Advanced Data Storytelling
Data visualization course online or in person
Choosing the right chart is one of the trickiest skills in data visualization. Most people only get good at it after a lot of trial and error, that's why it’s usually the last thing you master.
In this workshop, I’ll help you speed up that process. I’ll grow your chart vocabulary from the few you use most often to around 20 essential business chart types - enough to cover 99% of situations you’ll ever face.
To make it practical, we’ll follow a young analyst on her journey through a business problem: spotting insights, choosing visuals, and building a story. You’ll discover each chart type in context, the way you’ll use it in real life.
Course Duration:
4 hours. If you’re short on time, we can split it into two focused 2-hour sessions, or run a single 2-hour version without the distribution and correlation charts.
Who Should Attend:
If you already know the basics of data storytelling and want to take on tougher business cases and work with advanced chart types, this is for you.
Prerequisites:
Just the basics of Excel. We’ll do some hands-on exercises in it, but nothing complicated.
Languages:
We can do the workshop in Czech or English - your choice.
Where & How:
Online: MS Teams, Zoom, or whatever platform you like.
In-Person: I can come to your office in Prague, anywhere in the Czech Republic, or nearby countries like Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Germany, or Austria. And if you’re further away? No problem, I’m happy to travel.
Advanced Data Storytelling Course Syllabus
Choosing the Right Display
1. Chart or table?
Learn when a chart beats a table (and when it doesn’t) with real business examples and the famous Anscombe’s quartet.
Time Series Data
2. Step chart
Learn to visualize data that changes at irregular intervals.
3. Line vs. column chart
Understand when each chart works best for time series, and why they’re not always interchangeable.
4. Displaying cyclical data
Compare four ways to show seasonal or repeating patterns, and pick the one that works for your business.
5. The zero baseline rule
See why starting at zero matters, and when breaking the rule can be justified.
6. Using a secondary axis
Learn when a dual axis can help and when it risks misleading your audience.
7. Comparing two data points
Explore arrow, bar, bar-in-bar charts, and KPI cards comparisons.
Categorical Data
8. Showing a breakdown of the total
Decide between pie, donut, treemap, bar, or stacked column charts depending on whether you’re comparing or showing composition.
9. Bar vs. column chart
Spot the differences between these two charts and learn why they shouldn't be used interchangeably.
10. Comparing proportions over time
Find better ways than placing two pie charts side by side, like stacked columns or merged bar charts.
11. Waterfall charts for variance analysis
Show step-by-step changes that explain how you got from one number to another.
Distribution and Segmentation
12. Visualizing distribution
Use histograms, box plots, and jitter plots to show spread and variability.
13. Segmentation with scatterplots and bubbles
Reveal customer groups or portfolio segments at a glance.
14. Showing correlation
Use scatterplots to make relationships and patterns obvious.
Geospatial Data
15. To map or not to map
Decide if your data truly benefits from a geographic view, or if another visual works better.
16. Color coding in maps
Compare monochromatic vs. polychromatic schemes and pick the one that works for you.
Hierarchical Data
17. Showing hierarchy
Choose between treemaps, sunbursts, or simple bar charts to visualize structure.
18. Tracking the customer journey
Compare funnel charts, Sankey diagrams, and other alternatives for showing process stages.
Practice
19. Hands-on case work
Apply advanced chart selection and storytelling principles in two real-world cases.
20. Interactive Q&A
Bring your questions and challenges, we’ll tackle them together.
