35 | Visual Storytelling w/ Alberto Cairo and Robert Kosara

35 | Visual Storytelling w/ Alberto Cairo and Robert Kosara

Author: Enrico Bertini and Moritz Stefaner April 16, 2014 Duration: 1:18:23
Hi all, Hot topic today! We invited Alberto Cairo and Robert Kosara to discuss the role of storytelling in visualization. What is storytelling? Is all visualization storytelling? Should we always strive for telling a story? How does storytelling match with exploratory visualization? Should we aim more for worlds and macroscopes than stories as Moritz advocated a while back at Visualized? We went on a somewhat lengthy discussion on these topics and I think we all ended up agreeing on a lot of things and developed a much more nuanced view of storytelling. As you can see from the picture we had lots of fun (thanks Robert for taking the screenshot). Fantastic chat! Note: Alberto has a lot more to say after the episode so he decided to publish a linked post that clarifies some of the things he said on the show. You find the post here: ... P.S. Big, big thanks to Fabricio Tavares for taking care of the audio editing of this episode! --- Links Lynn Chen on Implied Stories (and Data Vis) Periscopic's Dino Citraro on A Framework for Talking About Data Narration Book cited by Alberto: The Unpersuadables: Adventures with the Enemies of Science Great visualizations without stories (proposed by Moritz): Aron Koblin's Flight Patterns Martin Wattenberg's Map of the Market Moritz position on stories: Look ma, no story! | Worlds, not stories Enrico's position on stories: Telling a story doesn’t tell the whole story Robert series on storytelling: Stories Are Gateways Into Worlds | Story: A Definition Robert's mention of visualization on Copenhagen: Emissions, Treaties and Impacts Jessica Hallman's VIS'13 paper on: Deeper Understanding of Sequence in Visualization

Enrico Bertini and Moritz Stefaner have a conversation you’re invited to join. Their Data Stories podcast sits at a fascinating crossroads, where the technical craft of data analytics meets the intuitive design of visual representation. Each episode feels like pulling up a chair at a cafe with two experts who are genuinely curious, unpacking not just the "how" but the "why" behind the ways we see and understand information. You’ll hear them explore the latest tools and research, but also grapple with the deeper questions of narrative, aesthetics, and human perception that give data its true meaning and impact. The discussions are grounded in their professional experiences, making complex ideas in technology and design feel accessible and immediately relevant. It’s a space for anyone who creates, studies, or simply wonders about the charts, maps, and diagrams that shape our world. By weaving together perspectives from arts, education, and visual practice, this podcast reveals how data, when thoughtfully handled, can tell stories that are as compelling as they are informative. Tune in for a consistently thoughtful look at the evolving language of numbers and shapes.
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