class: center, middle, title-slide

.title[
# Telling a story
]
.author[
### Claus O. Wilke
]
.date[
### last updated: 2024-01-29
]

---

## How did I end up teaching a class on data visualization?

--

<img src = "telling-a-story_files/cowplot-logo.svg", width = 30%, style = "position:absolute; top: 22%; left: 13%;"></img>

--

<img src = "https://clauswilke.com/dataviz/cover.png", width = 30%, style = "position:absolute; top: 20%; left: 53%; box-shadow: 3px 5px 3px 1px #00000080;"></img>

---

## What is a story?

--

A story is a collection of observations, facts, or events presented in a specific order such that they create an .highlight[emotional reaction]

---

## Every story has an arc

--

.center[
Opening
]

--

.center[
<img src = "telling-a-story_files/arrow.svg", width = 3%, style = "margin-top: -0.5em; margin-bottom: -1em"></img>

Challenge
]

--

.center[
<img src = "telling-a-story_files/arrow.svg", width = 3%, style = "margin-top: -0.5em; margin-bottom: -1em"></img>

Action
]

--

.center[
<img src = "telling-a-story_files/arrow.svg", width = 3%, style = "margin-top: -0.5em; margin-bottom: -1em"></img>

Resolution
]

---

## Every story has an arc

.center[
Opening
]

.center[
<img src = "telling-a-story_files/arrow.svg", width = 3%, style = "margin-top: -0.5em; margin-bottom: -1em"></img>

.highlight[Challenge]
]

.center[
<img src = "telling-a-story_files/arrow.svg", width = 3%, style = "margin-top: -0.5em; margin-bottom: -1em"></img>

Action
]

.center[
<img src = "telling-a-story_files/arrow.svg", width = 3%, style = "margin-top: -0.5em; margin-bottom: -1em"></img>

.highlight[Resolution]
]

.absolute-bottom-right[
Challenge and resolution are<br>the two most important parts
]

---

## Mapping my story onto this format

--

**Opening:** We need to make many data visualizations in my lab

--

**Challenge:** I end up telling my students the same things over and over

--

**Action:** I go and write a book about data visualization

--

**Resolution:** The book is written. But now I teach the material, so I still keep saying the same things over and over

---

## Other story structures

--

.center.move-up-1em[
Action
]

--

.center[
<img src = "telling-a-story_files/arrow.svg", width = 3%, style = "margin-top: -0.5em; margin-bottom: -1em"></img>

Background
]

--

.center[
<img src = "telling-a-story_files/arrow.svg", width = 3%, style = "margin-top: -0.5em; margin-bottom: -1em"></img>

Development
]

--

.center[
<img src = "telling-a-story_files/arrow.svg", width = 3%, style = "margin-top: -0.5em; margin-bottom: -1em"></img>

Climax
]

--

.center[
<img src = "telling-a-story_files/arrow.svg", width = 3%, style = "margin-top: -0.5em; margin-bottom: -1em"></img>

Ending
]

--

.absolute-bottom-right[
(Better for action movies<br>than for scientific reports)
]

---

## Mapping my story onto this format

--

**Action:** In May 2017, I embark on a major project: Write a book on data visualization

--

**Background:** I do this because we need to make many data visualizations in my lab, and I end up telling my students the same things over and over

--

**Development:** Writing the book takes me almost two years; along the way, I add many features to ggplot2 and become a member of the ggplot2 team

--

**Climax:** The book is released in April 2019

--

**Ending:** Now I'm a dataviz teacher

---

## Other story structures

<br><br>

--

.center[
Lead
]

--

.center[
<img src = "telling-a-story_files/arrow.svg", width = 3%, style = "margin-top: -0.5em; margin-bottom: -1em"></img>

Development
]

--

.absolute-bottom-right[
(Commonly used in newspaper articles)
]

---

## Mapping my story onto this format

--

**Lead:** Because I see the need for more education in data visualization, I have written an entire book about the topic

--

**Development:** I had previously written an R package to improve figure design, but it wasn't sufficient: Good judgement cannot be automated

--

So I wrote a book; the book is entirely about concepts, not about coding, and it is meant as a resource for anybody doing data visualizations, regardless of their preferred visualization software

[//]: # "segment ends here"

---
class: center middle

## Telling a story with figures

---

## Example: Preprints in biology

.center[
<img src="telling-a-story_files/figure-html/preprints-part1-1.svg" width="75%" />
]

.absolute-bottom-right[
Opening
]

???

