In today’s world, where data abounds, the challenge is not merely gathering insights but communicating them in a meaningful way that inspires action. Weaving a narrative storyline through your insights to tie them together in a data story is one way to engage your audience. Enter the power duo: the data story arc and storyboarding. These tools, when used together, can help you translate data visualizations into a narrative experience for the viewer that engages, informs, and influences decision-making.
This article will explore how to use the data story arc as a physical framework with the storyboarding process in the development of your data story narrative. To illustrate, a practical example is used—a data story revealing insights about volunteer recognition and retention efforts tied to years of service—to demonstrate how these techniques come to life.
The Data Story Arc: A Visual Framework for Narrative Design
Stories have order and framework. They have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Stories tell your audience about cause and effect or a connected series or events in a meaningful way that is supported with data but shaped for their engagement. Data can be transformed into storytelling with a compelling narrative framework.
Storytelling bridges the gap between cold, hard data and what is most important to our audience through narrative design. When applied to data storytelling, the data story arc provides a structured path to guide audiences from a problem to a solution. The art of narrative is just one of six data storytelling essentials you should know.
The data story arc depicted below is an adaptation of a traditional story arc. The elements of the classic story arc are present in data storytelling. While the elements take on a slightly different feel in a data story, they have business story equivalents. Each element has a purpose in the story development from beginning to end. While the data story arc diagram moves in smooth straight lines, in reality it’s more like a series of jagged peaks on the way up and down, an observation astutely noted by master data storyteller Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic, author of Storytelling with Data.
There are 10 different types of business stories to communicate with data. Whether your story is about the current state, future state, last quarter, or a Eureka discovery, you can use the data story arc in the storyboarding process to add narrative to your data visualizations when developing a data story.
The data story arc comprises six key elements:
Context (Exposition): Set the stage by introducing the current state, characters, and the core question or business challenge.
Business Challenge (Conflict): Highlight the tension or problem that needs solving—this keeps your audience engaged and invested.
Key Data: (Rising Action): Build your narrative with supporting data insights, trends, and observations.
Discoveries (Climax): Present the pivotal discovery or insight—this is your story’s “aha!” moment.
Recommendations (Falling Action): Relate the discoveries to the business challenge with recommended course of action.
Call to Action (Resolution): End with clear, actionable steps your audience can take based on the story.
Using the data story arc as a physical visual framework will help to ensure your data story has a beginning, middle, and end—a structure that makes it easier for audiences to understand and act on your insights.
Storyboarding Data Narrative with the Data Story Arc
Once you know the type of story you are telling and have identified the data story format that you will be using to share your story, you are ready to begin the storyboarding process.
While the data story arc is a visual tool to provide structure, storyboarding is the process by which it can be used. Storyboarding helps you visualize how your data story will flow and helps to ensure your narrative aligns with your purpose and audience.
Storyboarding is a very visual process. While there are plenty of online platforms to use, I prefer to storyboard a data story using low-tech sticky notes and a flat surface – a wall, a table, or a pad of paper will do!. I prefer sticky notes because they can be easily moved at a pace that keeps up with my mind better than my typing and mouse clicking abilities can.
There are four steps to my storyboarding process to add narrative to data visualizations using the data story arc as a framework: outline, sketch, arrange, create. I’ll bring this process to life with a real-world example from the world of nonprofit organizations.
Scenario Case Study: Using Data to Enhance Volunteer Engagement at Metropolitan Gardens
Imagine you are a Volunteer Director at a botanical museum in a bustling metropolitan area. With 400 volunteers supporting the museum’s mission, tonight’s annual recognition dinner should be a celebration for everyone. The event is lively, with 200 volunteers enjoying heartfelt speeches and tokens of appreciation. Yet, as you look around, you notice a troubling trend: many of the familiar faces you see on the regular at the museum are absent.
The dinner is a significant expense item, and as with any nonprofit, every dollar matters. Recognition is a vital component of organizational support, a key element of the measurement of volunteer satisfaction that is directly tied to volunteer retention. If this event isn’t engaging a majority of active volunteers, it raises critical questions about its effectiveness.
