Industry: Data Visualization SaaSRole: Content Designer
Skills: information architecture, UX writing, data storytelling
Collaborators: UX Designer, Sales team
Methodology: Agile
My key deliverables: data story, microcopy, overview copy, lead generation page copy
The Opportunity : Data Storytelling
Looker is a unified platform that powers data experiences and delivers actionable business insights to employees at the point of decision. They’re also a long-time partner of Appnovation, the agency I worked at while undertaking this project.
Looker offers Embedded Analytics to quickly integrate data into existing workflows, helping clients see and understand data instantly and with more depth. Appnovation was ready to provide the storytelling layer that ensured data had meaning. We saw an opportunity to combine our strengths to create a fictional Looker x Appnovation demo dashboard that pushes the boundaries of data storytelling and decision-making.
The Insights : Research in an Unfamiliar Field
The team dedicated time to exploring the data visualization landscape and understanding what users want from a dashboard. We learned that data should be:
- Quickly absorbed and understood
- Exportable and shareable
- Reducing cognitive load
- Represented with the appropriate visual means
- Using text carefully (this one was key for me)
The Content Design Process : A Story of Few Words
We didn’t have a story to start with. Since this dashboard was fictional, I had free reign on the storytelling element. We chose an Employee Experience (EX) theme so we could show how data and real human experience could work together. And, like any good story, there had to be characters (personas), plot development (absorbing data), and a resolution (finding the right answers).
We worked in a JTBD framework and identified key decisions or data points our persona would need to uncover for a successful journey. I worked backwards to map out different data layers and the right spot to present each layer.
The Final Product : More Than a Just a Dashboard
The demo opens on a visually-stunning, colourful dashboard with lots of interactive elements and motion. Labelling is minimal here, letting the visualizations do the work.
Users can click into individual elements to see new visualizations and short descriptions that provide context and underscore the importance of the data.
I also wrote content around the demo to help users understand what to expect. Before jumping into the dashboard, users learn about the fictional company, the different data visualization elements, and the power of data storytelling.
Finally, I wrote more sales-focused copy for the lead generation landing page to entice prospects to sign up for the demo. I focused on the power of Looker x Appnovation and the benefits that Embedded Analytics and a data experience layer can have when it comes to decision making.
Unique Challenges & Key Learnings
Data may be complex, but it needs to be made simple. In our demo, users have the option to dig into Embedded Analytics. But we also had to make sure our visualizations gave the full picture.
Telling a human story with numbers is possible. Using qualitative data labels for quantitative purposes was a unique challenge that ultimately reminded us how human data needs to be.
A little motion goes a long way. At first, we were tempted to use out-of-this-world charts, graphs, and animations. We quickly realized that a little bit of each was enough to elevate the experience.