This document discusses how to become a better business intelligence (BI) visual storyteller in four easy steps. It introduces the concept of visual storyboarding for requirements gathering and outlines its benefits over traditional reporting. The key steps include using a visual storyboard template to gather requirements more effectively, understand why visual storytelling is more impactful for users, and eliminate gaps in visual stories. It then demonstrates the template, which includes components for the current state, trends, forecast, and solutions. The document emphasizes that visual storyboarding can reduce scoping time and improve communication.

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How to Become a better
BI Visual Storyteller in 4 Easy Steps
Mico Yuk
Co-founder/CEO, BI Brainz USA

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Social Reminder
Be sure to join the discussion…
@micoyuk | @bibrainz | @analyticsonfire
#BI2017 | #HANA2017
micoyuk.com

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In This Session
• Learn how to gather requirements more effectively (using our visual storyboard template)
• Discover why visual storytelling is more effective than traditional reporting and why
users 💙 it!
• Learn how to use our visual storyboard to cut down your requirements gathering time by
up to 50%
• Learn how to eliminate gaps in your visual storytelling
• Review a real world enterprise visual storyboard and customer story

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What We’ll Cover
• What is visual storytelling and why is it important?
• Why is visual storyboarding so effective?
• Live Demo: BI Dashboard Formula Actionable KPI Visual Storyboard Template
„ Three components of an effective visual storyboard
„ Eliminating gaps in your visual story
• BI Dashboard Formula Actionable KPI Visual Storyboard — Customer example
• Wrap-up

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In This Session
You will leave with an
understanding of how to
use visual storyboarding to
increase user adoption,
and make your dashboards
more intelligent and
actionable!
Photo Credit: Visual Content Marketing

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“A picture is worth a
thousand words.”
― Confucius

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Let’s define a visual storyboard in the BI world…
sto·ry·board
Noun
1. the process of telling a story for animation through static images
2. a panel or series of panels of rough sketches outlining the scene sequence
and major changes of action in a data visualization

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“The purpose of a storyteller is
not to tell you how to think, but
to give you questions to think
upon.”
― Brandon Sanderson, The Way of Kings

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Copyright © 2017 BI Dashboard Formula (a BI Brainz Group company)
WHY USE VISUAL
STORYBOARDS?
1. communicate
knowledge
2. interpret
experiences

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What We’ll Cover
• What is visual storytelling and why is it important?
• Why is visual storyboarding so effective?
• Live Demo: BI Dashboard Formula Actionable KPI Visual Storyboard Template
„ Three components of an effective visual storyboard
„ Eliminating gaps in your visual story
• BI Dashboard Formula Actionable KPI Visual Storyboard — Customer example
• Wrap-up

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“Dashboard design is
storytelling.
A good story contains a
beginning, an end, and a
point.”
― I don’t know who said it, but they were right!

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Source: http://visual.ly/science-­storytelling

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What We’ll Cover
• What is visual storytelling and why is it important?
• Why is visual storyboarding so effective?
• Live Demo: BI Dashboard Formula Actionable KPI Visual Storyboard Template
„ Three components of an effective visual storyboard
„ Eliminating gaps in your visual story
• BI Dashboard Formula Actionable KPI Visual Storyboard — Customer example
• Wrap-up

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01Answers the question:
“Where are we now?” by
highlighting the current state of
the main 3-­5 KPIs that are being
tracked
02Answers the question:
“How did you get here?” by
identifying the metrics
associated with the KPIs from
the snapshot. Display how they
impacted those KPIs.
03Answers the question:
“What do I need to change?” by
highlighting metrics that can
have a direct impact on the state
of the main 3-­5 KPIs to help
them reach their goals.
Three Components of an effective BIDF Visual Storyboard
BIBrainz.com/aof/bidfvisualstoryboardownload

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BI Dashboard Formula | ‘Actionable’ KPI Visual Storyboard Template
Download: bibrainz.com/aof/bidfvisualstoryboardownload

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BIDF Visual Storyboard – Current State
ANSWER a single QUESTION:
• Where are you now?

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FOCUS ON
GOALS
1. MUST BE ASSOCIATED
WITH THE BOTTOM LINE
2. TIED TO KEY
COMPANY OBJECTIVES
BIDF Visual Storyboard – Current State

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BIDF Visual Storyboard – Current State
§ Actuals
§ Probability (Linear)
Visual Responses
§ Comparisons (vs Target, vs Last Yr)
§ Popular: Bar Charts

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Rule of Thumb
Context is KEY J
§ Clear, easy to read data points that
take the reader through a story
§ Leaving nothing open for
interpretation
BIDF Visual Storyboard – Current State

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BIDF Visual Storyboard – Trends
ANSWER a single QUESTION:
• How did you get here?

