How to communicate data so people actually understand it

There’s no doubt that good, credible data can help make your case and sell your ‘why’ when you’re communicating a message. But data can be quite complex - and while you, as the subject matter expert, may understand it and think it tells a great story, your audience does not necessarily have the knowledge you have in order to be able to make connections.

So how do you communicate data in a way that ensures people understand why you think it is so valuable? Here’s a few of our top tips.

Tell a story

People remember facts when they’re told in an interesting way, and our brains are wired to hook into stories. Telling a story that shows what problem you were trying to solved, how you solved it, and what the outcomes are can be a great way to make your data interesting. Add an emotional element, and you’re onto a winner!

Use analogies and metaphors

Analogies are essentially where you say ‘this is like that’. You’re helping people to make sense of the data by saying it in a different, simpler way. For example, if you’re trying to explain a big, sudden jump between data points, you could say: ‘It’s like when you go to the supermarket and you see a product is now $3 more expensive than it used to be…’ and go on to use the analogy of the product pricing / value to explain why you’ve seen this difference in data.

Put it in terms people can relate to

Think about statistics around climate change - there are some very powerful statistics around how much the Antarctic ice sheet’s mass has changed in recent decades (an average of 149 billion metric tonnes of ice per year, according to NASA). But the Antarctic is a long way from most of us, it’s not currently impacting us in a way that disrupts our lives, and what does that amount even mean?

To make it meaningful, those statistics could be told in a way that takes the problem closer to home. For example, you could say: For those of us living in Brisbane, that’s the equivalent of X number of suburbs disappearing from the coastline since 2002. Or you could create a sense of urgency, by saying something like: For those of us living in Brisbane, this means that within x years, these suburbs will be under water - they will no longer exist.

Use visuals - but don’t overcomplicate them!

Graphs and charts can be a good way of displaying the data in simple terms - for example, a pie chart showing a basic distribution of data. But they aren’t always easily understood themselves, or they just aren’t that interesting! Think about using infographics, video, or even sketchnotes to explain your data simply.

Check out the World Health Organisation’s page on efficacy and effectiveness - it’s a great example of using simple terms and infographics to help explain a complex concept.

Use emotion to make it meaningful

The emotion you want to get across could be shock, anger, or even humour! It all depends on the outcome you’re trying to achieve. The great thing about eliciting emotion is that it tends to mean people are more likely to remember the data. 

Think of these statistics from yougov.com - over half (58%) of adults in the USA say they always wash their hand with soap after going to the bathroom at home. Okay, that’s pretty gross, but 58% is just a number and might seem okay until you put it in an emotional context.

For example: That means of the last five people you shook hands with, two of them probably didn’t wash their hands with soap after using the toilet.

Now, it’s really gross and people will start reaching for the sanitiser!

The Australian Bureau of Statistics is a great example of using humour to make their data interesting. Here’s one of their top posts from 2021:

Break it down into smaller chunks

When you’re the subject matter expert, we often forget we have the ‘curse of knowledge’ and that others will have no idea what we’re talking about, or why it’s important. It’s very tempting to do a ‘brain dump’ of information. But even when using analogies, stories, and other techniques, it can be a LOT of information for a person to listen to, process, and understand what it means for them. 

Instead, break the data down into a few key points that you explain separately, then show how it all fits together to create the bigger picture. 

On that note … test it with a third party!

Before you put your information out into the world, test your communication first with someone who has no idea what your information is about. They’ll be able to tell you if it make sense or not, and any questions they have could help you further refine your messages.