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Understanding Data Presentations (Guide + Examples)

In this age of overwhelming information, the skill to effectively convey data has become extremely valuable. Initiating a discussion on data presentation types involves thoughtful consideration of the nature of your data and the message you aim to convey. Different types of visualizations serve distinct purposes. Whether you’re dealing with how to develop a report or simply trying to communicate complex information, how you present data influences how well your audience understands and engages with it. This extensive guide leads you through the different ways of data presentation.

Table of Contents

What is a Data Presentation?

What should a data presentation include, line graphs, treemap chart, scatter plot, how to choose a data presentation type, recommended data presentation templates, common mistakes done in data presentation.

A data presentation is a slide deck that aims to disclose quantitative information to an audience through the use of visual formats and narrative techniques derived from data analysis, making complex data understandable and actionable. This process requires a series of tools, such as charts, graphs, tables, infographics, dashboards, and so on, supported by concise textual explanations to improve understanding and boost retention rate.

Data presentations require us to cull data in a format that allows the presenter to highlight trends, patterns, and insights so that the audience can act upon the shared information. In a few words, the goal of data presentations is to enable viewers to grasp complicated concepts or trends quickly, facilitating informed decision-making or deeper analysis.

Data presentations go beyond the mere usage of graphical elements. Seasoned presenters encompass visuals with the art of data storytelling , so the speech skillfully connects the points through a narrative that resonates with the audience. Depending on the purpose – inspire, persuade, inform, support decision-making processes, etc. – is the data presentation format that is better suited to help us in this journey.

To nail your upcoming data presentation, ensure to count with the following elements:

• Clear Objectives: Understand the intent of your presentation before selecting the graphical layout and metaphors to make content easier to grasp.
• Engaging introduction: Use a powerful hook from the get-go. For instance, you can ask a big question or present a problem that your data will answer. Take a look at our guide on how to start a presentation for tips & insights.
• Structured Narrative: Your data presentation must tell a coherent story. This means a beginning where you present the context, a middle section in which you present the data, and an ending that uses a call-to-action. Check our guide on presentation structure for further information.
• Visual Elements: These are the charts, graphs, and other elements of visual communication we ought to use to present data. This article will cover one by one the different types of data representation methods we can use, and provide further guidance on choosing between them.
• Insights and Analysis: This is not just showcasing a graph and letting people get an idea about it. A proper data presentation includes the interpretation of that data, the reason why it’s included, and why it matters to your research.
• Conclusion & CTA: Ending your presentation with a call to action is necessary. Whether you intend to wow your audience into acquiring your services, inspire them to change the world, or whatever the purpose of your presentation, there must be a stage in which you convey all that you shared and show the path to staying in touch. Plan ahead whether you want to use a thank-you slide, a video presentation, or which method is apt and tailored to the kind of presentation you deliver.
• Q&A Session: After your speech is concluded, allocate 3-5 minutes for the audience to raise any questions about the information you disclosed. This is an extra chance to establish your authority on the topic. Check our guide on questions and answer sessions in presentations here.

Bar charts are a graphical representation of data using rectangular bars to show quantities or frequencies in an established category. They make it easy for readers to spot patterns or trends. Bar charts can be horizontal or vertical, although the vertical format is commonly known as a column chart. They display categorical, discrete, or continuous variables grouped in class intervals [1] . They include an axis and a set of labeled bars horizontally or vertically. These bars represent the frequencies of variable values or the values themselves. Numbers on the y-axis of a vertical bar chart or the x-axis of a horizontal bar chart are called the scale.

Real-Life Application of Bar Charts

Let’s say a sales manager is presenting sales to their audience. Using a bar chart, he follows these steps.

Step 1: Selecting Data

The first step is to identify the specific data you will present to your audience.

The sales manager has highlighted these products for the presentation.

• Product A: Men’s Shoes
• Product B: Women’s Apparel
• Product C: Electronics
• Product D: Home Decor

Step 2: Choosing Orientation

Opt for a vertical layout for simplicity. Vertical bar charts help compare different categories in case there are not too many categories [1] . They can also help show different trends. A vertical bar chart is used where each bar represents one of the four chosen products. After plotting the data, it is seen that the height of each bar directly represents the sales performance of the respective product.

It is visible that the tallest bar (Electronics – Product C) is showing the highest sales. However, the shorter bars (Women’s Apparel – Product B and Home Decor – Product D) need attention. It indicates areas that require further analysis or strategies for improvement.

Step 3: Colorful Insights

Different colors are used to differentiate each product. It is essential to show a color-coded chart where the audience can distinguish between products.

• Men’s Shoes (Product A): Yellow
• Women’s Apparel (Product B): Orange
• Electronics (Product C): Violet
• Home Decor (Product D): Blue

Bar charts are straightforward and easily understandable for presenting data. They are versatile when comparing products or any categorical data [2] . Bar charts adapt seamlessly to retail scenarios. Despite that, bar charts have a few shortcomings. They cannot illustrate data trends over time. Besides, overloading the chart with numerous products can lead to visual clutter, diminishing its effectiveness.

For more information, check our collection of bar chart templates for PowerPoint .

Line graphs help illustrate data trends, progressions, or fluctuations by connecting a series of data points called ‘markers’ with straight line segments. This provides a straightforward representation of how values change [5] . Their versatility makes them invaluable for scenarios requiring a visual understanding of continuous data. In addition, line graphs are also useful for comparing multiple datasets over the same timeline. Using multiple line graphs allows us to compare more than one data set. They simplify complex information so the audience can quickly grasp the ups and downs of values. From tracking stock prices to analyzing experimental results, you can use line graphs to show how data changes over a continuous timeline. They show trends with simplicity and clarity.

Real-life Application of Line Graphs

To understand line graphs thoroughly, we will use a real case. Imagine you’re a financial analyst presenting a tech company’s monthly sales for a licensed product over the past year. Investors want insights into sales behavior by month, how market trends may have influenced sales performance and reception to the new pricing strategy. To present data via a line graph, you will complete these steps.

First, you need to gather the data. In this case, your data will be the sales numbers. For example:

• January: $45,000
• February: $55,000
• March: $45,000
• April: $60,000
• May: $ 70,000
• June: $65,000
• July: $62,000
• August: $68,000
• September: $81,000
• October: $76,000
• November: $87,000
• December: $91,000

After choosing the data, the next step is to select the orientation. Like bar charts, you can use vertical or horizontal line graphs. However, we want to keep this simple, so we will keep the timeline (x-axis) horizontal while the sales numbers (y-axis) vertical.

Step 3: Connecting Trends

After adding the data to your preferred software, you will plot a line graph. In the graph, each month’s sales are represented by data points connected by a line.

Step 4: Adding Clarity with Color

If there are multiple lines, you can also add colors to highlight each one, making it easier to follow.

Line graphs excel at visually presenting trends over time. These presentation aids identify patterns, like upward or downward trends. However, too many data points can clutter the graph, making it harder to interpret. Line graphs work best with continuous data but are not suitable for categories.

For more information, check our collection of line chart templates for PowerPoint and our article about how to make a presentation graph .

A data dashboard is a visual tool for analyzing information. Different graphs, charts, and tables are consolidated in a layout to showcase the information required to achieve one or more objectives. Dashboards help quickly see Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). You don’t make new visuals in the dashboard; instead, you use it to display visuals you’ve already made in worksheets [3] .

Keeping the number of visuals on a dashboard to three or four is recommended. Adding too many can make it hard to see the main points [4]. Dashboards can be used for business analytics to analyze sales, revenue, and marketing metrics at a time. They are also used in the manufacturing industry, as they allow users to grasp the entire production scenario at the moment while tracking the core KPIs for each line.

Real-Life Application of a Dashboard

Consider a project manager presenting a software development project’s progress to a tech company’s leadership team. He follows the following steps.

Step 1: Defining Key Metrics

To effectively communicate the project’s status, identify key metrics such as completion status, budget, and bug resolution rates. Then, choose measurable metrics aligned with project objectives.

Step 2: Choosing Visualization Widgets

After finalizing the data, presentation aids that align with each metric are selected. For this project, the project manager chooses a progress bar for the completion status and uses bar charts for budget allocation. Likewise, he implements line charts for bug resolution rates.

Step 3: Dashboard Layout

Key metrics are prominently placed in the dashboard for easy visibility, and the manager ensures that it appears clean and organized.

Dashboards provide a comprehensive view of key project metrics. Users can interact with data, customize views, and drill down for detailed analysis. However, creating an effective dashboard requires careful planning to avoid clutter. Besides, dashboards rely on the availability and accuracy of underlying data sources.

For more information, check our article on how to design a dashboard presentation , and discover our collection of dashboard PowerPoint templates .

Treemap charts represent hierarchical data structured in a series of nested rectangles [6] . As each branch of the ‘tree’ is given a rectangle, smaller tiles can be seen representing sub-branches, meaning elements on a lower hierarchical level than the parent rectangle. Each one of those rectangular nodes is built by representing an area proportional to the specified data dimension.

Treemaps are useful for visualizing large datasets in compact space. It is easy to identify patterns, such as which categories are dominant. Common applications of the treemap chart are seen in the IT industry, such as resource allocation, disk space management, website analytics, etc. Also, they can be used in multiple industries like healthcare data analysis, market share across different product categories, or even in finance to visualize portfolios.

Real-Life Application of a Treemap Chart

Let’s consider a financial scenario where a financial team wants to represent the budget allocation of a company. There is a hierarchy in the process, so it is helpful to use a treemap chart. In the chart, the top-level rectangle could represent the total budget, and it would be subdivided into smaller rectangles, each denoting a specific department. Further subdivisions within these smaller rectangles might represent individual projects or cost categories.

Step 1: Define Your Data Hierarchy

While presenting data on the budget allocation, start by outlining the hierarchical structure. The sequence will be like the overall budget at the top, followed by departments, projects within each department, and finally, individual cost categories for each project.

• Top-level rectangle: Total Budget
• Second-level rectangles: Departments (Engineering, Marketing, Sales)
• Third-level rectangles: Projects within each department
• Fourth-level rectangles: Cost categories for each project (Personnel, Marketing Expenses, Equipment)

Step 2: Choose a Suitable Tool

It’s time to select a data visualization tool supporting Treemaps. Popular choices include Tableau, Microsoft Power BI, PowerPoint, or even coding with libraries like D3.js. It is vital to ensure that the chosen tool provides customization options for colors, labels, and hierarchical structures.

Here, the team uses PowerPoint for this guide because of its user-friendly interface and robust Treemap capabilities.

Step 3: Make a Treemap Chart with PowerPoint

After opening the PowerPoint presentation, they chose “SmartArt” to form the chart. The SmartArt Graphic window has a “Hierarchy” category on the left.  Here, you will see multiple options. You can choose any layout that resembles a Treemap. The “Table Hierarchy” or “Organization Chart” options can be adapted. The team selects the Table Hierarchy as it looks close to a Treemap.

Step 5: Input Your Data

After that, a new window will open with a basic structure. They add the data one by one by clicking on the text boxes. They start with the top-level rectangle, representing the total budget.  

Step 6: Customize the Treemap

By clicking on each shape, they customize its color, size, and label. At the same time, they can adjust the font size, style, and color of labels by using the options in the “Format” tab in PowerPoint. Using different colors for each level enhances the visual difference.

Treemaps excel at illustrating hierarchical structures. These charts make it easy to understand relationships and dependencies. They efficiently use space, compactly displaying a large amount of data, reducing the need for excessive scrolling or navigation. Additionally, using colors enhances the understanding of data by representing different variables or categories.

In some cases, treemaps might become complex, especially with deep hierarchies.  It becomes challenging for some users to interpret the chart. At the same time, displaying detailed information within each rectangle might be constrained by space. It potentially limits the amount of data that can be shown clearly. Without proper labeling and color coding, there’s a risk of misinterpretation.

A heatmap is a data visualization tool that uses color coding to represent values across a two-dimensional surface. In these, colors replace numbers to indicate the magnitude of each cell. This color-shaded matrix display is valuable for summarizing and understanding data sets with a glance [7] . The intensity of the color corresponds to the value it represents, making it easy to identify patterns, trends, and variations in the data.

