A Rare Skillset

To bridge the gap between data and an audience, the data author has a complex job. The author must decide what data is most important to focus on to answer the questions at hand, and how to optimally harness and depict data to inform thinking and action. Effective communication with data is a rare skillset. Here are a few hats that data product authors must wear:

• Salesman—Data product authors must know their audience. To do so, they must consider how to best capture their audience’s attention, how they might perceive the data, and what it may take to gain the audience’s buy-in. An effective data product needs to be enticing, clear, and convincing to lead an audience to action.
• Therapist—Data product authors need empathy—the desire and ability to understand and share the feelings of others. By getting into the hearts and minds of the audience, they can find the questions that are most influential. What will motivate an audience to action...