Introduction to Data Visualization & Storytelling

Adopted by universities and business schools in Finland, Barcelona, USA, South Korea, Canada, and the Middle East; and used in executive training at companies like Halliburton TX, Agilent technologies, and PropertyFinder, this book will help you not only to transform data into information but shows you how to story tell it. You will learn by example how to visually story tell the fascinating topics of gender equality, inclusion, solar energy, and bias. You will also learn, What is the role of a narrative in a story, the foundations of visual narratives, and what is the relationship between data, information, and knowledge. The authors (Kaggle masters, Bloomberg ex bureau chiefs, and psychology professors) bring together concepts of Data Science, Design Thinking, and Storytelling to take the reader on a journey where the destination is nothing less than great visual storytelling. You can be an MBA candidate, an instructor, a strategy consultant, or an entrepreneur, this book explains the visual fundamentals for building visuals that convince decisively. Designed as a series of interactive exercises, this book is for you if you work with Excel, SPSS, or Tableau, and feel you struggle when explaining the data. No data skills or special math skills are required. What will you learn? 1) Identify the role of a narrative in a story. 2) Transform data into information. 3) Synthesize knowledge from raw data. 4) Apply visual thinking tools to the decision-making process. 5) Select visual communication techniques to persuade. 6) Detect bias. Praise from the readers "look at this tremendous contribution" - Juan Riquelme Díaz, Editor del Grupo Valparaíso en SoyChile. "I was going through the book and it looks great!" - Mauricio Zanotti, Director ONG La Ruta Solar. "Here in Argentina the community in data science is really growing, and I love visualizations and find the way to tell the story." - Agustin Blacker. "Along with greeting and thanking you for such a good contribution delivered through the book I am reading (now in its translated version)." - Rosa Velasques. "An eye-opener" - Benjamin Jon, Wales. "A holistic approach to how to create knowledge with classic rhetoric." - Birgitta Edberg. About the authors: Marybeth Sandell is a Swedish-American journalist and has been, among others, bureau chief of the Bloomberg London office. She has worked in Stockholm, Zurich, and New York; and has taught at the University of North Carolina. She has a Masters in Communication and Technology from UNC Chapel Hill and her work focuses on creating data-driven stories for global corporations and non-profits. Jose Berengueres is from Barcelona and a doctor in robotics by TokyoTech. A Kaggle competitions master, since 2011 he works at the U.A.E University in the Emirates where he teaches design thinking and data visualization. Ali Fenwick is Dutch and is professor of Organizational Behavior and Innovation at Hult International Business School in Dubai. His research focuses on the psychology of organizations and administration and explores how psychological interventions can be applied within the workplace.