Figure redrawn from [Claus O. Wilke. Fundamentals of Data Visualization. O'Reilly, 2019.](https://clauswilke.com/dataviz)

---

## Example: Preprints in biology

.center[
<img src="telling-a-story_files/figure-html/preprints-part1-repeat-1.svg" width="75%" />
]

<div style = "position: absolute; top: 50%; left: 57%; width: 3.8in; background: white;">
What happened in 2014 to curtail the growth?
</div>

.absolute-bottom-right[
Challenge
]

???

Figure redrawn from [Claus O. Wilke. Fundamentals of Data Visualization. O'Reilly, 2019.](https://clauswilke.com/dataviz)

---

## Example: Preprints in biology

.center[
<img src="telling-a-story_files/figure-html/preprints-part2-1.svg" width="75%" />
]

.absolute-bottom-right[
Resolution
]

<div style = "position: absolute; top: 65%; left: 60%; width: 3.8in; background: white;">
bioRxiv opened in 2014
</div>

???

Figure redrawn from [Claus O. Wilke. Fundamentals of Data Visualization. O'Reilly, 2019.](https://clauswilke.com/dataviz)

---

## Keep in mind

--

- Every figure needs a clear purpose within the story arc

--

- A complete arc will usually require at least two figures

---

## Prepare figures that make a clear point

--

.center[
<img src="telling-a-story_files/figure-html/arrival-delay-vs-distance-1.svg" width="75%" />
]

???

Figure redrawn from [Claus O. Wilke. Fundamentals of Data Visualization. O'Reilly, 2019.](https://clauswilke.com/dataviz)

---

## Prepare figures that make a clear point

.center[
<img src="telling-a-story_files/figure-html/mean-arrival-delay-nyc-1.svg" width="75%" />
]

<div style = "position: absolute; top: 24%; left: 45%; background: white;">
American and Delta<br>have the shortest delays
</div>

???

Figure redrawn from [Claus O. Wilke. Fundamentals of Data Visualization. O'Reilly, 2019.](https://clauswilke.com/dataviz)

---

## Make your figures memorable

---

background-image: url("https://clauswilke.com/dataviz/telling_a_story_files/figure-html/petownership-bar-1.png")
background-position: left 50% top 60%
background-size: 65%

## Make your figures memorable

???

Figure from [Claus O. Wilke. Fundamentals of Data Visualization. O'Reilly, 2019.](https://clauswilke.com/dataviz)

---

background-image: url("https://clauswilke.com/dataviz/telling_a_story_files/figure-html/petownership-isotype-1.png")
background-position: left 50% top 60%
background-size: 65%

## Make your figures memorable

???

Figure from [Claus O. Wilke. Fundamentals of Data Visualization. O'Reilly, 2019.](https://clauswilke.com/dataviz)

[//]: # "segment ends here"

---

## Further reading

- Fundamentals of Data Visualization: [Chapter 29: Telling a story and making a point](https://clauswilke.com/dataviz/telling-a-story.html)

- Joshua Schimel (2011) Writing Science: How to Write Papers That Get Cited and Proposals That Get Funded

Notes for current slide

Notes for next slide

Telling a story
Claus O. Wilke
last updated: 2024-01-29

How did I end up teaching a class on data visualization?

How did I end up teaching a class on data visualization?

How did I end up teaching a class on data visualization?

What is a story?

What is a story?

A story is a collection of observations, facts, or events presented in a specific order such that they create an emotional reaction

Every story has an arc

Every story has an arc

Opening

Every story has an arc

Opening

Challenge

Every story has an arc

Opening

Challenge

Action

Every story has an arc

Opening

Challenge

Action

Resolution

Every story has an arc

Opening

Challenge

Action

Resolution

Challenge and resolution are
the two most important parts

Mapping my story onto this format

Mapping my story onto this format

Opening: We need to make many data visualizations in my lab

Mapping my story onto this format

Opening: We need to make many data visualizations in my lab

Challenge: I end up telling my students the same things over and over

Mapping my story onto this format

Opening: We need to make many data visualizations in my lab

Challenge: I end up telling my students the same things over and over

Action: I go and write a book about data visualization

Mapping my story onto this format

Opening: We need to make many data visualizations in my lab

Challenge: I end up telling my students the same things over and over

Action: I go and write a book about data visualization

Resolution: The book is written. But now I teach the material, so I still keep saying the same things over and over