As a tool, heatmaps help businesses analyze website interactions, revealing user behavior patterns and preferences to enhance overall user experience. In addition, companies use heatmaps to assess content engagement, identifying popular sections and areas of improvement for more effective communication. They excel at highlighting patterns and trends in large datasets, making it easy to identify areas of interest.

We can implement heatmaps to express multiple data types, such as numerical values, percentages, or even categorical data. Heatmaps help us easily spot areas with lots of activity, making them helpful in figuring out clusters [8] . When making these maps, it is important to pick colors carefully. The colors need to show the differences between groups or levels of something. And it is good to use colors that people with colorblindness can easily see.

Check our detailed guide on how to create a heatmap here. Also discover our collection of heatmap PowerPoint templates .

Pie charts are circular statistical graphics divided into slices to illustrate numerical proportions. Each slice represents a proportionate part of the whole, making it easy to visualize the contribution of each component to the total.

The size of the pie charts is influenced by the value of data points within each pie. The total of all data points in a pie determines its size. The pie with the highest data points appears as the largest, whereas the others are proportionally smaller. However, you can present all pies of the same size if proportional representation is not required [9] . Sometimes, pie charts are difficult to read, or additional information is required. A variation of this tool can be used instead, known as the donut chart , which has the same structure but a blank center, creating a ring shape. Presenters can add extra information, and the ring shape helps to declutter the graph.

Pie charts are used in business to show percentage distribution, compare relative sizes of categories, or present straightforward data sets where visualizing ratios is essential.

Real-Life Application of Pie Charts

Consider a scenario where you want to represent the distribution of the data. Each slice of the pie chart would represent a different category, and the size of each slice would indicate the percentage of the total portion allocated to that category.

Step 1: Define Your Data Structure

Imagine you are presenting the distribution of a project budget among different expense categories.

• Column A: Expense Categories (Personnel, Equipment, Marketing, Miscellaneous)
• Column B: Budget Amounts ($40,000, $30,000, $20,000, $10,000) Column B represents the values of your categories in Column A.

Step 2: Insert a Pie Chart

Using any of the accessible tools, you can create a pie chart. The most convenient tools for forming a pie chart in a presentation are presentation tools such as PowerPoint or Google Slides.  You will notice that the pie chart assigns each expense category a percentage of the total budget by dividing it by the total budget.

For instance:

• Personnel: $40,000 / ($40,000 + $30,000 + $20,000 + $10,000) = 40%
• Equipment: $30,000 / ($40,000 + $30,000 + $20,000 + $10,000) = 30%
• Marketing: $20,000 / ($40,000 + $30,000 + $20,000 + $10,000) = 20%
• Miscellaneous: $10,000 / ($40,000 + $30,000 + $20,000 + $10,000) = 10%

You can make a chart out of this or just pull out the pie chart from the data.

3D pie charts and 3D donut charts are quite popular among the audience. They stand out as visual elements in any presentation slide, so let’s take a look at how our pie chart example would look in 3D pie chart format.

Step 03: Results Interpretation

The pie chart visually illustrates the distribution of the project budget among different expense categories. Personnel constitutes the largest portion at 40%, followed by equipment at 30%, marketing at 20%, and miscellaneous at 10%. This breakdown provides a clear overview of where the project funds are allocated, which helps in informed decision-making and resource management. It is evident that personnel are a significant investment, emphasizing their importance in the overall project budget.

Pie charts provide a straightforward way to represent proportions and percentages. They are easy to understand, even for individuals with limited data analysis experience. These charts work well for small datasets with a limited number of categories.

However, a pie chart can become cluttered and less effective in situations with many categories. Accurate interpretation may be challenging, especially when dealing with slight differences in slice sizes. In addition, these charts are static and do not effectively convey trends over time.

For more information, check our collection of pie chart templates for PowerPoint .

Histograms present the distribution of numerical variables. Unlike a bar chart that records each unique response separately, histograms organize numeric responses into bins and show the frequency of reactions within each bin [10] . The x-axis of a histogram shows the range of values for a numeric variable. At the same time, the y-axis indicates the relative frequencies (percentage of the total counts) for that range of values.

Whenever you want to understand the distribution of your data, check which values are more common, or identify outliers, histograms are your go-to. Think of them as a spotlight on the story your data is telling. A histogram can provide a quick and insightful overview if you’re curious about exam scores, sales figures, or any numerical data distribution.

Real-Life Application of a Histogram

In the histogram data analysis presentation example, imagine an instructor analyzing a class’s grades to identify the most common score range. A histogram could effectively display the distribution. It will show whether most students scored in the average range or if there are significant outliers.

Step 1: Gather Data

He begins by gathering the data. The scores of each student in class are gathered to analyze exam scores.

After arranging the scores in ascending order, bin ranges are set.

Step 2: Define Bins

Bins are like categories that group similar values. Think of them as buckets that organize your data. The presenter decides how wide each bin should be based on the range of the values. For instance, the instructor sets the bin ranges based on score intervals: 60-69, 70-79, 80-89, and 90-100.

Step 3: Count Frequency

Now, he counts how many data points fall into each bin. This step is crucial because it tells you how often specific ranges of values occur. The result is the frequency distribution, showing the occurrences of each group.

Here, the instructor counts the number of students in each category.

• 60-69: 1 student (Kate)
• 70-79: 4 students (David, Emma, Grace, Jack)
• 80-89: 7 students (Alice, Bob, Frank, Isabel, Liam, Mia, Noah)
• 90-100: 3 students (Clara, Henry, Olivia)

Step 4: Create the Histogram

It’s time to turn the data into a visual representation. Draw a bar for each bin on a graph. The width of the bar should correspond to the range of the bin, and the height should correspond to the frequency.  To make your histogram understandable, label the X and Y axes.

In this case, the X-axis should represent the bins (e.g., test score ranges), and the Y-axis represents the frequency.

The histogram of the class grades reveals insightful patterns in the distribution. Most students, with seven students, fall within the 80-89 score range. The histogram provides a clear visualization of the class’s performance. It showcases a concentration of grades in the upper-middle range with few outliers at both ends. This analysis helps in understanding the overall academic standing of the class. It also identifies the areas for potential improvement or recognition.

Thus, histograms provide a clear visual representation of data distribution. They are easy to interpret, even for those without a statistical background. They apply to various types of data, including continuous and discrete variables. One weak point is that histograms do not capture detailed patterns in students’ data, with seven compared to other visualization methods.

A scatter plot is a graphical representation of the relationship between two variables. It consists of individual data points on a two-dimensional plane. This plane plots one variable on the x-axis and the other on the y-axis. Each point represents a unique observation. It visualizes patterns, trends, or correlations between the two variables.

Scatter plots are also effective in revealing the strength and direction of relationships. They identify outliers and assess the overall distribution of data points. The points’ dispersion and clustering reflect the relationship’s nature, whether it is positive, negative, or lacks a discernible pattern. In business, scatter plots assess relationships between variables such as marketing cost and sales revenue. They help present data correlations and decision-making.

Real-Life Application of Scatter Plot

A group of scientists is conducting a study on the relationship between daily hours of screen time and sleep quality. After reviewing the data, they managed to create this table to help them build a scatter plot graph:

In the provided example, the x-axis represents Daily Hours of Screen Time, and the y-axis represents the Sleep Quality Rating.

The scientists observe a negative correlation between the amount of screen time and the quality of sleep. This is consistent with their hypothesis that blue light, especially before bedtime, has a significant impact on sleep quality and metabolic processes.

There are a few things to remember when using a scatter plot. Even when a scatter diagram indicates a relationship, it doesn’t mean one variable affects the other. A third factor can influence both variables. The more the plot resembles a straight line, the stronger the relationship is perceived [11] . If it suggests no ties, the observed pattern might be due to random fluctuations in data. When the scatter diagram depicts no correlation, whether the data might be stratified is worth considering.

Choosing the appropriate data presentation type is crucial when making a presentation . Understanding the nature of your data and the message you intend to convey will guide this selection process. For instance, when showcasing quantitative relationships, scatter plots become instrumental in revealing correlations between variables. If the focus is on emphasizing parts of a whole, pie charts offer a concise display of proportions. Histograms, on the other hand, prove valuable for illustrating distributions and frequency patterns. 

Bar charts provide a clear visual comparison of different categories. Likewise, line charts excel in showcasing trends over time, while tables are ideal for detailed data examination. Starting a presentation on data presentation types involves evaluating the specific information you want to communicate and selecting the format that aligns with your message. This ensures clarity and resonance with your audience from the beginning of your presentation.

1. Fact Sheet Dashboard for Data Presentation

Convey all the data you need to present in this one-pager format, an ideal solution tailored for users looking for presentation aids. Global maps, donut chats, column graphs, and text neatly arranged in a clean layout presented in light and dark themes.

Use This Template

2. 3D Column Chart Infographic PPT Template

Represent column charts in a highly visual 3D format with this PPT template. A creative way to present data, this template is entirely editable, and we can craft either a one-page infographic or a series of slides explaining what we intend to disclose point by point.

3. Data Circles Infographic PowerPoint Template

An alternative to the pie chart and donut chart diagrams, this template features a series of curved shapes with bubble callouts as ways of presenting data. Expand the information for each arch in the text placeholder areas.

4. Colorful Metrics Dashboard for Data Presentation

This versatile dashboard template helps us in the presentation of the data by offering several graphs and methods to convert numbers into graphics. Implement it for e-commerce projects, financial projections, project development, and more.

5. Animated Data Presentation Tools for PowerPoint & Google Slides

A slide deck filled with most of the tools mentioned in this article, from bar charts, column charts, treemap graphs, pie charts, histogram, etc. Animated effects make each slide look dynamic when sharing data with stakeholders.

6. Statistics Waffle Charts PPT Template for Data Presentations

This PPT template helps us how to present data beyond the typical pie chart representation. It is widely used for demographics, so it’s a great fit for marketing teams, data science professionals, HR personnel, and more.

7. Data Presentation Dashboard Template for Google Slides

A compendium of tools in dashboard format featuring line graphs, bar charts, column charts, and neatly arranged placeholder text areas. 

8. Weather Dashboard for Data Presentation

Share weather data for agricultural presentation topics, environmental studies, or any kind of presentation that requires a highly visual layout for weather forecasting on a single day. Two color themes are available.

9. Social Media Marketing Dashboard Data Presentation Template

Intended for marketing professionals, this dashboard template for data presentation is a tool for presenting data analytics from social media channels. Two slide layouts featuring line graphs and column charts.

10. Project Management Summary Dashboard Template

A tool crafted for project managers to deliver highly visual reports on a project’s completion, the profits it delivered for the company, and expenses/time required to execute it. 4 different color layouts are available.

11. Profit & Loss Dashboard for PowerPoint and Google Slides

A must-have for finance professionals. This typical profit & loss dashboard includes progress bars, donut charts, column charts, line graphs, and everything that’s required to deliver a comprehensive report about a company’s financial situation.

Overwhelming visuals

One of the mistakes related to using data-presenting methods is including too much data or using overly complex visualizations. They can confuse the audience and dilute the key message.

Inappropriate chart types

Choosing the wrong type of chart for the data at hand can lead to misinterpretation. For example, using a pie chart for data that doesn’t represent parts of a whole is not right.

Lack of context

Failing to provide context or sufficient labeling can make it challenging for the audience to understand the significance of the presented data.

Inconsistency in design

Using inconsistent design elements and color schemes across different visualizations can create confusion and visual disarray.

Failure to provide details

Simply presenting raw data without offering clear insights or takeaways can leave the audience without a meaningful conclusion.

Lack of focus

Not having a clear focus on the key message or main takeaway can result in a presentation that lacks a central theme.

Visual accessibility issues

Overlooking the visual accessibility of charts and graphs can exclude certain audience members who may have difficulty interpreting visual information.

In order to avoid these mistakes in data presentation, presenters can benefit from using presentation templates . These templates provide a structured framework. They ensure consistency, clarity, and an aesthetically pleasing design, enhancing data communication’s overall impact.