Reflecting on the faces in the room, you notice a pattern—many attendees are those who have more recently joined the team of volunteers. Could years of service be a factor in attendance? You decide to delve into the data, segmenting by service length to uncover insights. Your goal is to ensure every volunteer feels valued and to make the most of limited recognition resources.
Using the data story arc, you can storyboard a compelling narrative to share your insights and drive change.
Step 1: Outline with the Arc
Before getting visual, sit down and write out the main ideas that you are planning to communicate. Ideally, you’ve started this data story development with a bit of audience analysis and effective data communication planning. Now you are ready to take your data visualization and guide your audience towards action with a well-crafted story.
Extract the key insights for each corresponding element of the data story arc:
Context: Define the purpose of your story and the audience’s needs. What is the current state and who is involved?
Business Challenge: What problem are you addressing? Identify the core tension. For example, is does the data conflict with a key objective?
Key Data: Select the most compelling data insights that build toward your key discovery.
Discoveries: Determine your big takeaway—what is the one thing you want your audience to really think about and remember?
Recommendations: Recommend what needs to be done in light of the discovery.
Call to Action: Clarify the actionable steps that can be taken to turning these insights into immediate action.
Outlining your main ideas and a few supporting points for each, while keeping these elements in mind, ensures your storyboard has a clear purpose and logical progression.
Step 2: Sketch with the Arc in Mind
Next, visualize the ideas that you’ve outlined by turning them into key words, phrases,
and images by sketching them out on low-tech tools like sticky notes or index cards. This makes them easier to move around and organize in the next step.
Take each of the key ideas communicated in the data visualization and put them each on an individual sticky note. Do the same for any supporting points you have for those key ideas. Organize them using a visually hierarchy so that you can see the relationship of the ideas to one another.
Don’t worry about making it perfect—this step is about experimenting with ideas and getting them out of your head and off the paper into a flexible format.
Step 3: Arrange Along the Arc
After the initial sketch, organize your storyboard elements to reflect the flow of the arc and address any missing elements. This is where your narrative starts to take shape. Take your data story viewer/reader on a journey by adding rising action and a key climatic insight for which resolution is sought.
This is a good time to physically use the narrative framework tool of the data story arc diagram pictured above.
Print out a copy of the arc or draw it out on a surface such as a whiteboard to use as a guide upon which to place the key ideas being communicated. I like to print out the data story arc on cardstock.
Arrange the sketched-out ideas so that each element of the data story arc is addressed. Each insight should lead naturally to the next.
Ensure that the context is established and that rising action provides key data that will illuminate the climax to provide clarity and impact.
Double-check that your recommendation and the call to action clearly tie back to the conflict and provides actionable guidance.
This arrangement step ensures your final data story can guide its audience, helping them not only understand the "what" but also the "why" and "how". It's a bridge between raw data and actionable insights.
Step 4: Create and Iterate
Now, using your storyboard as a blueprint, you are ready to add data narrative to your data visualization. Using data visualizations developed using your preferred tools (e.g., Excel, Tableau, PowerPoint), focus on alignment with the data story arc.
Design your data story narrative to communicate the intended message. Use data storytelling design principles, such as selecting the right tool and eliminating visual noise and other best practices, to communicate the story effectively.
Share early drafts with colleagues or stakeholders for feedback. Refine your visuals and narrative through the iterative process to maximize clarity and engagement.
Below is an example of a single slide data story that might emerge with the following data story arc considerations:
1. Context:
Set the stage by introducing the business question: What is the relationship between recognition dinner attendance and years of service? A brief bit of context can outline the purpose of the analysis.
2. Challenge:
Present the challenge: Attendance rates do not reflect many active volunteers.
3. Key Data:
Show the supporting data, such as a breakdown of attendance by service years. Build the story by highlighting trends or patterns.
