The Stories We Tell with Data

By Michela Effendie

_{To learn more about the Open Visualization Academy, visit https://openvisualizationacademy.org}

Every dataset holds a story. But how we choose to visualize that story shapes its meaning. The same numbers can reveal different truths depending on what we emphasize, what we exclude, and how we guide the audience’s eye.

Data visualization is more than an analytical tool - it’s a storytelling device. A well-placed annotation, a deliberate choice of color, or the right level of granularity can make the difference between a compelling narrative and a forgettable chart. We are not just presenting information; we are constructing meaning.

Consider Florence Nightingales’ Coxcomb charts in the 1850s. She used innovative visualizations to demonstrate how preventable diseases were the leading cause of death among soldiers during the Crimean War. Her charts, shaped like petals of a flower, made it clear that poor sanitation was killing far more soldiers than battle wounds. This data-driven storytelling influenced public health reforms and changed medical practices worldwide.

But storytelling with data comes with responsibility. It’s easy to manipulate perception through design choices, sometimes unintentionally. Consider crime maps in major cities: If only raw crime numbers are displayed, high-population areas will always appear as the most dangerous. However, normalizing by population density or comparing trends over time provides a more accurate story. Every visualization carries an implicit argument, whether we acknowledge it or not. The challenge is to remain aware of our own biases, to ask: What am I emphasizing? What am I leaving out? What assumptions am I making about my audience?

Great visualizations don’t just present data—they invite dialogue. They allow for multiple interpretations while providing clarity. They encourage curiosity rather than settling for easy conclusions. The “Dear Data” project by Giorgia Lupi and Stefanie Posavec exemplifies this beautifully. Over the course of a year, the two designers exchanged weekly hand-drawn visualizations of personal data—from their daily emotions to the number of times they checked the clock. The project transformed mundane details into human stories, showing that data is not just about numbers but about lived experience.

As visualization practitioners, we are both analysts and narrators. The question is not just how we visualize data, but how we ensure the stories we tell are honest, insightful, and thought-provoking. In an era where misinformation spreads easily, ethical data storytelling is more critical than ever. Our choices shape public perception, influence policy, and impact how history is recorded.

Next time you create a visualization, ask yourself: Are you merely presenting data, or are you telling a story that truly resonates?