Don’t Just Show the Data — Tell the Story Behind It
- DANA Arnon Perry
- May 6
- 1 min read
Updated: May 12
There are countless ways to present data: tables, charts, color-coded bars, dramatic comparisons. A good visual can highlight what's important and direct the reader’s attention. But here’s the truth:
A clear and focused visualization is not enough.
Because knowing what happened is only the beginning.
If we stop there, we’re only scratching the surface.
Take a typical quarterly incident report: it’s easy to show that one application had more high-severity incidents than others. A simple bar chart can do that in seconds. But what really matters is understanding why it happened — and what needs to change because of it.
That’s the essence of data storytelling:
✅ Present the data clearly.
✅ Focus attention on what matters.
✅ And most importantly — explain why it happened.
It’s not just about reporting numbers. It’s about building a narrative that leads to action.
So how do we get from “what” to “why”?
We dig into patterns.
We look for root causes.
We connect the dots between metrics and meaning.
Because that’s where insights live — and where impact begins.
