How to present information and data to make it more clear

How to present information
for maximum clarity
and impact
Select best practices and challenges for
presenting and visualizing information through
effective narrative and data graphics

When we design and
present information to audiences,
we strive for maximum:
[ __?__ ]
How to present information for maximum clarity and impact May 15, 2019

clarity + impact

competition
≠
attention

How people
absorb information
(or do they?)

Common reading
behaviors for information
“consumers” vs “absorbers”

Read (“sample”) the first line of text
then ”hunt” for words that give them a quick gist for the rest of the
paragraph. They are not reading every single word in that paragraph.
They are skimming. They are missing key facts and not absorbing
information.
F pattern:
Reader type 1

Grazers/skimmers:
What they want:
• a general “taste” of the information; reading for “gist”
How they behave:
• skim from one shiny object to another (for general knowledge)
• don’t read in a linear fashion (you never know where they’ll land first)
• do pay some attention (want to remember overall ideas)
What style works for them:
• short paragraphs with clear ideas, good transition to next
• keyword headings (plain language, clear)
• graphic title spells out findings (versus simply describe data)
Reader type 2

Goal-seekers:
What they want:
• looking for a specific piece of information; reading to meet their goal
How they behave:
• scan until they find what they need
• don’t read in a linear fashion
• Ignore content they scan if it doesn’t meet their goal
What style works for them:
• keyword headings (plain language, clear); helps with “wayfinding”
• graphic title spells out findings (versus simply describe data)
• intuitive, logical structure (encourage reading more/related content)
Reader type 3

How to make it easier for
people to actually absorb
information…

You are an
attention architect.
You are creating the
easiest path for your audience
to absorb key ideas.

Way-finding
Make it easy for audiences to
spot the key ideas you’d like
them to focus on.
attention architect
Make body copy clear.
• plain language
• active voice
Keep titles short +
descriptive.
• key idea stands out
• wonky stuff goes in
body copy

Density
There is a limit to how much
data a reader can retain,
compare, and gain
understanding from in a single
paragraph.
Density
Keep info density low in
paragraphs + sentences
• Don’t pack all the statistics into one
paragraph or list.
• Highlight the main data point instead.
• Put the rest of the data where it works
best—a graphic 

examples
visual examples of
how to make things more clear
Please note that all the data in the design examples that follow is fictional and simply meant to illustrate the point of each example.

