Knaflic (2015) Storytelling with Data
by Ivan Lanin
1. Introduction
1.1. Bad graphs are everywhere
1.2. We aren't naturally good at storytelling with data
1.3. Who this book is writter for
1.4. How I learned to tell stories with data
1.5. How you'll learn to tell stories with data: 6 lessons
1.6. Illustrative exaamples span many industries
1.7. Lessons are not tool specific
1.8. How this book is organized
2. The Importance of Context
2.1. Exploratory vs. explanatory analysis
2.2. Who, what, and how
2.3. Consulting for context: question to ask
2.4. The 3 minutes story & big idea
2.5. Storyboarding
3. Choosing an Effective Visual
3.1. Simple text
3.2. Tables
3.3. Heatmap
3.4. Graphs
3.4.1. Points
3.4.2. Lines
3.4.3. Bars
3.4.4. Area
3.4.5. Other types
3.5. To be avoided
3.5.1. Pie charts
3.5.2. 3D
3.5.3. Secondary y-axis
4. Clutter is Your Enemy
4.1. Cognitive load
4.2. Clutter
4.3. Gestalt principles of visual perception
4.3.1. Proximity
4.3.2. Similiarity
4.3.3. Enclosure
4.3.4. Closure
4.3.5. Continuity
4.3.6. Connection
4.4. Lack of visual order
4.4.1. Alignment
4.4.2. White space
4.5. Nonstrategic use of contrast
4.6. Decluttering
5. Focus Your Audience's Attention
5.1. You see with your brain
5.2. A brief lesson on memory
5.2.1. Iconic memory
5.2.2. Short-term memory
5.2.3. Long-term memory
5.3. Preattentive attributes signal where to look
5.4. Preattentive attributes in text
5.5. Preattentive attributes in graphics
5.6. Strategic preattentive attributes
5.6.1. Size
5.6.2. Color
5.6.3. Position
6. Think Like a Designer
6.1. Affordances
6.2. Accessibility
6.3. Aesthetics
6.4. Acceptance
7. Dissecting Model Visuals
7.1. Line graph
7.2. Annotated line graph with forecast
7.3. 100% stacked bars
7.4. Leveraging positive and negative stacked bars
7.5. Horizontal stacked bars
8. Lessons in Storytelling
8.1. The magic of story
8.2. Storytelling in plays
8.3. Storytelling and the cinema
8.4. Storytelling and the written word
8.5. Constructing the story
8.6. The narrative structure
8.7. The power of repetition
8.8. Tactics to help ensure that your story is clear
8.8.1. Horizontal logic
8.8.2. Vertical logic
8.8.3. Reverse storyboarding
8.8.4. Fresh perspective
9. Pulling It All Together
9.1. Understand the context
9.2. Choose an appropriate display
9.3. Eliminate clutter
9.4. Draw attention where you want it
9.5. Think like a designer
9.6. Tell a story
10. Case Studies
10.1. Color considerations with a dark background
10.2. Leveraging animation in the visuals you present
10.3. Logic in order
10.4. Strategies for avoiding the spaghetti graph
10.5. Alternatives to pies
11. Final Thoughts
11.1. Where to go from here
11.2. Tips
11.2.1. Learn your tools well
11.2.2. Iterate and seek feedback
11.2.3. Devote time to storytelling with data
11.2.4. Seek inspiration through good examples
11.2.5. Have fun and find your style