Understanding Partitioning and Sequence in Data-Driven Storytelling

Abstract

The comic strip narrative style is an effective method for data-driven storytelling. However, surely it is not enough to just add some speech bubbles and clipart to your PowerPoint slideshow to turn it into a data comic? In this paper, we investigate aspects of partitioning and sequence as fundamental mechanisms for comic strip narration: chunking complex visuals into manageable pieces, and organizing them into a meaningful order, respectively. We do this by presenting results from a qualitative study designed to elicit differences in participant behavior when solving questions using a complex infographic compared to when the same visuals are organized into a data comic.