4. Discoveries:
Reveal your key insight by explaining the scatterplot that visualizes the relationship between years of service and attendance rates.
5. Recommendations:
Conclude with actionable recommendations based on the data. For example, if long-tenured volunteers show higher attendance, consider enhanced outreach strategies to boost engagement.
6. Call to Action:
Ready to turn ideas into action? Resolve the business challenge by calling for actionable data-driven business objectives to address the issue. For example, end with an ask for the team’s whole-hearted support in rolling out a new initiative to create targeted personal invitations.
Can you identify the narrative elements in the final data story below?
Why the Data Story Arc Enhances Storyboarding
By combining the structure of the data story arc with the visual planning of storyboarding, you can:
Add depth and engagement to your data stories.
Ensure your visuals align with a cohesive narrative.
Simplify complex data into a journey that resonates with audiences.
This approach balances the art of narrative storytelling with analytical rigor, making it easier to share insights in a meaningful way.
Best Practices for Using the Arc in Storyboarding
To craft impactful narrative for your data stories using the data story arc, focus on these core practices early on in your data story’s development to ensure clarity, audience engagement, and visual alignment:
1. Start with a Precise Plan
A great data story starts with a singular, compelling insight that connects to your business question. Resist the temptation to include every piece of data:
Identify the Key Takeaway: Pinpoint the one insight that encapsulates your story’s purpose and resonates with your audience. This forms the backbone of your narrative.
Filter Out the Noise: Avoid cluttering your story with tangential data points. Everything in your storyboard should contribute to advancing the arc and reinforcing the core message.
Stress Clarity Over Complexity: Present data in a way that simplifies data driven decision-making, ensuring your audience immediately understands its significance.
2. Tailor to Suit
The best stories are the ones that feel personalized to the audience. Effective communication drives stakeholder engagement. Begin by understanding their perspective and expectations:
Conduct Audience Analysis: Consider factors such as their level of data literacy, role in decision-making, and what motivates them.
Speak to Their Priorities: Frame the conflict and resolution around what your audience values, whether that’s increased efficiency, better outcomes, or stronger relationships.
Adjust the Granularity: Some audiences may require high-level summaries, while others might expect detailed breakdowns. Align your story’s complexity with their preferences.
3. S-E-E: Select, Eliminate, and Emphasize
Data visuals are the foundation of the data story narrative. Visuals are the bridge between your data and your audience’s understanding. Learning an easy to remember, practical approach to data visualization like Periscope BPA's three-step S-E-E process can keep you focused and save you time:
Select the Right Tool for the Job: Present key patterns with scatterplots or trendlines during the rising action. Make the climax impactful with bold, direct visuals that highlight the key discovery.
Eliminate the Noise: Avoid overwhelming the audience with overly detailed charts. Clean visuals with clear focal points are more effective.
Emphasize the Key Takeaway: Use layout, labels, and design principles to direct attention to what matters most at each stage of the arc.
Summary
The data story arc and storyboarding are powerful tools for transforming raw data into stories that engage and inspire. Together, they provide a structured approach to distilling complex information into narratives that are both memorable and actionable.
By focusing on a clear message, understanding your audience, and creating purposeful visuals, you can ensure your data stories resonate and drive meaningful outcomes. As seen in the recognition event example, even simple data can reveal powerful insights when framed as a story.
Start your next data storytelling project with the arc as your guide to add narrative and let the storyboarding process bring it to life. The result? Data communication that not only delivers insights but also empowers action and gets results.
Roseanna Galindo is Principal at Periscope Business Process Analysis, specializing in organizational learning and development. She is dedicated to advancing data literacy, enhancing healthcare experiences, and empowering volunteer leaders.
Explore Roseanna’s expertise and insights on her blog, The Periscope Insighter, starting with the opening post, "Venn the Time is Right."
Roseanna offers a range of professional development services, including training workshops, keynote speaking, and executive coaching.
Visit PeriscopeBPA.com for more information or click on the button below to schedule a time to talk
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