Storytelling

# .center[.fancy[Storytelling]]

### John Paul Helveston
### The George Washington University 
### Dept. of Engineering Management & Systems Engineering

]

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# Download [this cheatsheet](https://jhelvy.github.io/stories-with-data/content/cheatsheet-storytelling.pdf) for today's content

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# .fancy[Storytelling]

## 1. Telling a story
## 2. Designing slides
## 3. Giving a talk

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# .fancy[Storytelling]

## 1. .orange[Telling a story]
## 2. Designing slides
## 3. Giving a talk

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# What is a story?

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> ### A story is a set of observations, facts, or events...that are presented in a specific order such that they create an</br>**emotional reaction** in the audience.</br></br>- Clause O. Wilke (2019), Chp. 29

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background-color: #fff
class: middle, center

</br>
<center>
<img src="images/kv-01.png" width=800>
</center>

[source](https://sivers.org/drama)

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background-color: #fff
class: middle, center

</br>
<center>
<img src="images/kv-02.png" width=750>
</center>

[source](https://sivers.org/drama)

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background-color: #fff
class: middle, center

</br>
<center>
<img src="images/kv-03.png" width=800>
</center>

[source](https://sivers.org/drama)

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class: inverse, middle, center

## [.orange[Freytag's Pyramid]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_Freytag)

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### Freytag's Pyramid: **[King Kong](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Kong)**

[source](http://writinghorrorfiction.blogspot.com/2011/03/putting-freytags-pyramid-to-use-in.html)

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background-color: #fff
class: center

### Freytag's Pyramid: **Research Project**

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## Freytag's Pyramid: **Research Project**

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> ### "A single (static) visualization will rarely tell an entire story"</br></br>- Clause O. Wilke (2019), Chp. 29

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class: center

## Freytag's Pyramid: **Research Project**

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## Use **layers** to build tension / provide context

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## Use **layers** to build tension / provide context

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## Use **layers** to build tension / provide context

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## Use **animation** to build tension / provide context

[source](https://www.vox.com/2020/4/2/21203850/unemployment-initial-claims-march-28)

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## Use **animation** to build tension / provide context

[source](https://twitter.com/maoam_guy/status/1245887052027232256)

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## Make charts for the generals
### (i.e. keep it simple)

[source](https://serialmentor.com/dataviz/telling-a-story.html#make-a-figure-for-the-generals)

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## Make charts for the generals
### (i.e. keep it simple)

.leftcol[
<center>
<img src="images/wilke-generals-2.png">
</center>
[source](https://serialmentor.com/dataviz/telling-a-story.html#make-a-figure-for-the-generals)
]

[source](https://serialmentor.com/dataviz/telling-a-story.html#make-a-figure-for-the-generals)
]

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# Build up towards complex figures

[source](https://serialmentor.com/dataviz/telling-a-story.html#build-up-towards-complex-figures)

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# Build up towards complex figures

[source](https://serialmentor.com/dataviz/telling-a-story.html#build-up-towards-complex-figures)

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## Be consistent, but don't be repetitive

[source](https://serialmentor.com/dataviz/telling-a-story.html#be-consistent-but-dont-be-repetitive)
]

[source](https://serialmentor.com/dataviz/telling-a-story.html#be-consistent-but-dont-be-repetitive)
]

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# .fancy[Storytelling]

## 1. Telling a story
## 2. .orange[Designing slides]
## 3. Giving a talk

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# Hitchcock's rule

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## .center[Hitchcock's rule]

> # The size of any object in your frame should be proportional to its importance to the story at that moment

## .center[[Watch this example](https://youtu.be/E1LzhiCcOY0?t=174)]

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## .center[Hitchcock's rule]

> # The size of any object in your ~~frame~~ **slide** should be proportional to its importance to the story at that moment

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...and finally you will read this

<br><br>
<div style='font-size: 70pt; text-align: center;'>You will read this first</div>

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# Put main point at top and use big font size!

</br>
</br>

## (see Stephanie Evergreen's blog post ["So What?"](https://stephanieevergreen.com/so-what/))

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# Except for Tesla, EV adoption in the U.S. is **flat**

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# Tesla's Model 3 is a **Game Changer** for EVs

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<p style="font-size:40pt;">> 40pt font for titles</p>
<p style="font-size:24pt;">> 24pt font for all other text</p>

(Exception: footer text can be small)

<div class="footer-small"><span>Footer text</span></div>

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# Fonts matter

"Fast Taco"
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"Mega Flicks"
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# .center[.red[_Use fonts to encode meaning_]]

<br><br>
<center>
<div style="font-size: 40pt;">
San-serif fonts for most text
</div>
</center>

<br><br>
<center>
<div style="font-size:40pt; font-style:italic; font-family: serif;">
"Italic, serif fonts for quotes"
<br>- Prof. Helveston
</div>
</center>

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## Use fonts to create **hierarchy**

```
# Hierarchy

## Hierarchy

### Hierarchy

#### Hierarchy
```

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# Hierarchy

## Hierarchy

### Hierarchy

#### Hierarchy

]

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Title<br>This is some text that goes into detail and explains a lot more about the topic described in the title. Here's some random Latin words: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.