Understanding and choosing data presentation types are pivotal in effective communication. Each method serves a unique purpose, so selecting the appropriate one depends on the nature of the data and the message to be conveyed. The diverse array of presentation types offers versatility in visually representing information, from bar charts showing values to pie charts illustrating proportions. 

Using the proper method enhances clarity, engages the audience, and ensures that data sets are not just presented but comprehensively understood. By appreciating the strengths and limitations of different presentation types, communicators can tailor their approach to convey information accurately, developing a deeper connection between data and audience understanding.

[1] Government of Canada, S.C. (2021) 5 Data Visualization 5.2 Bar Chart , 5.2 Bar chart .  https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/edu/power-pouvoir/ch9/bargraph-diagrammeabarres/5214818-eng.htm

[2] Kosslyn, S.M., 1989. Understanding charts and graphs. Applied cognitive psychology, 3(3), pp.185-225. https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA183409.pdf

[3] Creating a Dashboard . https://it.tufts.edu/book/export/html/1870

[4] https://www.goldenwestcollege.edu/research/data-and-more/data-dashboards/index.html

[5] https://www.mit.edu/course/21/21.guide/grf-line.htm

[6] Jadeja, M. and Shah, K., 2015, January. Tree-Map: A Visualization Tool for Large Data. In GSB@ SIGIR (pp. 9-13). https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-1393/gsb15proceedings.pdf#page=15

[7] Heat Maps and Quilt Plots. https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/research/population-health-methods/heat-maps-and-quilt-plots

[8] EIU QGIS WORKSHOP. https://www.eiu.edu/qgisworkshop/heatmaps.php

[9] About Pie Charts.  https://www.mit.edu/~mbarker/formula1/f1help/11-ch-c8.htm

[10] Histograms. https://sites.utexas.edu/sos/guided/descriptive/numericaldd/descriptiven2/histogram/ [11] https://asq.org/quality-resources/scatter-diagram

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What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

• Carmine Gallo

Five tips to set yourself apart.

Never underestimate the power of great communication. It can help you land the job of your dreams, attract investors to back your idea, or elevate your stature within your organization. But while there are plenty of good speakers in the world, you can set yourself apart out by being the person who can deliver something great over and over. Here are a few tips for business professionals who want to move from being good speakers to great ones: be concise (the fewer words, the better); never use bullet points (photos and images paired together are more memorable); don’t underestimate the power of your voice (raise and lower it for emphasis); give your audience something extra (unexpected moments will grab their attention); rehearse (the best speakers are the best because they practice — a lot).

I was sitting across the table from a Silicon Valley CEO who had pioneered a technology that touches many of our lives — the flash memory that stores data on smartphones, digital cameras, and computers. He was a frequent guest on CNBC and had been delivering business presentations for at least 20 years before we met. And yet, the CEO wanted to sharpen his public speaking skills.

• Carmine Gallo is a Harvard University instructor, keynote speaker, and author of 10 books translated into 40 languages. Gallo is the author of The Bezos Blueprint: Communication Secrets of the World’s Greatest Salesman  (St. Martin’s Press).

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More Than Numbers: Effectively Presenting and Sharing Data

Estimated Reading Time : 4 mins

It’s a data-driven business world out there, which is great, right? But with so much input now available, presenting data effectively has become its own challenge. You need to do more than just display numbers and charts. You need to convey a clear, compelling story that communicates the key takeaways and resonates with your audiences. This article’s best practices can help ensure your data presentation communicates your intended message.

Know your audience

Any communication is more effective if you understand who you are presenting to. By considering the audience’s background, knowledge level, interests, and objectives you can better tailor your presentation to match their needs and expectations.

It’s your job to simplify and focus the data around a main message. Your entire presentation should revolve around this central theme. Understanding your audience can help you choose the most relevant and impactful data points that support the main message.

Tell a story

It’s best to use the data to tell a story. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but as one data analyst notes in the Harvard Business Review , “Few forms of communication are as persuasive as a compelling narrative.”

Data storytelling constructs a story from the insights hidden in the data. Taking a storytelling approach forces you to interpret and simplify complex information in an engaging way that offers value to your audience. This empowers you to offer a narrative which makes the data more relatable and engaging, thereby helping build your credibility as well.

Start with an executive summary

An oft-cited study statistic from the National Statistics Council tells us the average employee spends 37% of their time in meetings. Help your audience benefit from the time spent meeting about your data by beginning your presentation with an executive summary.

Executive summaries provide a concise overview offering a quick understanding of the key takeaways without delving into all the details. When you craft an effective executive summary , you capture your main message and distill complex concepts into simple, easy-to-understand language to help your audience grasp the main points.

Use visuals wisely

Data visualization is an essential part of data presentation. Visual elements like charts, graphs, and infographics are powerful tools for effectively presenting and sharing data. Still, you’ll want to choose the right type of data visualization to ensure that you are communicating your findings for maximum impact:

• Bar charts with vertical or horizontal bars are useful for showing comparisons, trends, and distribution.
• Line graphs connecting data points with lines are great for showing trends and changes over time.
• Pie charts displaying parts of a whole to help illustrate percentages or proportions.
• Scatter plots show the relationship between two continuous variables by plotting data points on a graph.
• Heat maps use color variations in a grid to show patterns, correlations, or clustering within large datasets.
• Tree maps can present hierarchical data as nested rectangles to show proportions and relationships.
• Word clouds let you show textual data with word size representing frequency, which makes it easy to identify common terms.

It’s also critical to avoid clutter and ensure that your visuals are easy to read. Using descriptive headlines and labels can help your audience quickly grasp what the data is about and what it’s showing.

It can also help to use color, annotation, or emphasis to draw attention to important data points or trends. This guides your audience’s focus to the most critical aspects of your message. At the same time, don’t undervalue the power of white space to reduce clutter and improve readability,

Provide context

Without proper context, data can be interpreted in various ways. Be sure to include background information, explanations, and comparisons that help your audience understand the significance of the data .

Providing context by explaining the background and circumstances, strengthens the conclusions you draw from the data. To effectively situate your audience in the data:

• Introduce the topic or problem your data addresses.
• Explain why this data is relevant and give background into what prompted the analysis.
• Define any technical terms or industry-specific jargon
• Describe how the data was collected, analyzed, and processed
• Outline where the data comes from, its quality, and any potential biases
• Highlight any relevant trends or patterns that the data reveals
• Compare current and historical data to showcase changes over time or to benchmarks, industry standards, or similar scenarios to put the data into perspective.
• Discuss any external factors that might have influenced the data, such as economic conditions or regulatory changes
• Address any outliers or anomalies, explain why they occurred and whether they impact the overall trends
• Explain the implications of the data sharing real-world scenarios or anecdotes that illustrate how the data translates into practical situations

Rehearse your presentation

Effective presenting and sharing of your data takes effort. You should build in time to rehearse your delivery. Practice your pacing, tone, and transitions between different parts of your story.

It can help also to anticipate potential questions your audience might have about the data. Being prepared to address queries demonstrates your expertise and enhances credibility.

Effectively share and present your data

Remember, your goal is to make your data not only informative but also engaging and memorable. By following these best practices for your data presentations, you can increase the likelihood that your audience will understand and remember the insights you’re sharing.

At Sogolytics we know your data isn’t very valuable if you can’t make sense of it. Our powerful reporting tools give you many ways to share and present your data, even in real-time. Learn more .

If you’re looking for a platform that helps you decode the meaning behind your data with powerful analytics and presentation-ready reports, Sogolytics has your back!

Ready to learn more? Let’s get on a call and we’d love to share how our platform can help!

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25 Powerful Report Presentations and How to Make Your Own

If we are what we repeatedly do, then consultants are report presentations. In the words of veteran consultant John Kim , “If you cannot put together a well-structured, persuasive, and visual presentation… you won’t be a management consultant for long.”

Unfortunately, over 90% of consultant report presentations fail to make an impact, either because they don’t have enough content, have too much content, are unstructured, lack persuasiveness or in all honesty, are just plain boring.

You can know your data inside and out, and you couldn’t have a firmer grasp on the industry, but no matter how prepared or well-researched you are – even one bad slide can ruin great content. Not to mention, a poorly designed presentation can literally cost your department and your organization over $100,000 per year (conversely, a well-design presentation earns you significant advantages).

The good news is that you don’t need a swanky suite of tools or a big design team to overhaul your reports – there are tons of free and online resources for creating interesting, compelling, and seriously persuasive reports. Just sign up for a free Piktochart account and use any of the available slides templates to start easily.

So while the pyramid principle remains one of the best ways for structuring your presentation content, in this article we provide other top tips and insights you can use to create powerful slides that speak to your audience through 25 best practice examples.

Make Your Data Digestible

1. achieving digital maturity: adapting your company to a changing world by deloitte.

Click to view SlideShare

This deck ticks a lot of boxes when it comes to giving tips for powerful presentations. This report consists of an absolutely brilliant use of data visualization , a subtle “progress bar” at the top that reminds the audience which part of the presentation they’re at, and concise summaries accompanying each infographic. Here at Piktochart, it’s certainly one of the best report presentations we’ve swooned over in a while.

2. Digital globalization: The new era of global flows by McKinsey

There is an overwhelming amount of data here, but McKinsey does a commendable job of keeping it engaging with clear summaries and good-looking infographics (slides 30 & 42). Some slides might feel a bit more cramped than others (slide 41–49), but when creating your own reports you should try to save these huge chunks of data for an article or whitepaper that a client can download and peruse at their own leisure. Your presentation should only contain the highlights.  

3. KPCB Design in Tech Report 2015: Simplified and Redesigned by Stinson

You’ll appreciate the brilliance of this presentation even more when you see the original . Instead of just inserting data in its raw form as graphs or tables, Stinson transforms their findings into something more graphic and appealing. The rest of the report also takes on a less-is-more principle, distilling only the most important points that would matter to the client – not the presenter.

4. The 60 Greatest Mobile Marketing Strategies of All Time by Leanplum

Leanplum only presents one point per slide, making their presentation supremely easy to follow along with (despite having 105 slides!). While they do use traditional line graphs and bar charts, they also find unconventional ways to illustrate their data (slides 71–77) or slip in nuggets of data that don’t detract from the main point (slides 52–53) – they use data to back their insights, rather than make the data the focus of the slide.

Clean Up Your Report Presentation Slides

5. findings on health information technology and electronic health records by deloitte.

Make use of white space and clean graphics to get your point across more effectively. This consulting deck does what most report presentations neglect, which is to highlight key takeaways (and bolding the important points) to avoid cluttering the audience with too much information.

6. Getting ready for IFRS 16 by KPMG

Clean and simple, each slide in this presentation has a clear focus, enhanced by the use of one question per slide and accompanying minimalist-style icons . It’s one of the easiest styles to replicate, and can be used strategically at certain portions of your presentation where you want to remove distraction and place emphasis on certain messages.

Choose the Right Fonts For Your Report Presentation

7. global retail trends 2018 by kpmg.

Crisp and clear, the choice of sans serif fonts keeps your report looking sleek, modern, and supremely legible when presenting. While your choice of font may be constricted by brand guidelines or house style, regardless, a good rule of thumb in your report presentation is to use clear, minimally-styled fonts so your message doesn’t get lost in a web of visual distraction.

Make Use of Report Presentation Visuals

8. how to use weflive 2017 by kpmg.

This presentation has been viewed over 87,500 times, making it a great example of what works in an educational deck. The use of screengrabs gives both current and potential clients better recognition of your services or products. It’s also been proven that visual elements attract clients better.

9. Top Ten Customer Airport Complaints by McKinsey

Smart use of custom illustrations and images helps audiences to instantly identify with each pain point. Good, relevant visuals amplify your message because they elicit emotional responses, helping your audience retain key points.

10. Global Construction Survey 2016 by KPMG

The first half of the presentation has a strong storytelling quality bolstered by great illustrations to help set up the second half – where the important data is presented. Our brains process images faster than words, so this is a good hack to getting messages across more effectively.

