IS IT PRONOUNCED "DATA" OR "DATA"?

UNCHARTED TERRITORY

People are visual creatures. When we see something in an image, we're much more likely to remember it than if we'd read a description. That's why visual aids are such amazing assets for public speakers.

But, did you know that there are things you can do help your images and charts be even more effective? Yep. By following a few simple rules, you can create a data display that'll knock the socks right off your audience.

First, be sure that you simplify. Delete all of those unnecessary elements. For instance, do you really need that legend off to the side? Or, would those labels fit neatly onto your diagram, like within the wedges of your pie chart? Plus, chances are you really don't need that title.

If people are paying attention to your speech, they'll already know what the topic is, and that title is really only working to clutter your slide.

Next, it's a good idea to emphasize. Don't let the audience interpret the graph for themselves. Bold, highlight with color, or enlarge the section of your graph that you really want your audience to see. Then, be sure that any secondary elements, like backgrounds or other data points that aren't important, are displayed in neutral colors. Contrast is your friend. That way, they can't ignore the information or conclusion you've placed in front of them.

Icons offer a great opportunity to make the diagram more easily understood. It may seem counterintuitive, but seeing a picture is easier to interpret than another number. If you can use a picture, do it.

What if you're displaying change, and you have the same chart with different results on two or more separate slides? It's really important to stay consistent in the placement and size of the chart. Otherwise, when you move from slide to slide, the whole thing will look like it's jumping around. By keeping the charts the same size and in the same place, your audience's focus will stay on the change in data, right where you want it.

Want to get more specific? Depending on the type of data chart you plan to use, check out the following guidelines:

Pie Charts

• Start your first data set or section at the twelve o'clock position, meaning that first line should be straight up and down, and the area should expand clockwise. That's generally where the eye will naturally go for audience members, and they'll follow the circular path from there.

• Start at the top with your largest data chunk, and move to the smallest chunk. That way, you don't have random mini-chunks mixed into your pie chart, making comparison more difficult for your audience.

• Try a donut. No, seriously. A donut is a kind of pie chart that has the middle section cut out. The information is still displayed in the same way, but you've opened up the middle to include more information.

Bar Graphs

• Use contrasting colors to make the bars stand out more from the background.

• Bold the titles of the axes so the audience can clearly understand how the information is organized.

• Make sure the graph is lined up properly. A skewed graph will be super distracting to the audience, who will be bothered by the fact that the graph isn't level.

• Skip the 3-D option. It doesn't make the information any more meaningful or valuable, and it might even obscure the data. That's no bueno.

• If you've got a background grid, make those lines a whole lot lighter than the colors of the bars. Otherwise, you might put emphasis in a place where it shouldn't be.

Line Graphs

• Like the bar graphs, be sure that your axes are labeled in a way that stands out.

• Add larger dots or points in places where the line makes a change or in a place where the data is significant. It'll draw the audience's attention, making your graph easier to read.

• Be careful about skewing data. If the settings on your x-axis are extremely spread out or really close together, it could make the data seem exaggerated or not as severe as it actually is.

• Always start each axis at 0.

• If you've got more than one line across your graph, using contrasting colors to ensure the audience can see a difference.

Data charts and displays are just plain effective. They take this mass of information, and they place focus on the very core of the issue. It's like trying to bake the perfect cake. Some might be tempted to create a wickedly complex design on the outside, or they'll add way too many toppings.

But, in the end it's all in the batter and the taste. If you ruined the base of the cake, no amount of pretty frosting is going to keep people from slipping it in the trash when you aren't looking.

Diagrams are simplicity at its finest. Delicious.

SLIDING INTO THE PRESENTATION

Maybe data sets aren't the stories we like to tell our kids at bedtime. That is, unless you're like a statistician who's madly in love with numbers. Chances are, though, that your audience won't be chock full of those kinds of people.

So, how do give your data displays the magic that'll draw in even those who are most resistant to the whole love-of-numbers concept? Check out this video by our visual aid and data display Yoda, David McCandless.

As you watch, ask yourself these questions:

• How are data displays like maps or landscapes?

• How do data displays help us see patterns we might not have seen otherwise?

• In what way is data the new "oil" or "soil"?

• How is everyone essentially qualified to become a designer of visual information?

• In what way is diagram design similar to speaking "two languages"?

• Why is relative information important to perspective?

As you can see, the process of creating data displays and diagrams is basically an art form. But, since you've been introduced to so much media throughout your lifetime (it practically bombards you every second of the day), you're already wicked qualified to create your own.

You know what good information displays look like; it's all a matter of putting them together for yourself and your audience.