how to tell stories with numbers. Being able to visualize data and tell stories with it is key to turning it into information that can be used to drive better decision making. There is a story in your data.But your tools don't know what that story is.That's where it takes you-the analyst or communicator of the information—to bring that story visually and contextually to life. Being able to tell stories with data is a skill that’s becoming ever more important in our world of increasing data and desire for data driven decision making.

How we'll learn to tell stories with data

1. Understand the context
2. Choose an appropriate visual display
3. Eliminate clutter
4. Focus attention where you want it
5. Think like a designer
6. Tell a story