DISPLAYING

“Data slides are not really
about the data. They are about the meaning of the data.” Nancy Duarte.

principles to present your data
in the clearest possible way.

Tell the Truth.

As a presenter, nothing commands
like credibility. This is especially true when it comes to presenting data.

Which graph makes is easier
to determine R&D’s travel expense? This 3D chart or the charts below? Expenses by Department in Millions Data and Image Source: Slideology

Get to the Point.

You need to draw some
kind of meaning from the data so that you can effectively express that meaning to your audience.

On this chart show sales
growth and recovery. This chart was for Management to draw attention to the April.

Image by Frantisek Kusovsky

Image by Andrew Simpkins

Pick the Right Tool.

You’ll need to choose the
most appropriate tool for displaying your data.The most frequently used graphs for business communications are pie, bar, and line graphs.

Pie charts work only for
showing large differences in proportion, especially percentages. Image by André Oliveira

Image by André Oliveira

Bar charts are visually more
precise than pie charts, and can accommodate larger data sets. Image by Alex Pankratov

Image by Jazmine Kohl

Line graphs are used to
track changes over short and long periods of time. Image by Kean Richmond

Image by Graphorce

Sometimes though, the best chart
is no chart at all. If you only have one key message for your slide or the big message is just a number.

Image by MojoTech

Image by Anton Egorov

Image by Anton Egorov

Image by London Media

Highlight What’s
Important.

Keep in mind that the
purpose of slides is not to show all the data, but to communicate conclusions and insights.

Think of a data chart
in three layers The background layer contains elements like tick marks, scales, legends, and grid lines. The data plotted on the slide is usually pulled from a data table. The emphasis layer exists in the foreground and clearly highlights the key message from the data 1.Background 2.Data 3.Emphasis

Data and Image Source: Slideology

Keep It Simple.

Do your best to avoid
all unnecessary visual distractions and the message will come through much clearer.

Data and Image Source: Slideology

Tell the Truth Get to
the Point Keep It Simple Highlight What’s Important Pick the Right Tool

Bipul Deb Nath
bipulcontact@gmail.com