Stay Organized

11. trends in people analytics by pwc.

Having a table of contents to display on the side of the slide helps prevent audience fatigue – often when a presentation is too long, the audience’s retention rate starts to slip. A “tracking” tool like this can serve as a visual cue so that your audience knows where they are, and what they can expect next.

12. The CMO Blueprint for Account-Based Marketing by Sangram Vajre

There is a clear flow to this presentation – it starts with introducing some key statistics, which eventually leads up to why these statistics matter, and ends with what the proposed solution is. It’s all very organized. Another great thing about this presentation is that it uses graphics to reinforce, not distract from, its key points (slides 22–29).

Speak to Your Audience, Not at Them

13. moving digital transformation forward: findings from the 2016 digital business global executive study and research report by mitsloan + deloitte digital.

This is an all-around stellar presentation, which makes use of an active voice (“we did this…”, “we found this…”, “my digital strategy is…”) to better connect with the audience. The use of conversational copy, straightforward messages, and a consistent aesthetic theme make this one of our favorite report presentations to share with our users.

14. TMT Outlook 2017: A new wave of advances offer opportunities and challenges by Deloitte

At strategic points in this long presentation, polls are taken to keep the audience engaged and give them a break from information overload. By asking them to reflect on their current status and thoughts, they are “primed” into receiving what the presenter next has to say.

15. Business Pulse – Dual perspectives on the top 10 risks and opportunities 2013 and beyond by Ernst & Young

This is another example of keeping your audience engaged through the use of questions (slides 2, 3 & 7). The questions’ tone and voice were also creatively and intelligently crafted because it uses FOMO (fear of missing out) to ensure customers want to listen.

Break Your Report Presentation Down

16. a step-by-step overview of a typical cybersecurity attack—and how companies can protect themselves by mckinsey.

The title speaks for itself – breaking down your solution step-by-step is one of the best ways to create an effective presentation . The smart use of “hit or myth?” in each of its slides also gets the audience to reflect on their own experiences and (potentially false) impressions of the industry.

17. 5 questions about the IoT (Internet of Things) by Deloitte

There is a lot to say in this presentation about the findings and impact of IoT on various industries, but Deloitte presents it in a way that keeps it relevant – by using a question-and-answer format that works to connect rather than alienate the audience.

18. How to be Sustainable by The Boston Consulting Group

This is a prime example of how you can capitalize on the “listicle” style of writing to present your main points with supreme clarity and persuasiveness. Notice that each of the 10 steps is supplemented by key statistics? That’s how you can add weight to what you’re saying without overloading the audience with too many graphs and data charts.

Give Actionable Insight in Your Report Presentation

19. putting digital technology and data to work for tech cmos by pwc.

What makes a great consultant is his or her ability to go beyond surface data to give customers real, actionable insight. Not only does this presentation by PwC provide step-by-step recommendations (slides 15–18), but it uses real case studies and testimonials to boost credibility and illustrate value.  

20. Shutting down fraud, waste, and abuse: Moving from rhetoric to real solutions in government benefit programs by Deloitte

Identified an issue? Great. Worked out a solution? Even better. This presentation breaks down its proposed solution through one message per slide, punctuated by a relevant graphic that reinforces its key point. It’s clean, clear, and effective.

21. A labor market that works: Connecting talent and opportunity in the digital age by McKinsey

Personalization works in every industry. The next time you prepare a presentation , think about how you can give tailored advice to the unique stakeholders involved (slides 30–33). 

Keep Your Report Presentation Short and Sweet

22. six behavioral economics lessons for the workplace by deloitte.

There’s a reason why TED talks are only 18 minutes or less – any longer and the speaker will lose the audience’s attention. Taking this advice, keep your report presentations short whenever possible. This example by Deloitte depicts a smart way to keep things bite-sized yet meaty, and also publicizes all your white papers and articles in one place.

23. Private Sector Opportunity to Improve Well-Being by The Boston Consulting Group

This compact presentation is a great example of how to summarize all your key findings in less than 10 slides. When you force yourself to reduce clutter, you start being more discerning about what you include. Remember, what you find interesting may not be the same as what the audience finds relevant. Don’t get too attached, and be prepared to edit down.  

24. Four approaches to automate work using cognitive technologies by Deloitte

Try using a report presentation as a “preview” for your full suite of business services. This way, you summarize your best points to potential clients, and if what you’ve said interests them enough, they will be more invested in a follow-up meeting.

The key to doing this successfully, however, is that whatever few points you choose to present need to be accompanied by some form of tailored business solution or insight into their specific needs. 

Don’t Forget to Take Credit

25. european family business trends: modern times by kpmg.

It seems obvious, but you would be surprised how many times consultants neglect to put their profile image and professional business contact information at the end of each report.

There are many reasons to do so, but most importantly, it helps your potential business client remember you better. The truth is, we remember faces better than names, and adding this information allows them to reach out if they’re interested in a follow-up oppurtunity.

“Simplified and impressive reporting in one landscape. Quick templates are present for impressive graphical visualizations! Ease of use, upload and export options.” – Derrick Keith, Associate Consultant at KPMG Easily create reports , infographics , posters , brochures , and more with Piktochart. Sign up for free .

Audience First

Clarity of thought translates directly into how succinct your presentation comes off. A key presentation design tip is that your slide deck should always be the last thing you tackle – structure and story come first. It may not be that surprising of a reveal if we were to tell you: The elements that make a business consultant’s report presentation great are almost the same that make any presentation great.

At the end of the day, keep your audience at the center, be creative and thoughtful of their needs; use design and visuals to your advantage and integrate them early on, not as an afterthought. And remember: Even with more options, sometimes, less is more.

Time to Make Your Own 

Now that you’re thoroughly inspired and well-versed in report presentation creation, it’s time to make your own using the tips from this article. At Piktochart, we have a handful of slick and highly customizable templates to help you create impactful report presentations. Just search in our reports and presentation templates database and take a look at a few examples below.

1. Monthly Marketing Report Template

2. Social Media Report Template

3. monthly progress report template, 4. client research report template.

5. Monthly Sales Report Template

6. Social Media Audience Report Template

7. email campaign report template.

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Ideas Made to Matter

Presenting about data to your board: 6 tips from experts

Dylan Walsh

Sep 6, 2022

A strong data strategy is essential to be competitive. Companies refer to data nearly 80% more often in annual reports than they did in 2017, according to a recent report . And roughly half of companies surveyed had hired a chief data officer in the last two years — someone at the C-Suite level or just below who is responsible for the company’s strategic approach to data.

“Data is increasingly an asset that has both value and risk,” said Maria Villar, head of enterprise data strategy and transformation at German software company SAP.  Given the rapidly growing strategic importance of data, it is critical that CDOs not only do their job well but communicate effectively about their work. “Having an effective data strategy and then communicating it to important constituents, like your executive board, is a key to success,” Villar said.

At the recent MIT Chief Data Officer and Information Quality symposium , Villar moderated a panel featuring Ellen Nielsen, CDO at Chevron, and Denise Letcher, executive vice president and CDO at PNC Bank, discussing ways to craft a presentation about data strategy. The panelists stressed preparing early, catering data presentations to reach different audiences, and the importance of connecting to key business goals and telling compelling stories.

While the discussion focused on communication with boards, the key takeaways pertain to any set of important stakeholders.

Be prepared

Start early, said Letcher, who begins work on her annual business updates two months in advance. She begins by reviewing past presentations; Letcher has been PNC’s chief data officer for nearly seven years. “I have themes that I know the board likes to hear about,” she said. “I want to make sure I carry those forward.”

She also works closely with other teams to refine different dimensions of the presentation. Her boss provides “invaluable feedback” on the high-level topics; her managers review the content; the communications team helps her create a strong executive-level presentation.

Beyond the specific content of one’s own presentation, Nielsen pointed out the value of knowing where she fits during the meeting. Who is scheduled to present before and after? What might be the general mood of the meeting based on the topics under discussion?

“Typically, there are certain people who are preparing the content on the agenda, and they know very well what’s going on that day,” Nielsen said. She suggested finding this person and getting as much information as you can — it’s good to know what’s on the mind of the board members as you go in to talk.

CDOs must also stay abreast of salient issues beyond the company’s borders: How does data management fit with potential changes on the horizon? Letcher noted that board members, who tend to be active news consumers, often inquire about how CDOs are using their role to respond to industry shifts. Letcher, for instance, is keenly attuned to the overlap between her role and upcoming climate regulation.

Finally — it almost goes without saying — “practice, practice, practice,” Letcher said. Run through the presentation alone; test it on select groups for feedback. Be sure you have confidence in both your prepared remarks and your ability to answer questions.

Tell stories with broad relevance

It is important to connect the work of data and analytics to larger business objectives, Letcher and Nielsen said. Audiences like a board of directors are typically not interested in the details of specific projects or processes, and they don’t need to know what a CDO has been doing day-to-day or month-to-month. Rather, they care about outcomes — how the application of data and analytics is advancing business objectives.

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“You want to step back and say, ‘How is data helping the overall company?’” Letcher said. If one slice of data proved essential to a recent merger and acquisition, for instance, then tell that story and clarify the value that is generated by good data. You want to explain how data is enabling the business strategy, she said.

As the audience for these presentations moves deeper into the organization — from the board, to leadership, to lower managers — the need for detail increases. The outcomes also grow more specific: from top-level business strategy to how data and analytics are supporting a particular unit or function. Budgetary questions and financial details become more relevant.

Competitiveness is another important topic of discussion, Nielsen said. When describing the strategic role of data within your company, benchmark these descriptions against competitors. What are you doing better? In what ways do you need to catch up? When describing areas for improvement, be sure to outline the most effective levers of investment.

Regardless of audience, Nielsen and Letcher highlighted the importance of stories and anecdotes. “I put a lot of effort in [finding] the right stories to share,” Nielsen said. “I look for stories that tell about new things, or where the organization tried something new and really overcame an obstacle and created tremendous value. These are the best.”

Don't forget the finer points

Alongside big picture issues of how to prepare for and organize a presentation, Nielsen and Letcher provided tips on the fundamentals, from how to frame the conversation to how many slides to create.

• Be explicit about why you’re there. If you’re there to provide an update, say that. If you’re there to ask for approval, say that. Nielsen suggested that if you’re there for an “ask,” give the board options rather than asking for a single outcome.
• Assume 10 to 20 minutes for the key messages. This means on the order of 6 – 8 slides. Present an executive summary with the main points first. And, whatever you do, don’t read from the slides. That’s “the kiss of death,” Letcher said.
• Prepare for questions . Think about the questions you may get in advance. Have dates in mind so that you can speak to chronology. Don’t be afraid to ask for more time if you don’t have an answer: “I’ll get back to you,” is a perfectly fair response.
• Don’t use acronyms. If you absolutely need to use one, define it first.

It’s also important to remain confident — even if people come and go or appear distracted. “Recognize that you are the subject matter expert,” Letcher said. “They rely on you.”

Read next: The next chapter in analytics is data storytelling

What Is Data Reporting and How to Create Data Reports for Your Business

Table of contents

Enjoy reading this blog post written by our experts or partners.

If you want to see what Databox can do for you, click here .

According to Gartner’s prediction , 90% of organizations will consider information the most valuable asset a business may have.

And where does this information come from?

Here’s a magic word – data.

Even though many companies report making important decisions based on their gut feeling, 85% of them would like to improve the ways they use data insights to make business decisions.

It’s because they know data is critical for growth, especially when modern software allows you to monitor data in real-time and create effective reports for better and faster decision-making. To support this, over half of the companies surveyed for recent Databox’s state of business reporting study confirmed that regular monitoring and reporting brought them significant and tangible benefits.

Want to learn more about data reporting? This article will walk you through what data reports are, how they can benefit your company, and show you how to use the right tools to create effective, well-organized, and actionable reports.

Let’s dive right in.

What is Data Reporting?

Why is data reporting important for any business, what is the difference between data reporting and data analysis, how to write a data report, data report examples and templates.

