ABSTRACT
The idea of data presentation has evolved from suggestion, to study, to practice. Poor graphics omit context, bury critical information, cherry-pick data to advance a cause. Common errors include graphics that fail to provide comparisons or a clear explanation of what story the data are telling, or when too many elements are crammed into too little space without clear explanations or labeling. It's frustrating when an enormous amount of data is presented, but to the detriment of understanding. Other mishaps include data being left out, mislabeling, confusing to read, and scale issues. Sometimes the mistakes are unintentional, and sometimes they are designed with the intent to mislead. The abundance of data today provides a wealth of new opportunities for turning that data into graphics. Using graphics to tell stories is a powerful option for public realtions and other communications professionals. But it is imperative to use data to construct business graphics that tell stories quickly and clearly.
