Numeric or quantitative results are opportunities to tell powerful narratives, the foremost expert on visualizing information Edward Tufte, says. Tufte, a statistician, and artist have written, designed, and self-published four books on data visualization including Beautiful Evidence, a well-respected tome on visualizing numerical findings.

Edward Rolf Tufte is an American statistician and professor emeritus of political science, statistics, and computer science at Yale University. He is noted for his writings on information design and as a pioneer in the field of data visualization.

Edward Rolf Tufte is an American statistician and professor emeritus of political science, statistics, and computer science at Yale University. He is noted for his writings on information design and as a pioneer in the field of data visualization.

An image of an area chart that could easily be misconstrued if the chart shape is altered through visualization.

An image of an area chart that could easily be misconstrued if the chart shape is altered through visualization.

These are Tufte’s 6 principles adopted for Service Design:

1. Comparisons: Show data by comparisons (bar charts and the like) to depict contrasts and differences between dependent variables.

2. Causality: Demonstrate how one or more independent variables impact or influence dependent variables.

3. Multivariate: Various data are combined so an audience can easily interpret an otherwise complex narrative.

4. Integration: Incorporate various modes of information (texts, maps, calculations, diagrams, etc.), to show evidence of source data-to-findings.

5. Documentation: For credibility, include attribution, detailed titles, and measurements (scales).

6. Context: Describe or depict the before and after state. Show trend lines to hint at results in the future.

In summary, when service designers recognize one of their roles is to lead teams and present data to executives, they will take great care to develop solid narratives from facts and create accurate visual presentations. I’ve seen some who possess these skills to rise in their careers, and I’ve also seen others whose careers have stagnated because they lacked this ability.

An Excerpt from The Master: A Handbook for Service Designers. (Available soon.) Find out more from www.InternationalServiceDesignInstitute.com