• How to Improve Your Data Reporting: 12 Best Practices

If you’re looking for an exact data reporting definition, it comes down to the following:

Data reporting refers to the process of collecting unprocessed data from different sources that you later organize into meaningful and digestible pieces of information to gain valuable insights into your business performance.

After the collected data has been pulled from several sources or tools, organized, and visualized in an easy-to-follow manner, you can perform data analysis to assess the current state in your organization and create an actionable plan or give recommendations about future activities based on this data. That said, reporting on data is practically the step that leads to data analysis.

You can create a data report in different formats, but nowadays, reports created via data visualization tools are the most common ones. You will often find all kinds of illustrations in such reports: tables, pie charts, graphs, timelines, and more. Data reports can vary in nature, ranging from static to interactive dashboards , and they may possess varying levels of detail. Additionally, data can be categorized and organized in various ways, including by category, significance, objectives, or department.

Financial data reports are one of the most common types, but, in reality, every department within a company can benefit from reporting software : marketing, sales, HR, and others.

The eternal question for any business is this: which strategies are profitable and which ones need adjusting?

Having a consistent data reporting process in place helps you answer this question accurately and quickly. Without data reports, data analysis can’t happen, and without data analysis, you can’t plan your further steps towards your business objectives.

Based on the data you collect over a specific period of time, you can draw conclusions about your business performance and make future decisions about allocating time and money into activities that bring you revenue or help you reach other business goals. Data also helps you identify any problematic areas of your business that need your attention or strategies that need improvement because they’re not generating satisfactory results.

Having accurate data at your disposal in real-time helps you discover patterns and notice red flags so you can prevent potential problems before they occur. It also enables you to identify correlations between two or more trends and find their causes, so you can replicate your most successful tactics any time.

Without frequent reporting on data, you may end up with one of two scenarios:

• You make wrong business decisions because you don’t have accurate data to rely and act on.
• You believe your figures are better than they really are because some of the data hasn’t been reported – this is called underreporting and can give you a wrong overall picture of your business.

By understanding the importance of data reporting and analysis, you can easily avoid these situations.

Now that we’ve mentioned data analysis, the next logical step after you’ve crafted a data report, it’s worth mentioning that some people use these terms interchangeably.

However, they are not the same. Here are the main differences between data reporting and data analysis :

Data Reporting

• This process comes first as a preparation for analysis
• It’s used to track performance
• Data needs to be pulled from multiple sources and it’s unprocessed
• Enables you to ask the right questions about your business
• Use of the “push approach” – the data is pushed to you so you can analyze it

Data Analysis

• This process relies on data reporting and comes after it
• It’s used to create actionable plans based on the conclusions
• Data is organized and available to you in dashboards, reports, etc.
• Enables you to answer the questions asked while reporting
• Use of the “pull approach” where a person pulls out specific data to explore it

If you’re getting ready to write a data report, you may be looking for the best practices and writing tips to explore before you get started. Here’s what you need to do to write a great data report.

Step 1: Define what type of data report you need to write. There are several types of data reports, such as informational, analytical, investigative, recommendation, KPI, and more. All these data reports focus on providing facts or analysis, help to identify risks, come up with recommendations for further steps, monitor business KPIs, etc. Determine your report goal first, and then you’ll know exactly what sections you need to include.

PRO TIP: How Well Are Your Marketing KPIs Performing?

Like most marketers and marketing managers, you want to know how well your efforts are translating into results each month. How much traffic and new contact conversions do you get? How many new contacts do you get from organic sessions? How are your email campaigns performing? How well are your landing pages converting? You might have to scramble to put all of this together in a single report, but now you can have it all at your fingertips in a single Databox dashboard.

Our Marketing Overview Dashboard includes data from Google Analytics 4 and HubSpot Marketing with key performance metrics like:

• Sessions . The number of sessions can tell you how many times people are returning to your website. Obviously, the higher the better.
• New Contacts from Sessions . How well is your campaign driving new contacts and customers?
• Marketing Performance KPIs . Tracking the number of MQLs, SQLs, New Contacts and similar will help you identify how your marketing efforts contribute to sales.
• Email Performance . Measure the success of your email campaigns from HubSpot. Keep an eye on your most important email marketing metrics such as number of sent emails, number of opened emails, open rate, email click-through rate, and more.
• Blog Posts and Landing Pages . How many people have viewed your blog recently? How well are your landing pages performing?

Now you can benefit from the experience of our Google Analytics and HubSpot Marketing experts, who have put together a plug-and-play Databox template that contains all the essential metrics for monitoring your leads. It’s simple to implement and start using as a standalone dashboard or in marketing reports, and best of all, it’s free!

You can easily set it up in just a few clicks – no coding required.

To set up the dashboard, follow these 3 simple steps:

Step 1: Get the template 

Step 2: Connect your HubSpot and Google Analytics 4 accounts with Databox. 

Step 3: Watch your dashboard populate in seconds.

Step 2: Determine who you’re writing the report for. Is it upper or middle management, or potential clients or investors ? Different audiences may require using a different tone, terminology, and can affect the choice of data you’re going to include.

Step 3: Create an outline. Before you start compiling the report, plan its structure. It’ll be easier to stay on track, choose the right KPIs, and ensure you’ve presented everything relevant while excluding the information that doesn’t contribute to the report.

Step 4: Include data visualizations. To make your data report more readable and beautiful, make sure you use data charts, tables, graphs, and other data visualization tools to make the data easy to interpret for the reader.

Step 5: Write a summary. Every great report has a summary that briefly explains the purpose of the document and its key findings. Sometimes, depending on the report type, you may even include a few action steps in this section.

Good teachers teach by showing rather than telling, right? Well, that’s why we also wanted to share a few great examples of data reports and templates you can use for building your own data report.

Marketing Data Report Example

Seo data report example, sales data report example, customer support data report example, ecommerce data report example, project management data report example, financial kpi data report example.

One of the best things about this marketing dashboard is that it’s intuitive and easy to follow. It allows you to track your website traffic, engagement, and conversions, and monitor user activity on your website. If metrics like page CTA clicks, bounce rate, pageviews per session matter to you, you will love this HubSpot Marketing Website Overview dashboard template .

To track your SEO efforts and report on them, you can use this streamlined Google Analytics 4 and GSC Organic SEO Dashboard Template . It gives you insight into the performance of your SEO strategy by integrating Google Analytics 4 and Google Search Console and allowing you to monitor metrics such as sessions by channel, goal completions, clicks by devices, position by pages, and more.

Is your current sales pipeline successful? A sales team can easily find the answer to this question by using this Sales Overview dashboard template . It provides valuable insight into monthly performance and allows you to track all the relevant metrics, such as new contacts, new deals, average time to close, closed-won amount, and more.

Customer support is an incredibly important part of any business. To track their metrics and collect the necessary data, you can use this Customer Success dashboard template . It’s accessible and allows you to track your churn rate and other relevant metrics to find out if it correlates with the performance of your customer support agents.

This Google Analytics 4 E-commerce Overview Dashboard Template helps you collect important data so you can discover what works in your funnel and what could use improvement. If there’s a stage of the conversion funnel that needs optimization, you’ll be able to identify it. Thanks to multiple integrations, you can track metrics like CPC, ROAS, open rates, audience growth, average order value, and more.

Do you need a great dashboard for your IT department projects? This Jira dashboard template allows your IT specialists and developers to track important metrics at a glance. They can monitor completed tasks and who completed them, as well as numerous other Jira metrics that are already built in the dashboard: story points by project, value points by project, issues resolved, issues created, etc.

Finances are one of the most relevant KPIs of your company’s health. This QuickBooks + HubSpot CRM dashboard template helps you get a streamlined overview of your financial performance. You can track your expenses and goals, and numerous metrics, such as closed-won and lost deals, sales activity by sales rep, cash flow forecast, purchases by vendors, customer balance, inventory valuation, etc.

How to Improve Your Data Reporting: 15 Best Practices

Does your data reporting process need improving? The good news is, it’s possible to do it by implementing these 15 best practices we’ve selected for you.

Understand Your Audience

• Ensure Accuracy and Consistency of the Data

Create an Appealing Presentation

Choose the right format, keep the report concise, use data storytelling, focus on relevant metrics, align the kpis with priorities, track progress towards goals.

• Make Your Report Actionable

Keep Records

Customize your reports, find optimal reporting frequency, use automation tools, update your reporting process.

What do your readers actually want to know? What do they think? Are they too busy to read your data reports? By understanding what your audience wants and needs, you will be able to craft attention-grabbing data reports and at the same time show your reader that you can put yourself in their shoes.

Ensure Data Accuracy and Data Consistency

Using accurate data is one of the fundamental conditions that need to be fulfilled for successful data reporting and analysis. Evaluate your data sources and only use them if you consider them high-quality. Reducing manual data entry in your data reporting process can eliminate errors almost completely, and this is where automation tools help a lot.

Who says data can’t look beautiful? Visuals such as graphs and charts are much more digestible than mere text, so don’t forget to include data visualizations in your report. Other than looking well-organized, charts and tables will facilitate the process of data analysis. It’s much easier to draw conclusions about data when you can actually see a timeline and how it changed over a specific period.

It all depends on your audience, but some people will want to be included in the whole process, while others prefer more traditional formats. Consult the client or the manager on how they’d like to access the report, and then decide if you’re going to use a PDF, a presentation, or give them access to an interactive dashboard where they can see data in real-time.

Whether you’re writing for your team manager or a client, your data report should be to the point because its purpose is to enable successful data analysis. Going too much into detail or straying away from the main topic will make the data difficult to analyze and understand. Ensure you use a professional tone and stay objective throughout the whole report, no matter how little text there is to accompany the visuals.

Use unprocessed data to organize it into a story. A list that contains a bunch of numbers won’t tell as much as a well-put-together narrative that the reader can easily follow and gain insights from. When you combine the story the data tells you with nicely-looking graphics, you get a quality report that you can later effortlessly analyze.

You may feel compelled to include data that showcase significant progress, but if these metrics have nothing to do with the goal of your report, you should avoid doing it. Data reports should be as objective as possible so proper action can be taken after the analysis. That’s why you should stay true to your objectives and report the correct data in a straightforward way even if it’s unpleasant.

Whether they’re low-level or high-level KPIs, they should be aligned with your company’s priorities . Including everything that can be measured in your report can be overwhelming for the reader and they may miss the essential information due to too many numbers and charts. Focus on the KPIs that matter the most for your business at the moment.

It’s important to be better than your competitors, but it’s also vital to be progressing towards your goals . Comparing your data to the industry benchmarks is okay, but don’t forget to check where you stand compared to where you want to be. Include the data that shows whether or not you’re on the right track to achieve your objectives.

Make the Report Actionable

Reports aren’t made just so we can KNOW specific data – they’re made so we can do something about it. Depending on the data report type, you may need to include suggestions – what you believe would be appropriate further steps. These suggestions make your report actionable – people who read it will have a better understanding of what is going on in the company or a specific department, and get an idea of what they need to do next. 

Sometimes, you’ll want to pull your old data reports to compare the data you can no longer pull with the tools you’re using. You might want to see how much progress you’ve made compared to a few years back or identify trends that may have appeared in the past. At the same time, you may want to track how your data reporting processes changed over time so you can improve it in the future or present best practices to your trainees.

Sometimes you’ll prepare data reports for senior management, investors, or partners. Sometimes, your prospective clients will want insight into your business health. Don’t use the same report format and the same KPIs because these people will want to know different information about your company. Also, some will ask for quarterly data reporting, while others will want to see the reports on an annual basis. Customize your data reports to fit the reader’s needs by including and excluding different sections when necessary.

Reporting typically occurs on a weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual basis. More frequent data reporting enables better communication and faster reactions when there’s a trend to take advantage of or an issue to fix. However, it doesn’t mean each client or manager will want daily reports. Find the best reporting frequency based on the purpose of the report and the person who will be reading it.

Data reporting can truly be daunting if you always do it from scratch. Luckily, with automation tools like Databox, you can create visually attractive dashboards with all the important metrics and simply customize them whenever you need to create a new report. Data reporting tools like Databox can also automatically pull all your data from different sources so you don’t need to enter anything manually.