copy (before) Subsidizing bike share increases
bike usage.
Bicycling has many benefit
s
, rangi ng from imp r ov -
ing health outcomes to benefit
t
ing the envi ronme nt .
Cras ante lacus, consequat non suscipit nec, fin
i
bus at
purus.
Nunc pulvinar gravida nisi, et lobortis diam interdum
eu. Donec a est id metus cursus faucibus non a quam.
Vestibulum 30% of people would bike to work if they
had access to a bike share. 40% of people would con-
tinue driving, 15% of people would bike a few days
per week depending on a variety of factors including
family responsibilities and weather, and another 15%
were not sure whether access to a bike would affect
their willingness to ride more bicycles.
Morbi ut orci urna. Nullam auctor, most people think
bike sharing is too expensive. Aucibus ullamcorper,
urna dui auctor tellus, vitae volutpat leo ligula sed
nibh. Nullam make bike sharing more affordable
through subsidies, suscipit ac ornare quis, euismod et
nisl. Morbi ut orci urna. Nullam auctor, most people
think bike sharing is too expensive. Aucibus ullam-
corper, urna dui auctor tellus, vitae volutpat leo ligula
sed nibh. Nullam make bike sharing more affordable
nisl.
Bikes improve health outcomes. Curabitur ut rhoncus
neque. Aliquam aliquet vulputate vehicula. Vestibu-
lum at sapien effic
i
tur , porta nibh non, sodales velit.
Ut fin
i
bus augue ligul a, at tinci dunt vel it fauci bus a.
Curabitur euismod ante et ligula rutrum scelerisque.
Nullam ac urna porta, mollis lorem sed, vulputate sem.
In condimentum fringilla nisl, in ornare lorem inter-
dum in.
Urban bike commuters have lower rates of obesity.
Proin scelerisque rutrum hendrerit. Nullam tellus
quam, aliquet vel nisl vitae, aliquam vestibulum mas-
sa. Vivamus porta pellentesque magna. Orci varius
natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes.
Bikes are great alternatives to cars in urban areas. In
hac habitasse platea dictumst. Nulla rhoncus ultrices
urna vitae condimentum. Sed a fermentum nibh, eget
luctus nulla. Donec tempor arcu est, nec semper augue
commodo nec. Each car taken off the roads reduces
urban air pollution by x%. Integer tellus ligula, auctor
sed ante a, imperdiet posuere orci. Donec sceleris-
que purus nibh, non scelerisque risus bibendum vel.
Curabitur tempus orci lorem, sit amet maximus velit
dapibus quis.
Our city should subsidize bike share access. Aenean
lobortis nunc turpis, vel faucibus leo facilisis fringil-
la. Praesent id odio id felis placerat fringilla sed eu
ipsum. Sed at neque nec mauris molestie maximus.
Nulla et odio sed dolor euismod sollicitudin. Phasellus
consectetur nulla nisl, ut ultricies nisl viverra a. Ali-
quam in nunc id mauris elementum laoreet. Nullam
vulputate a nibh eget malesuada. Nulla libero velit,
aliquam et mi nec, dapibus facilisis leo. Accumsan
vel odio. Vivamus venenatis ut quam quis imperdiet.
Duis eu ex placerat, fin
i
bus or ci in, al iquam ur na. Du i s
dignissim ante ac mi aliquet dictum. Ut non quam eu
lacus semper tempus quis mollis neque. Nulla feugiat
nisl magna, malesuada sodales metus rhoncus at. Ves-
tibulum rutrum risus leo, gravida luctus nibh effic
i
tur
sit amet.
• Vestibulum key fact sed sapien ultrices, in
malesuada ante condimentum. Nullam key fact ,
suscipit ac ornare quis, euismod et nisl.
• Morbi ut orci urna. Nullam auctor, key fact
.aucibus ullamcorper, urna dui auctor tellus, vitae
volutpat leo ligula sed nibh.
• Nullam key fact , suscipit ac ornare quis, euis-
mod et nisl. Nullam key fact , suscipit ac ornare
quis, euismod et nisl.
• Vestibulum key fact sed sapien ultrices, in male-
suada ante condimentum.
mod et nisl. Nullam key fact , suscipit ac ornare
quis, euismod et nisl.
Aliquam bibendum metus eu magna condimentum
dictum. Proin eu erat sagittis, imperdiet tortor in,
cursus magna. Curabitur scelerisque interdum posuere.
bike usage.
Bicycling has many benefit, rangi ng from imp r ov -
ing health outcomes to benefit
t
ing the envi ronme nt .
Cras ante lacus, consequat non suscipit nec, fin
i
bus at
purus.
Nunc pulvinar gravida nisi, et lobortis diam interdum
eu. Donec a est id metus cursus faucibus non a quam.
Vestibulum 30% of people would bike to work if they
had access to a bike share. 40% of people would con-