Other story structures

Other story structures

Action

Other story structures

Action

Background

Other story structures

Action

Background

Development

Other story structures

Action

Background

Development

Climax

Other story structures

Action

Background

Development

Climax

Ending

Other story structures

Action

Background

Development

Climax

Ending

(Better for action movies
than for scientific reports)

Mapping my story onto this format

Mapping my story onto this format

Action: In May 2017, I embark on a major project: Write a book on data visualization

Mapping my story onto this format

Action: In May 2017, I embark on a major project: Write a book on data visualization

Background: I do this because we need to make many data visualizations in my lab, and I end up telling my students the same things over and over

Mapping my story onto this format

Action: In May 2017, I embark on a major project: Write a book on data visualization

Background: I do this because we need to make many data visualizations in my lab, and I end up telling my students the same things over and over

Development: Writing the book takes me almost two years; along the way, I add many features to ggplot2 and become a member of the ggplot2 team

Mapping my story onto this format

Action: In May 2017, I embark on a major project: Write a book on data visualization

Background: I do this because we need to make many data visualizations in my lab, and I end up telling my students the same things over and over

Development: Writing the book takes me almost two years; along the way, I add many features to ggplot2 and become a member of the ggplot2 team

Climax: The book is released in April 2019

Mapping my story onto this format

Action: In May 2017, I embark on a major project: Write a book on data visualization

Background: I do this because we need to make many data visualizations in my lab, and I end up telling my students the same things over and over

Development: Writing the book takes me almost two years; along the way, I add many features to ggplot2 and become a member of the ggplot2 team

Climax: The book is released in April 2019

Ending: Now I'm a dataviz teacher

Other story structures

Other story structures

Lead

Other story structures

Lead

Development

Other story structures

Lead

Development

(Commonly used in newspaper articles)

Mapping my story onto this format

Mapping my story onto this format

Lead: Because I see the need for more education in data visualization, I have written an entire book about the topic

Mapping my story onto this format

Lead: Because I see the need for more education in data visualization, I have written an entire book about the topic

Development: I had previously written an R package to improve figure design, but it wasn't sufficient: Good judgement cannot be automated

Mapping my story onto this format

Lead: Because I see the need for more education in data visualization, I have written an entire book about the topic

Development: I had previously written an R package to improve figure design, but it wasn't sufficient: Good judgement cannot be automated

So I wrote a book; the book is entirely about concepts, not about coding, and it is meant as a resource for anybody doing data visualizations, regardless of their preferred visualization software

Telling a story with figures

Example: Preprints in biology

Opening

Figure redrawn from Claus O. Wilke. Fundamentals of Data Visualization. O'Reilly, 2019.

Example: Preprints in biology

What happened in 2014 to curtail the growth?

Challenge

Figure redrawn from Claus O. Wilke. Fundamentals of Data Visualization. O'Reilly, 2019.

Example: Preprints in biology

Resolution

bioRxiv opened in 2014

Figure redrawn from Claus O. Wilke. Fundamentals of Data Visualization. O'Reilly, 2019.

Keep in mind

Keep in mindEvery figure needs a clear purpose within the story arc

Keep in mind

Every figure needs a clear purpose within the story arc
A complete arc will usually require at least two figures

Prepare figures that make a clear point

Prepare figures that make a clear point

Figure redrawn from Claus O. Wilke. Fundamentals of Data Visualization. O'Reilly, 2019.

Prepare figures that make a clear point

American and Delta
have the shortest delays

Figure redrawn from Claus O. Wilke. Fundamentals of Data Visualization. O'Reilly, 2019.

Make your figures memorable

Make your figures memorable

Figure from Claus O. Wilke. Fundamentals of Data Visualization. O'Reilly, 2019.

Make your figures memorable

Figure from Claus O. Wilke. Fundamentals of Data Visualization. O'Reilly, 2019.

Further reading

Fundamentals of Data Visualization: Chapter 29: Telling a story and making a point
Joshua Schimel (2011) Writing Science: How to Write Papers That Get Cited and Proposals That Get Funded

How did I end up teaching a class on data visualization?

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