Just like your business objectives and KPIs need revisions from time to time, your data reporting process may need to be updated. New information, best practices, and effective strategies become available every day, so if you learn something that could optimize this process and make it even more efficient, don’t hesitate to update it.

Automate Data Reporting with Databox

You already know data is essential for efficient decision making. But collecting, processing, organizing, presenting, and analyzing data can be so challenging! Seeing all those numbers gives you an instant headache and you feel like you spend ages compiling the report that your clients or managers end up only skimming over and asking you a million questions – your effort was for nothing.

The whole point of writing a data report is to lay the groundwork for effective data analysis and drawing the right conclusions so you can make further decisions for your business. And can it be less painful?

Yes, it can!

We created Databox with the goal of making data reporting less time-consuming, tedious, and demanding. Instead of wasting your time on manual activities, you can pull all your data in one place in seconds, create custom metrics with ease and adjust reporting dashboards to your needs.

What’s more, you can automate custom calculations , which makes calculating metrics from several sources or tools 10x easier than before, without any coding or spreadsheets. Now you won’t need to spend hours calculating ROI, conversion rates, and other relevant financial metrics stakeholders typically want to know about.

If you think we stopped there, think again. Databox also enables you to build custom metrics with Query Builder’s dimensions and filters so you can have a more detailed insight into your performance. You can also connect your account with any of the 100+ integrations we offer: Google Sheets, Google Ads, Google Analytics, HubSpot, Zapier, Stripe, and pull data from anywhere – even a SQL database or custom API, in a safe, fast, and simple way.

Can you believe it’s all found in one place, a single dashboard? Actually, you don’t need to believe a word we say – test your own dashboard and see for yourself: sign up for a free trial today .

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Hey, we’re Databox. Our mission is to help businesses save time and grow faster. Click here to see our platform in action. 

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How to Present Data Effectively

You’re sitting in front of your computer and ready to put together a presentation involving data.   The numbers stare at you from your screen, jumbled and raw.   How do you start?   Numbers on their own can be difficult to digest. Without any context, they’re just that—numbers.   But organize them well and they tell a story.   In this blog post, we’ll go into the importance of structuring data in a presentation and provide tips on how to do it well. These tips are practical and applicable for all sorts of presentations—from marketing plans and medical breakthroughs to project proposals and portfolios. 

What is data presentation?

3 essential tips on data presentation, use the right chart, keep it simple, use text wisely and sparingly.

In many ways, data presentation is like storytelling—only you do them with a series of graphs and charts.  One of the most common mistakes presenters make is being so submerged in the data that they fail to view it from an outsider’s point of view.   Always keep this in mind: What makes sense to you may not make sense to your audience. To portray figures and statistics in a way that’s comprehensible to your viewers, step back, put yourself in their shoes, and consider the following: 

• How much do they know about the topic?
• How much information will they need?
• What data will impress them?

Providing a context helps your audience visualize and understand the numbers. To help you achieve that, here are three tips on how to represent data effectively.  

Whether you’re using Google Slides or PowerPoint, both come equipped with a range of design tools that help you help your viewers make sense of your qualitative data.  The key here is to know how to use them and how to use them well. In these tips, we’ll cover the basics of data presentation that are often overlooked but also go beyond basics for more professional advice. 

The downside of having too many tools at your disposal is that it makes selecting an uphill task.   Pie and bar charts are by far the most commonly used methods as they are versatile and easy to understand. 

If you’re looking to kick things up a notch, think outside the box. When the numbers allow for it, opt for something different. For example, donut charts can sometimes be used to execute the same effect as pie charts. 

But these conventional graphs and charts aren’t applicable to all types of data. For example, if you’re comparing numerous variables and factors, a bar chart would do no good. A table, on the other hand, offers a much cleaner look.

Pro tip : If you want to go beyond basics, create your own shapes and use their sizes to reflect proportion, as seen in this next image.

Their sizes don’t have to be an exact reflection of their proportions. What’s important here is that they’re discernible and are of the same shape so that your viewers can grasp its concept at first glance.  Note that this should only be used for comparisons with large enough contrasts. For instance, it’d be difficult to use this to compare two market sizes of 25 percent and 26 percent. 

When it comes to making qualitative data digestible, simplicity does the trick.  Limit the number of elements on the slide as much as possible and provide only the bare essentials. 

See how simple this slide is? In one glance, your eye immediately goes to the percentages of the donut because there are no text boxes, illustrations, graphics, etc. to distract you.  Sometimes, more context is needed for your numbers to make sense. In the spirit of keeping your slides neat, you may be tempted to spread the data across two slides. But that makes it complicated, so putting it all on one slide is your only option.  In such cases, our mantra of “keep it simple” still applies. The trick lies in neat positioning and clever formatting.  

In the above slides, we’ve used boxes to highlight supporting figures while giving enough attention to the main chart. This separates them visually and helps the audience focus better.  With the slide already pretty full, it’s crucial to use a plain background or risk overwhelming your viewers.  

Last but certainly not least, our final tip involves the use of text.  Just because you’re telling a story with numbers doesn’t mean text cannot be used. In fact, the contrary proves true: Text plays a vital role in data presentation and should be used strategically.  To highlight a particular statistic, do not hesitate to go all out and have that be the focal point of your slide for emphasis. Keep text to a minimum and as a supporting element. 

Make sure your numbers are formatted clearly. Large figures should have thousands separated with commas. For example, 4,498,300,000 makes for a much easier read than “4498300000”. Any corresponding units should also be clear.  With data presentation, don’t forget that numbers are still your protagonist, so they must be highlighted with a larger or bolder font.  Where there are numbers and graphics, space is scarce so every single word must be chosen wisely.   The key here is to ensure your viewers understand what your data represents in one glance but to leave it sufficiently vague, like a teaser, so that they pay attention to your speech for more information.  → Slidesgo’s free presentation templates come included with specially designed and created charts and graphs that you can easily personalize according to your data. Give them a try now! 

Do you find this article useful?

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5 data presentation tips for communicating insights

Best data presentation tips.

• Keep your audience in mind 
• Focus on the big picture 
• Use visuals to highlight main points
• Think about how you’re presenting hard data
• Choose the best type of chart for each main point

Collecting the right data and managing it correctly are essential to a successful business strategy. Data management helps you analyze raw data and glean insights to inform your next moves as a business. 

But you also need to be able to effectively communicate insights from that data. That’s where data presentation comes in. The future of your company is built on the data you collect in the present — and with proper data presentation, you can make sure the insights you’ve gained reach the stakeholders who matter.

The value of effective data presentation

Any business can collect data on its industry, customers, and performance — but successful businesses turn that raw data into action. Once you’ve gleaned insights from your data, it’s time to share them with decision makers and other stakeholders to convince them to pursue a course of action.

Rather than sharing random data points, you need to present information in a structured way that takes your audience on a journey to educate them on what you’ve found.

Spreadsheet after spreadsheet of data, no matter how solid and informative, can go to waste if you don’t present it in a way that’s easy for stakeholders to digest. In essence, data presentation is where the analytical and creative parts of data management meet.

5 tips for improving data presentation

Here are some quick and easy tips on how best to visualize and structure your data to make an impact and influence opinion.

1. Keep your audience in mind

Put yourself in your audience’s shoes before you set foot in the boardroom. Is the data you’ve collected easy to understand? Will it translate well from your laptop to a larger screen for you to present it? Are the colors and the formatting creating a pleasant visual experience?

Try a couple of practice runs of your presentation before you do the real thing. Ask a colleague who’s not connected to your upcoming meeting to observe you and offer feedback. You’re showcasing important data, and that should come across in the presentation.

2. Focus on the big picture

There’s a limit to the amount of information a person can absorb in one sitting. Don’t push your luck by overwhelming your audience with too many major data points and letting important takeaways slip through the cracks.

Instead, pick one major data point for each graph or visualization and stick to it. Stakeholders will more easily tie the insight you’re giving them to a graph or visualization if you don’t overload them.

Think back to some of your favorite classes as a student. Teachers often understand the value of tying important information to visuals — it can help students remember what they’ve learned . You’re the teacher in this scenario, so the same principle applies.

3. Use visuals to highlight main points

To that end, you can create visual highlights that draw attention to a particular number or data range you need your audience to understand. There are several ways to do this.

You can literally highlight that information in a graph or chart, or you can craft a specific slide around it. Just make sure there are clear visuals tied to the “aha” moment you want to communicate.

To bring the point home, take a moment to explain why this data is important. Accompany this pause with bullet points stating the same information for greater effect.

4. Think about how you’re presenting hard data

If your job involves a lot of data management, odds are you’re comfortable with numbers. Unfortunately, not everyone feels the same way. For some, seeing a lot of figures and percentages can be more confusing than illuminating, so do your best to reduce the anxiety some people feel when faced with big or complicated numbers.

Try these tips:

• Don’t make your audience count zeroes (“10,000” instead of “10000”).
• Avoid decimals if possible (“5” instead of “5.02”).
• Align important data on the right side of a chart, allowing your audience to quickly compare values.

5. Choose the best type of chart for each main point

Charts and graphs are useful when you’re showing and comparing data, so they’re an essential part of data presentation. But your audience is likely already familiar with different types of charts (and their intended purposes), so picking the wrong one is a fast way to lose credibility during a presentation. Here’s a quick reference to help you choose the right chart for different data:

• Line graph: These graphs are great for depicting trends and plotting specific data points along a trend line.
• Bar chart: These charts are best used when making comparisons between data points.
• Pie chart: Pie charts show percentages of a whole — for example, the percentages of respondents who chose each answer option in a survey.
• Scatter plot: These charts place different variables on an X/Y axis to investigate the relationship between one variable and another. If you want to show which variable has the greatest impact in a given situation, a scatter plot can help.

Tools for enhancing data presentation

Once you’ve got a good idea of how you’d like to present your data, you can reduce some of the legwork in crafting a great presentation by automating the visualization processes. With Jotform’s report building tool, you can generate dynamic visual reports based on the data you provide and the customization options you select.

The more you work on data management, the better the data you collect can work for you. Harnessing the power of numbers is vital to implementing the next strategy that will define your business, and effective data presentation will ensure your organization’s stats get the attention they deserve.

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Blog Data Visualization 10 Data Presentation Examples For Strategic Communication

10 Data Presentation Examples For Strategic Communication

Written by: Krystle Wong Sep 28, 2023

Knowing how to present data is like having a superpower. 

Data presentation today is no longer just about numbers on a screen; it’s storytelling with a purpose. It’s about captivating your audience, making complex stuff look simple and inspiring action. 

To help turn your data into stories that stick, influence decisions and make an impact, check out Venngage’s free chart maker or follow me on a tour into the world of data storytelling along with data presentation templates that work across different fields, from business boardrooms to the classroom and beyond. Keep scrolling to learn more! 

Click to jump ahead:

10 Essential data presentation examples + methods you should know

What should be included in a data presentation, what are some common mistakes to avoid when presenting data, faqs on data presentation examples, transform your message with impactful data storytelling.

Data presentation is a vital skill in today’s information-driven world. Whether you’re in business, academia, or simply want to convey information effectively, knowing the different ways of presenting data is crucial. For impactful data storytelling, consider these essential data presentation methods:

1. Bar graph

Ideal for comparing data across categories or showing trends over time.

Bar graphs, also known as bar charts are workhorses of data presentation. They’re like the Swiss Army knives of visualization methods because they can be used to compare data in different categories or display data changes over time. 

In a bar chart, categories are displayed on the x-axis and the corresponding values are represented by the height of the bars on the y-axis. 

It’s a straightforward and effective way to showcase raw data, making it a staple in business reports, academic presentations and beyond.

Make sure your bar charts are concise with easy-to-read labels. Whether your bars go up or sideways, keep it simple by not overloading with too many categories.

2. Line graph

Great for displaying trends and variations in data points over time or continuous variables.

Line charts or line graphs are your go-to when you want to visualize trends and variations in data sets over time.

One of the best quantitative data presentation examples, they work exceptionally well for showing continuous data, such as sales projections over the last couple of years or supply and demand fluctuations. 

