All chief executives have one thing in common – they need more TIME. There never seems to be enough hours in a day! Between meetings, conference calls, replying to emails and managing internal affairs, these high level, ultra-busy executives simply don’t have the capacity to go through long-winded data and reports. 

The solution? Data visualization and visual storytelling!

Multiple studies have indeed suggested that the human brain comprehends visuals at a much faster pace than text – and will remember it more. In 2014, a study by MIT neuroscientists found that it takes as little as 13 milliseconds for the brain to process a single image. Even if the images are gone from vision, the brain will subconsciously continue to process them, and will still have a distinct recollection moments after. 

Amazing, right? Thus, in a world awash with data, it is crucial to invest in data visualization tools and skills – especially through workshops for executives. Imagine the time and money saved if you are armed with the ability to quickly filter through information that is most vital to you and your organisation, present it in an easily-digestible way, so you can make quick, highly-informed decisions. 

So what are the different types of data visualization for chief executives?

Data visualization itself is pretty self-explanatory. It is simply presenting data – which are essentially a bunch of numbers – in a visual way, decorated with graphs of different varieties, shapes, colours and intended placements. Such visual display makes said data easier to comprehend. The end product, most of the time, is an infographic or a dashboard.

Dashboards for C-Suite executives can be very versatile, depending on the objectives and who it is aimed for. 

• For the Chief Information Officer (CIO) – get an accurate and up-to-date overview of your entire IT portfolio. View the health of your devices and IT department so you can avoid an avalanche of future technical issues. See where money and resources are being spent, so you can better plan your budget.
• For the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) – have both high-level and granular visibility on marketing and sales activities, key metrics and project status. Analyse and compare different metrics so you can forecast future success. Drill down into marketing campaigns and paid advertising performance.
• For the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) – see if you’ve reached targets in a glance. Analyse quickly where there are negative and positive trends, so you can proactively address issues and grow your company’s profitability rapidly.

Make better and faster decisions with visual storytelling

Need an even more effective way to crunch those numbers? Visual storytelling is the way to go!

Create an even more compelling dashboard for C-Suite executives by borrowing from storytelling features. When creating your dashboards, it is important to consider aspects such as:

1. Narrative – is your dashboard telling a story or simply a hodgepodge of information?
2. Target audience – what information/data do they want to see?
3. Recurring elements and themes – build on the data that your target audience is most invested in, and make these data round characters. Hone in on the details, whilst at the same time cut down on unnecessary information that is pointless to your audience.
4. Evoke an overall feeling of cohesiveness throughout your dashboards – this can be created through hierarchy.

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For chief executives, data visualization will not only save time – but also money off your budget in the long run! As humans are highly visual creatures, knowing how to present data in beautiful dashboard formats using storytelling elements is a key skill and an investment for the long-haul.

Not sure where to start? You’ve come to the right place! 

Datalabs Agency offers hands-on workshops so you and your organisation can be armed with data visualization skills of your own. We’ve truly seen and been through it all – and now we want to share our knowledge with you!

After all, it is better to teach a man how to fish.

These workshops have been thoughtfully and thoroughly designed and tested. We teach you everything from start to finish – from the best way to sift through mountainous amounts of data, to the design process using software and tools. Have a chat with us to find which workshop is the best fit for you!