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FOCUS ON
CAUSES
1. WHAT TRENDS CONTRIBUTED
MOST TO THE CURRENT STATE?
2. HOW DID THEY IMPACT
THE CURRENT STATE?
BIDF Visual Storyboard – Trends

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§ Ranking to show
top/bottom performers
§ Comparisons (across time or items)
§ Popular: Line Charts to show trends
BIDF Visual Storyboard – Trends
Visual Responses

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Rule of Thumb
§ List of causes should be dynamic
§ Highest contributing factors to current
state should be clearly shown as
metrics
BIDF Visual Storyboard – Trends
Source -­ http://www.tableausoftware.com/about/blog/2015/5/82-­preview-­tell-­story-­your-­data-­story-­points-­30761

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BIDF Visual Storyboard – Forecast
ANSWER a single QUESTION:
• If you don’t change anything, where will
you end up??

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FOCUS ON THE
FUTURE EFFECT
1. WHAT CONTRIBUTED MOST TO
THE CURRENT STATE?
2. HOW DID IT IMPACT THE
CURRENT STATE?
BIDF Visual Storyboard – Forecast

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§ Combine with
Current
State/Trends
§ Use text to
depict
§ Include a visual
end state
§ Popular: Line
Charts to show
trends
BIDF Visual Storyboard – Forecast
Visual Responses

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Do not confuse the forecast with
predictive which includes making
changes before determining the
possible future state
BIDF Visual Storyboard – Forecast
Rule of Thumb

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BIDF Visual Storyboard – What if
ANSWER a single QUESTION:
• Instead of >> What can I change?
• Ask >> TELL ME what to change

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FOCUS ON
HOW TO FIX IT?
1. WHAT SOLUTIONS CAN BE
APPLIED TO FIX PROBLEM?
2. WHICH SOLUTIONS HAVE
THE GREATEST IMPACT?
BIDF Visual Storyboard – What if

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§ No Sliders
§ Use regular chart to show outliers and even
text to make crystal clear
BIDF Visual Storyboard – What if
Visual
Responses

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This is what BI is really about.
Solutions. Spend the most time in
with your users on this section. They
typically have 80% of the answer
sitting in a spreadsheet.
BIDF Visual Storyboard – What if
Rule of Thumb

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What We’ll Cover
• What is visual storytelling and why is it important?
• Why is visual storyboarding so effective?
• Live Demo: BI Dashboard Formula Actionable KPI Visual Storyboard Template
„ Three components of an effective visual storyboard
„ Eliminating gaps in your visual story
• BI Dashboard Formula Actionable KPI Visual Storyboard — Customer example
• Wrap-up

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BIDF Actionable KPI Visual Storyboard – Customer Story
(Global Fortune 500 Company, Consumer Goods, $50bn Revenues)
BIBrainz.com/aof/bidfvisualstoryboardownload

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Where to Find More Information
• BIBrainz.com/aof/bidfvisualstoryboardownload
s Download the BIDF Visual Storyboard Template
• https://channels.theinnovationenterprise.com/articles/11-reasons-why-most-business-
intelligence-projects-fail
s Blog Post on why BI projects fail
• AnalyticsonFire.com
s Analytics on fire blog/podcast (sign up for free tutorials)
• BIBrainz.com
s Check our dashboard gallery for inspiration and upcoming events
• Storytelling with Data: A Data Visualization Guide for Business Professionals
• https://www.amazon.com/Data-Visualization-Dummies-Mico-Yuk/dp/1118502892
s Book: Mico Yuk, Stephanie Diamond, “Data Visualization for Dummies” (Wiley, June 2014).

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7 Key Points to Take Home
• Stop gathering requirements with a word document
• Visual storytelling is the future of BI requirement gathering
• The BIDF Visual Storyboard will reduce your scoping time by at least 50% when done
correctly
• Use the impact % to reduce your KPI count
• Use the the BIDF visual storyboard in print format for live sessions and place on walls
(size: A1, glossy, laminated w/ post its and markets)
• Reuse the storyboard for future phases

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Your Turn!
How to contact me:
Mico Yuk
Email: myuk@bibrainz.com
Twitter: @micoyuk
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/micoyuk
Please remember to complete your session evaluation