Data Viz Today 100!!! Pick your dataviz aggregation by asking: What's the decision? — Featuring Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic & Mike Cisneros
Dec 18, 2025
Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic, founder of Storytelling with Data and bestselling author, and Mike Cisneros, data visualization practitioner and co-author, discuss choosing aggregation by starting with the audience and the decision they must make. They compare granular versus aggregated views, explore practical redesign options, and show how annotations and alternative versions clarify context for different stakeholders.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Book Born From Client Makeovers
- Anecdote: Before and After came from wanting to share client makeovers that 'never saw the light of day.'
- Cole explains they adapted real client cases, anonymized and mixed details to teach nuanced scenarios.
Present Multiple Visualization Options
- Do offer multiple design options when you lack full context about constraints or preferences.
- Cole recommends presenting alternate visual approaches because industry norms or stakeholder tastes (e.g., dislike of scatterplots) vary.
Ask Questions To Reveal Missing Context
- Do clarify assumptions and audience knowledge before deciding what to include.
- Mike emphasizes analysts often miss context and should ask questions because recipients may not share assumed knowledge.