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# Size

This is some text that goes into detail and explains a lot more about the topic described in the title. Here's some random Latin words: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.

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**Weight**

]

---

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Spacing

<br>

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Typeface

<p style="font-family: Alegreya;">
This is some text that goes into detail and explains a lot more about the topic described in the title. Here's some random Latin words: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
</p>

]

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<h2 style="font-family: Roboto Condensed; color: #a5442b;">Title</h2>
<h3 style="font-family: Alegreya;">Subtitle</h3>

<p style="font-family: Roboto;">
This is some text that goes into detail and explains a lot more about the topic described in the title. Here's some random Latin words: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
</p>

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# .center[Use fonts with **same-height** numbers]
<br>

## "Oldstyle" (bad)

## Lining (good)

]]

]

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# .center[Use fonts with **same-width** numbers]

# .center[("Mono" fonts)]

<br>

## "Proportional" (bad)

## "Tabular" (good)
]]

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## .center[Font families you should consider using]

<p style="font-family: Roboto;">Roboto</p>

<p style="font-family: Source Code Pro;">Source Code pro</p>

<p style="font-family: Alegreya;">Alegreya</p>

]]

### Download from https://fonts.google.com/

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# Avoid fonts like

</br>
<div style='font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 40pt'>Comic Sans</div>
</br>
<div style='font-family: "Papyrus"; font-size: 40pt'>Papyrus</div>
</br>
</br>

# They make your work look amateurish

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# Consider using a light-colored background<br>(tan / gray)

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# Use high contrast between font and background color

</br>

.leftcol[
<center>
<div style="background-color: #FFF; padding: 50px; margin: 0px; width: 300px; font-size: 28pt;">
Dark text on a light background works well
</div>
</center>
]

.rightcol[
<center>
<div style="background-color: #000; color: #FFF; padding: 50px; margin: 0px; width: 300px; font-size: 28pt;">
Light text on a dark background also works well
</div>
</center>
]

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# Use high contrast between font and background color

</br>

.leftcol[
<center>
<div style="background-color: #FFF; color: #ffef01; padding: 50px; margin: 0px; width: 350px; font-size: 28pt;">
Yellow text on a white background is horrible
</center>
]

.rightcol[
<center>
<div style="background-color: #000; color: #0000ff; padding: 50px; margin: 0px; width: 350px; font-size: 28pt;">
Blue text on a black background is horrible
</center>
]

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# 1 slide, 1 idea

## Break up main points into multiple slides

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# Number your slides!

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</br></br></br></br></br></br>

# Example of an acceptable slide footer

# </br></br></br>&darr;

<div class="footer-small"><span>Data source: http://somesourceofdata.com &emsp;&emsp; © John Paul Helveston, GWU, July 2022</span></div>

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# .center[If you are in person, consider using handouts<br><br>(1-2 pages)]

<br>

## **Helps your audience**:

## 1. Preview your results
## 2. Take notes 
## 3. Remember your main points

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# .fancy[Storytelling]

## 1. Telling a story
## 2. Designing slides
## 3. .orange[Giving a talk]

---

# What are the first words<br>you should say in a speech?

## Watch [this video](https://youtu.be/w82a1FT5o88) to find out

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# How to start a speech

### 3. With a question that matters to the audience ("Have you ever...?")

### 2. With a shocking factoid ("40k people die in car accidents every year...").

### 1. Tell a story, talk about **people** ("Imagine...")

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# How **not** to start a speech

### 1. Read the title slide

### 2. Fiddling with the computer

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class: inverse, middle, center

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3) With a question that matters to the audience:

**"What's the current federal subsidy for buying an electric car in the US?"**

2) With a shocking factoid

**"50% of the world's EVs are made by Chinese automakers"**

1) Tell a story, talk about **people**

**"Whenever I mention electric cars, most people think "Tesla"..."**

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## Your turn

Brainstorm different strategies for how to start a presentation you are working on:

1. Tell a story, talk about **people** ("Imagine...").
2. With a **factoid** ("40k people die in car accidents every year...").
3. With a **question** that matters to the audience ("Have you ever...?").