Art and analytics aren’t opposite. In fact, they complement each other in many ways. Both are ways of communicating explicit and implicit information; that is, conveying a message directly and indirectly.

As I explained in a previous post, 1 Skill that Connects Analytics and Art, art and analytics start with simplification to convey a message. Patterns and storytelling build on top of that for impact and effectiveness.

Noticing Patterns

When I start a data project, I first explore attributes (or columns): meanings, relevancy, possible values and outliers, frequency of values, and so on. This helps me identify what is happening in the data and shape the report for end users. For example, in an employee voluntary termination dataset, let’s say I notice the majority of employees have resigned within 5 years of employment. Seeing this pattern helps me decide what to highlight so end users notice too.

Starting a painting project is really no different. With any given subject, I first explore objects: shapes, colors, values, proportion, and so on. Let’s say I notice a trend in lighting through a landscape. I’m able to set up a pleasing composition for viewers and guide them to notice those patterns. Practicing the same process in data projects strengthens the same observation skills that I rely on for painting.

Building the Story

Once I’ve noticed patterns, the next step is shaping them into a story that makes sense to viewers. In the terminated employees example, I might highlight why people are leaving and show trends in demographics or roles. This could look like a story where millennials in Department Y are resigning because of limited career growth. Assuming that we care about terminations, this story implies Department Y doesn’t have career opportunities and shows end users where they can make an impact.

Similarly, I can shape the landscape painting into a story of a cold winter morning, using shapes and colors to guide viewers to a sunrise behind beautiful fir trees. With art, I decide what to highlight, and exploring what stands out in data stories reinforces how I do that in painting.