tinue driving, 15% of people would bike a few days
per week depending on a variety of factors including
family responsibilities and weather, and another 15%
were not sure whether access to a bike would affect
their willingness to ride more bicycles.
Morbi ut orci urna. Nullam auctor, most people think
bike sharing is too expensive. Aucibus ullamcorper,
urna dui auctor tellus, vitae volutpat leo ligula sed
nibh. Nullam make bike sharing more affordable
nisl. Morbi ut orci urna. Nullam auctor, most people
think bike sharing is too expensive. Aucibus ullam-
corper, urna dui auctor tellus, vitae volutpat leo ligula
sed nibh. Nullam make bike sharing more affordable
nisl.
Bikes improve health outcomes. Curabitur ut rhoncus
neque. Aliquam aliquet vulputate vehicula. Vestibu-
lum at sapien effic
i
tur , porta nibh non, sodales velit.
Ut fin
i
bus augue ligul a, at tinci dunt vel it fauci bus a.
Curabitur euismod ante et ligula rutrum scelerisque.
Nullam ac urna porta, mollis lorem sed, vulputate sem.
In condimentum fringilla nisl, in ornare lorem inter-
dum in.
Urban bike commuters have lower rates of obesity.
Proin scelerisque rutrum hendrerit. Nullam tellus
quam, aliquet vel nisl vitae, aliquam vestibulum mas-
que purus nibh, non scelerisque risus bibendum vel.
Curabitur tempus orci lorem, sit amet maximus velit
dapibus quis.
Our city should subsidize bike share access. Aenean
lobortis nunc turpis, vel faucibus leo facilisis fringil-
la. Praesent id odio id felis placerat fringilla sed eu
ipsum. Sed at neque nec mauris molestie maximus.
Nulla et odio sed dolor euismod sollicitudin. Phasellus
consectetur nulla nisl, ut ultricies nisl viverra a. Ali-
quam in nunc id mauris elementum laoreet. Nullam
vulputate a nibh eget malesuada. Nulla libero velit,
aliquam et mi nec, dapibus facilisis leo. Accumsan
vel odio. Vivamus venenatis ut quam quis imperdiet.
Duis eu ex placerat, fin
i
bus or ci in, al iquam ur na. Du i s
dignissim ante ac mi aliquet dictum. Ut non quam eu
lacus semper tempus quis mollis neque. Nulla feugiat
nisl magna, malesuada sodales metus rhoncus at. Ves-
tibulum rutrum risus leo, gravida luctus nibh effic
i
tur
sit amet.
Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus
et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Integer eleifend ali-
quet purus in fermentum. Aenean consequat eleifend
magna, at laoreet ex sollicitudin ut. Sed viverra dignis-
sim consequat.
• Vestibulum key fact sed sapien ultrices, in male-
suada ante condimentum.
mod et nisl.
Aliquam bibendum metus eu magna condimentum
dictum. Proin eu erat sagittis, imperdiet tortor in,
cursus magna. Curabitur scelerisque interdum posuere.
key fact: 30% of people
would bike if they had
access to bike share is
lost in a long paragraph
crammed with
supporting data
• hard to scan/find
key facts and big
ideas
• bulleted lists are
a bit long
• second
paragraph has
too-high info
density (too
much data to
easily compare)
• paragraphs are
too dense/lack
emphasis

copy (after)
key fact: 30% of people
would bike if they had
access to bike share
other data points
moved to a graphic
• title shows
keyword +
findings
• main ideas in
”scannable”
headings
• key facts
emphasized in
copy
• bulleted lists are
short + clear

visuals

Too “thin” (too many bullets)
How to add substance/context to a list of bullet points?
• Summarize the gist of the bullet points into 1-2 new
introductory sentences.
• “Unpack” unwieldy (long) bullets by turning them into a
short paragraph instead.
Editing tips

Rein in your lists
Tips for bulleted lists
• Keep your bulleted lists to 3-5 bullets.
• If longer than 3-5 bullets, break up the bullets into categories.
• Add a new introductory sentence before each list that
summarizes the findings in the bullets.
• Don’t pack a bullet with multiple statistics—take them out.
Editing tips

Too dense
How to tackle long, unwieldy paragraphs?
• More than one idea embedded in a long paragraph.
• Too many caveats
• Too many statistics
• Passive voice
Editing tips

Boom.
carla@factor3digital.com | evan@factor3digital.com
www.Factor3digital.com

How to present information and data to make it more clear

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