The x-axis represents time or a continuous variable and the y-axis represents the data values. By connecting the data points with lines, you can easily spot trends and fluctuations.

A tip when presenting data with line charts is to minimize the lines and not make it too crowded. Highlight the big changes, put on some labels and give it a catchy title.

3. Pie chart

Useful for illustrating parts of a whole, such as percentages or proportions.

Pie charts are perfect for showing how a whole is divided into parts. They’re commonly used to represent percentages or proportions and are great for presenting survey results that involve demographic data. 

Each “slice” of the pie represents a portion of the whole and the size of each slice corresponds to its share of the total. 

While pie charts are handy for illustrating simple distributions, they can become confusing when dealing with too many categories or when the differences in proportions are subtle.

Don’t get too carried away with slices — label those slices with percentages or values so people know what’s what and consider using a legend for more categories.

4. Scatter plot

Effective for showing the relationship between two variables and identifying correlations.

Scatter plots are all about exploring relationships between two variables. They’re great for uncovering correlations, trends or patterns in data. 

In a scatter plot, every data point appears as a dot on the chart, with one variable marked on the horizontal x-axis and the other on the vertical y-axis.

By examining the scatter of points, you can discern the nature of the relationship between the variables, whether it’s positive, negative or no correlation at all.

If you’re using scatter plots to reveal relationships between two variables, be sure to add trendlines or regression analysis when appropriate to clarify patterns. Label data points selectively or provide tooltips for detailed information.

5. Histogram

Best for visualizing the distribution and frequency of a single variable.

Histograms are your choice when you want to understand the distribution and frequency of a single variable. 

They divide the data into “bins” or intervals and the height of each bar represents the frequency or count of data points falling into that interval. 

Histograms are excellent for helping to identify trends in data distributions, such as peaks, gaps or skewness.

Here’s something to take note of — ensure that your histogram bins are appropriately sized to capture meaningful data patterns. Using clear axis labels and titles can also help explain the distribution of the data effectively.

6. Stacked bar chart

Useful for showing how different components contribute to a whole over multiple categories.

Stacked bar charts are a handy choice when you want to illustrate how different components contribute to a whole across multiple categories. 

Each bar represents a category and the bars are divided into segments to show the contribution of various components within each category. 

This method is ideal for highlighting both the individual and collective significance of each component, making it a valuable tool for comparative analysis.

Stacked bar charts are like data sandwiches—label each layer so people know what’s what. Keep the order logical and don’t forget the paintbrush for snazzy colors. Here’s a data analysis presentation example on writers’ productivity using stacked bar charts:

7. Area chart

Similar to line charts but with the area below the lines filled, making them suitable for showing cumulative data.

Area charts are close cousins of line charts but come with a twist. 

Imagine plotting the sales of a product over several months. In an area chart, the space between the line and the x-axis is filled, providing a visual representation of the cumulative total. 

This makes it easy to see how values stack up over time, making area charts a valuable tool for tracking trends in data.

For area charts, use them to visualize cumulative data and trends, but avoid overcrowding the chart. Add labels, especially at significant points and make sure the area under the lines is filled with a visually appealing color gradient.

8. Tabular presentation

Presenting data in rows and columns, often used for precise data values and comparisons.

Tabular data presentation is all about clarity and precision. Think of it as presenting numerical data in a structured grid, with rows and columns clearly displaying individual data points. 

A table is invaluable for showcasing detailed data, facilitating comparisons and presenting numerical information that needs to be exact. They’re commonly used in reports, spreadsheets and academic papers.

When presenting tabular data, organize it neatly with clear headers and appropriate column widths. Highlight important data points or patterns using shading or font formatting for better readability.

9. Textual data

Utilizing written or descriptive content to explain or complement data, such as annotations or explanatory text.

Textual data presentation may not involve charts or graphs, but it’s one of the most used qualitative data presentation examples. 

It involves using written content to provide context, explanations or annotations alongside data visuals. Think of it as the narrative that guides your audience through the data. 

Well-crafted textual data can make complex information more accessible and help your audience understand the significance of the numbers and visuals.

Textual data is your chance to tell a story. Break down complex information into bullet points or short paragraphs and use headings to guide the reader’s attention.

10. Pictogram

Using simple icons or images to represent data is especially useful for conveying information in a visually intuitive manner.

Pictograms are all about harnessing the power of images to convey data in an easy-to-understand way. 

Instead of using numbers or complex graphs, you use simple icons or images to represent data points. 

For instance, you could use a thumbs up emoji to illustrate customer satisfaction levels, where each face represents a different level of satisfaction. 

Pictograms are great for conveying data visually, so choose symbols that are easy to interpret and relevant to the data. Use consistent scaling and a legend to explain the symbols’ meanings, ensuring clarity in your presentation.

Looking for more data presentation ideas? Use the Venngage graph maker or browse through our gallery of chart templates to pick a template and get started! 

A comprehensive data presentation should include several key elements to effectively convey information and insights to your audience. Here’s a list of what should be included in a data presentation:

1. Title and objective

• Begin with a clear and informative title that sets the context for your presentation.
• State the primary objective or purpose of the presentation to provide a clear focus.

2. Key data points

• Present the most essential data points or findings that align with your objective.
• Use charts, graphical presentations or visuals to illustrate these key points for better comprehension.

3. Context and significance

• Provide a brief overview of the context in which the data was collected and why it’s significant.
• Explain how the data relates to the larger picture or the problem you’re addressing.

4. Key takeaways

• Summarize the main insights or conclusions that can be drawn from the data.
• Highlight the key takeaways that the audience should remember.

5. Visuals and charts

• Use clear and appropriate visual aids to complement the data.
• Ensure that visuals are easy to understand and support your narrative.

6. Implications or actions

• Discuss the practical implications of the data or any recommended actions.
• If applicable, outline next steps or decisions that should be taken based on the data.

7. Q&A and discussion

• Allocate time for questions and open discussion to engage the audience.
• Address queries and provide additional insights or context as needed.

Presenting data is a crucial skill in various professional fields, from business to academia and beyond. To ensure your data presentations hit the mark, here are some common mistakes that you should steer clear of:

Overloading with data

Presenting too much data at once can overwhelm your audience. Focus on the key points and relevant information to keep the presentation concise and focused. Here are some free data visualization tools you can use to convey data in an engaging and impactful way. 

Assuming everyone’s on the same page

It’s easy to assume that your audience understands as much about the topic as you do. But this can lead to either dumbing things down too much or diving into a bunch of jargon that leaves folks scratching their heads. Take a beat to figure out where your audience is coming from and tailor your presentation accordingly.

Misleading visuals

Using misleading visuals, such as distorted scales or inappropriate chart types can distort the data’s meaning. Pick the right data infographics and understandable charts to ensure that your visual representations accurately reflect the data.

Not providing context

Data without context is like a puzzle piece with no picture on it. Without proper context, data may be meaningless or misinterpreted. Explain the background, methodology and significance of the data.

Not citing sources properly

Neglecting to cite sources and provide citations for your data can erode its credibility. Always attribute data to its source and utilize reliable sources for your presentation.

Not telling a story

Avoid simply presenting numbers. If your presentation lacks a clear, engaging story that takes your audience on a journey from the beginning (setting the scene) through the middle (data analysis) to the end (the big insights and recommendations), you’re likely to lose their interest.

Infographics are great for storytelling because they mix cool visuals with short and sweet text to explain complicated stuff in a fun and easy way. Create one with Venngage’s free infographic maker to create a memorable story that your audience will remember.

Ignoring data quality

Presenting data without first checking its quality and accuracy can lead to misinformation. Validate and clean your data before presenting it.

Simplify your visuals

Fancy charts might look cool, but if they confuse people, what’s the point? Go for the simplest visual that gets your message across. Having a dilemma between presenting data with infographics v.s data design? This article on the difference between data design and infographics might help you out. 

Missing the emotional connection

Data isn’t just about numbers; it’s about people and real-life situations. Don’t forget to sprinkle in some human touch, whether it’s through relatable stories, examples or showing how the data impacts real lives.

Skipping the actionable insights

At the end of the day, your audience wants to know what they should do with all the data. If you don’t wrap up with clear, actionable insights or recommendations, you’re leaving them hanging. Always finish up with practical takeaways and the next steps.

Can you provide some data presentation examples for business reports?

Business reports often benefit from data presentation through bar charts showing sales trends over time, pie charts displaying market share,or tables presenting financial performance metrics like revenue and profit margins.

What are some creative data presentation examples for academic presentations?

Creative data presentation ideas for academic presentations include using statistical infographics to illustrate research findings and statistical data, incorporating storytelling techniques to engage the audience or utilizing heat maps to visualize data patterns.

What are the key considerations when choosing the right data presentation format?

When choosing a chart format , consider factors like data complexity, audience expertise and the message you want to convey. Options include charts (e.g., bar, line, pie), tables, heat maps, data visualization infographics and interactive dashboards.

Knowing the type of data visualization that best serves your data is just half the battle. Here are some best practices for data visualization to make sure that the final output is optimized. 

How can I choose the right data presentation method for my data?

To select the right data presentation method, start by defining your presentation’s purpose and audience. Then, match your data type (e.g., quantitative, qualitative) with suitable visualization techniques (e.g., histograms, word clouds) and choose an appropriate presentation format (e.g., slide deck, report, live demo).

For more presentation ideas , check out this guide on how to make a good presentation or use a presentation software to simplify the process.  

How can I make my data presentations more engaging and informative?

To enhance data presentations, use compelling narratives, relatable examples and fun data infographics that simplify complex data. Encourage audience interaction, offer actionable insights and incorporate storytelling elements to engage and inform effectively.

The opening of your presentation holds immense power in setting the stage for your audience. To design a presentation and convey your data in an engaging and informative, try out Venngage’s free presentation maker to pick the right presentation design for your audience and topic. 

What is the difference between data visualization and data presentation?

Data presentation typically involves conveying data reports and insights to an audience, often using visuals like charts and graphs. Data visualization , on the other hand, focuses on creating those visual representations of data to facilitate understanding and analysis. 

Now that you’ve learned a thing or two about how to use these methods of data presentation to tell a compelling data story , it’s time to take these strategies and make them your own. 

But here’s the deal: these aren’t just one-size-fits-all solutions. Remember that each example we’ve uncovered here is not a rigid template but a source of inspiration. It’s all about making your audience go, “Wow, I get it now!”

Think of your data presentations as your canvas – it’s where you paint your story, convey meaningful insights and make real change happen. 

So, go forth, present your data with confidence and purpose and watch as your strategic influence grows, one compelling presentation at a time.

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World Migration Report 2024 Reveals Latest Global Trends and Challenges in Human Mobility 

• International remittances surged by 650 per cent, from USD 128 billion to USD 831 billion between 2000 and 2022. 
• Migrant remittances surpass foreign direct investment in boosting the GDP of developing nations. 
• 281 million international migrants globally; number of those displaced hit a record high by the end of 2022 at 117 million.  

Dhaka/Geneva, 7 May – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) today launched the World Migration Report 2024 , which reveals significant shifts in global migration patterns, including a record number of displaced people and a major increase in international remittances.  

IOM Director General Amy Pope formally released the report in Bangladesh, which stands at the forefront of migration challenges, including emigration, immigration and displacement.   

“The World Migration Report 2024 helps demystify the complexity of human mobility through evidence-based data and analysis,” IOM Director General Amy Pope said at the launch. “In a world grappling with uncertainty, understanding migration dynamics is essential for informed decision-making and effective policy responses, and the World Migration Report advances this understanding by shedding light on longstanding trends and emerging challenges.” 

The report highlights that international migration remains a driver of human development and economic growth, highlighted by a more than 650 per cent increase in international remittances from 2000 to 2022, rising from USD 128 billion to USD 831 billion. The growth continued despite predictions from many analysts that remittances would decrease substantially because of COVID-19.  

Of that 831 billion in remittances, 647 billion were sent by migrants to low– and middle-income countries. These remittances can constitute a significant portion of those countries' GDPs, and globally, these remittances now surpass foreign direct investment in those countries. 

Highlighting key findings, the report reveals that while international migration continues to drive human development, challenges persist. With an estimated 281 million international migrants worldwide, the number of displaced individuals due to conflict, violence, disaster, and other reasons has surged to the highest levels in modern-day records, reaching 117 million, underscoring the urgency of addressing displacement crises.  

Migration, an intrinsic part of human history, is often overshadowed by sensationalized narratives. However, the reality is far more nuanced than what captures headlines. Most migration is regular, safe, and regionally focused, directly linked to opportunities and livelihoods. Yet, misinformation and politicization have clouded public discourse, necessitating a clear and accurate portrayal of migration dynamics.  

By choosing Dhaka as the report's launch site, IOM not only highlights the country's efforts in supporting vulnerable migrants and fostering pathways for regular migration but also recognizes Bangladesh's important role in shaping global migration discourse and policy.  

As a Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration Champion country, Bangladesh has demonstrated a strong commitment to addressing migration issues and implementing policies that safeguard migrants' rights. This proactive engagement aligns with IOM's strategic objectives, making Bangladesh an ideal location to launch the 2024 World Migration Report.  

IOM’s World Migration Report, with its innovative digital tools and comprehensive analysis, aims to help dispel myths, provide critical insights, and inspire meaningful action in addressing the challenges and opportunities of human mobility.  

"We hope the report inspires collaborative efforts to harness the potential of migration as a driver for human development and global prosperity," DG Pope said. 

“As one of the GCM champion countries, Bangladesh will not only continue to act upon the pledges it has made for its domestic context but would also take up emerging issues and challenges pertaining to migration and development for informed deliberations at the international level,” said Dr. Hasan Mahmud, Honourable Foreign Minister, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.

Notes to editors: 

This launch is part of IOM Director General’s first three-day visit to Bangladesh. 

For more information, please contact: 

Marie McAuliffe, World Migration Report Editor at [email protected]  

For media requests: Florence Kim at [email protected]  

RELATED NEWS

Iom's world migration report shows global displacement rising despite covid-19 mobility limits, iom’s world migration report 2020  wins  international  design  awards , world migration report launches dynamic new data visualization platform, world migration report 2020 launched.

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Global EV Outlook 2024 Technical Webinar (morning session)

Background information

The latest Global EV Outlook , published on 23 April 2024, assesses recent developments in electric mobility around the world.

Combining analysis of historical data with projections – now extended to 2035 – the report examines key topics for the deployment of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, including battery demand, investment trends, and policy development.

The Outlook includes analysis of lessons learned from leading markets, and insights into how electric vehicle (EV) deployment is advancing in emerging markets, providing information for policy makers and wider stakeholders. It provides the latest data on what EV adoption means for electricity and oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

The 2024 edition also features analysis of electric vehicle affordability, second-hand markets, lifecycle emissions of electric cars and their batteries, and grid impacts from charging electric medium- and heavy-duty trucks.

Accompanying the Global EV Outlook 2024 are two online tools - the Global EV Data Explorer and the Global EV Policy Explorer - allowing users to interactively explore EV statistics, projections and policy measures worldwide. 

Following a  public livestream on the morning of 23 April , the Global EV Outlook 2024 will additionally be presented to registered viewers in two separate technical webinar events on 25 April at 16:30-17:30 (CEST) and on 26 April at 9:30-10:30 (CEST). The two technical webinars are designed primarily for industry professionals, policy makers and researchers working in the field of electric vehicles. During the webinar the authors will present and discuss the main findings of the report. Attendees will be given a chance to comment and ask questions during a Q&A session. 

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Ideal Option's 2023 report shows effective treatment for fentanyl, meth abuse

I deal Option is an addiction medication out-patient clinic, using lab data from over 2,000 patients, they released their 2023 annual report that shows effective treatment within patients that have abused fentanyl and methamphetamine.

The report lists unemployment and incarceration as major risk factors for addiction but for those who need help treatment is available.

"We've seen the changes rapidly, we're able to stay in front of the changes and be able to indicate medications safely and effectively, " Ideal Option Provider Benjamin Rae said.

The use of fentanyl, meth and other substances continues to be on the rise and simultaneous use is increasing as well.

Testing data showed that 63% of Idaho patients used more than one substance at a time when enrolled in the treatment and 40% discovered a substance in their lab tests, they didn't even know they had taken.

Patients regularly go through lab testing and receive prescribed medication.

" We engage the patient through a series if interview questions and lab testing to help them identify an initiation method that is best for them," Provider Ben Rae said.

Buprenorphine is currently used as the go-to medication for opiate addiction.It reduces cravings and can block the effects of opioid use.

However, some patients are faced with side effects from precipitated withdrawal.

" Which is where fentanyl and illicit substances interact with medications that are supposed to help a person," Rae said.

If the medication is taken incorrectly the patient can feel worse than they would taking the organic withdraw from the substance.

This serves as a reminder that it's always important to follow medical advice.

The new stats also give room for optimism, In the 2023 report patients in the treatment process from initiation to the maintenance stage showed 98% less use of fentanyl, 84% less use of methamphetamine, 86% less use of heroin and 87% less use of cocaine.

Many of the Idaho patients used Medicaid to have these services provided.

You can help people facing addiction in the community by staying educated on different treatment options and even if you are not facing substance abuse, carrying Narcan can help save a life in the case of an overdose.

Biden administration plans to reclassify marijuana, easing restrictions nationwide

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration will take a historic step toward easing federal restrictions on cannabis, with plans to announce an interim rule soon reclassifying the drug for the first time since the Controlled Substances Act was enacted more than 50 years ago, four sources with knowledge of the decision said.

The Drug Enforcement Administration is expected to approve an opinion by the Department of Health and Human Services that marijuana should be reclassified from the strictest Schedule I to the less stringent Schedule III. It would be the first time that the U.S. government has acknowledged its potential medical benefits and begun studying them in earnest.

Attorney General Merrick Garland submitted the rescheduling proposal to the White House Office of Management and Budget on Tuesday afternoon, a source familiar with the situation confirmed.

Any reclassification is still months from going into effect. After the proposal is published in the Federal Register, there will be a 60-day public comment period. The proposal will then be reviewed by an administrative law judge, who could decide to hold a hearing before the rule is approved.

What rescheduling means

Since 1971, marijuana has been in the same category as heroin, methamphetamines and LSD. Each substance under the Schedule I classification is defined as a drug with no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Schedule III substances include Tylenol with codeine, steroids and testosterone.

By rescheduling cannabis, the drug would be studied and researched to identify concrete medical benefits, opening the door for pharmaceutical companies to get involved with the sale and distribution of medical marijuana in states where it is legal.

For the $34 billion cannabis industry, the move would also eliminate significant tax burdens for businesses in states where the drug is legal, notably getting rid of the IRS' code Section 280E, which prohibits legal cannabis companies from deducting what would otherwise be ordinary business expenses.

The Justice Department’s rescheduling decision could also help shrink the black market, which has thrived despite legalization in states like New York and California and has undercut legal markets, which are fiercely regulated and highly taxed.

Years in the making

President Joe Biden directed the Department of Health and Human Services in October 2022 to review marijuana’s classification. Federal scientists concluded that there is credible evidence that cannabis provides medical benefits and that it poses lower health risks than other controlled substances.

Biden even made history in his State of the Union address this year, for the first time referring to marijuana from the dais in the House chamber and making note of the federal review process. “No one should be jailed for using or possessing marijuana,” he said.

When Biden was vice president in the Obama administration, the White House opposed any legalization of marijuana, saying it would “pose significant health and safety risks to all Americans.”

Jim Cole, who was deputy attorney general in the Obama administration, wrote the famous Cole Memo in 2013 , paving the way for the modern marijuana market. The memo scaled back federal intervention in states that had legalized marijuana as long as they implemented “strong and effective regulatory and enforcement systems to control the cultivation, distribution, sale and possession of marijuana.”

Cole, who is now a member of the National Cannabis Roundtable, said in an interview this week that reclassifying marijuana to Schedule III would “open up the ability to actually test it and put it in a laboratory without all of the restrictive measures” of a Schedule I drug.

Kevin Sabet, president and CEO of Smart Approaches to Marijuana and a former Obama administration adviser, said the decision to reclassify marijuana is "the result of a politicized process," arguing that it "will be devastating for America’s kids, who will be bombarded with attractive advertising and promotion of kid-friendly pot products."

"The only winner here is the marijuana industry, who will receive a new tax break and thus widen their profit margins," Sabet said. “Reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule III drug sends the message that marijuana is less addictive and dangerous now than ever before. In reality, today’s highly potent, super strength marijuana is more addictive and linked with psychosis and other mental illnesses, IQ loss and other problems.”

Researchers have raised concerns about high-potency marijuana and cannabis-induced psychiatric disorders, particularly among young men.

Some challenges ahead

Once the DEA formally makes its announcement, the marijuana industry would see an immediate benefit. But with the DEA’s proposed rule change comes a public review period that could lead to a challenge, and perhaps even a change, to the rescheduling proposal.

Once the public comment period has concluded and the Office of Management and Budget reviews the decision, Congress would also be able to overturn the rule under the Congressional Review Act, which gives it the power to weigh in on rules issued by federal agencies. Democrats control the Senate with a 51-seat majority, and for an overturn under the CRA to succeed, two-thirds of the House and the Senate would be needed to support it, meaning the marijuana rescheduling would most likely survive.

Though cannabis remains a divisive topic on Capitol Hill, there has been growing support on a bipartisan basis for marijuana reforms, largely driven by the electorate. Nearly 6 in 10 Americans say marijuana should be legal for medical and recreational purposes, according to a Pew Research poll last month. Cannabis is legal in 24 states for recreational use.

Congress is considering its own bills

Congress is considering its own measures that would make it easier for legal marijuana businesses to thrive and allow for more small and minority-owned shops to flood the marketplace.

The SAFER Banking Act , for example, which would grant legal marijuana businesses access to traditional banking and financial services, could pass both chambers by the end of the year.

Lawmakers are also considering the HOPE Act , another bipartisan bill that would provide states and local governments with resources to automatically expunge criminal records for petty, nonviolent cannabis offenses.

There is also a Democratic-only effort to remove cannabis entirely from the Controlled Substances Act, empowering states to create their own cannabis laws and prioritize restorative and economic justice for those affected by the “war on drugs.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., praised the administration for its move, saying it amounts to "finally recognizing that restrictive and draconian cannabis laws need to change to catch up to what science and the majority of Americans have said loud and clear."

At the same time, he said he is "strongly committed" to moving forward with both the SAFER Banking Act and the Democratic bill to remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act entirely. “Congress must do everything we can to end the federal prohibition on cannabis and address longstanding harms caused by the War on Drugs," he said in a statement.

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., also praised the administration’s move but cautioned that “we still have a long way to go.”

Booker called on Congress in a statement to "follow the lead of states around the country and legalize cannabis for adult-use and create a comprehensive taxation and regulatory scheme."

“Thousands of people remain in prisons around the country for marijuana-related crimes. Thousands of people continue to bear the devastating collateral consequences that come with a criminal record,” he said. “Legal marijuana businesses, especially those in communities hardest hit by the War on Drugs, still have to navigate a convoluted patchwork of state laws and regulatory schemes. I hope that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, especially those who represent constituents benefitting from medical or adult-use programs, join me to pass federal legislation to fix these problems.”

But there is weariness among lawmakers who remember the last time Congress made law surrounding the drug.

The Republican-led Senate legalized hemp production in the 2018 farm bill, a decision that led to synthetic and exotic cannabinoids’ being sold over the counter, often without regulation, particularly in states where marijuana isn’t legal.

It’s a gray area that has drawn pushback from both sides of the aisle, most recently with the rise of Delta-8 , a synthetic tetrahydrocannabinol product that uses chemicals — some of them harmful — to convert hemp-derived CBD into Delta-8 THC.

Julie Tsirkin is a correspondent covering Capitol Hill.

Monica Alba is a White House correspondent for NBC News.