Visual Analytics & Storytelling Template (Interactive)

title: "Visual Analytics & Storytelling Template", "IntroductionHtml": "

Turn analytic discoveries into action

This template helps you move from 'I see something' to 'We should do something about it.' Capture the key question, the evidence (charts and essential chart metadata), an interpretation with an explicit confidence level, and recommended actions or experiments. Use the visualization pattern options to pick a chart approach that fits the question, and include reproducibility notes so others can validate or extend your work.

Quick example: Question: Are weekly support wait times increasing after the new routing change? Visual evidence: time-series of median wait time (weeks 1–12) and distribution of wait times pre/post. Interpretation: Median wait increased from 3m to 7m (confidence: 4/5) — possible routing bottleneck. Recommended action: Run a focused routing A/B test for two weeks and monitor median wait and SLA misses.

", "SubmitLabel": "Save Story", "SuccessMessage": "Saved — use this record to present, export, or attach charts. You can refine it later.", "DataType": "VisualStoryTemplateSubmission", "SchemaVersion": 1, "Fields": [ { "Key": "audience", "Label": "Primary audience / decision owner", "FieldType": "text", "Required": false, "HelpText": "Who needs to act on this (role or team)? Helps tailor framing and recommended actions." }, { "Key": "key_question", "Label": "Key question and hypothesis", "FieldType": "textarea", "Required": true, "HelpText": "State the precise question you explored and the hypothesis you tested. Example: 'Did the routing change increase median wait time?'" }, { "Key": "visualization_pattern", "Label": "Suggested visualization pattern", "FieldType": "select", "Required": true, "HelpText": "Pick the visualization pattern that best fits the question. Use the pattern to guide design choices (axes, bins, grouping).", "Options": [ { "Value": "time_series", "Label": "Time series (trend over time)" }, { "Value": "distribution", "Label": "Distribution (histogram, boxplot)" }, { "Value": "comparison", "Label": "Comparison (bar/column)" }, { "Value": "part_to_whole", "Label": "Part-to-whole (stacked, treemap, pie — use sparingly)" }, { "Value": "relationship", "Label": "Relationship (scatter, correlation)" }, { "Value": "geospatial", "Label": "Geospatial (maps)" }, { "Value": "text_network", "Label": "Text or network (wordcloud, network graph)" }, { "Value": "single_metric", "Label": "Single metric / KPI (big-number + context)" } ] }, { "Key": "visual_evidence", "Label": "Visual evidence (chart descriptions, links or placeholders)", "FieldType": "textarea", "Required": true, "HelpText": "Describe or link to the charts that show the evidence. Include chart title, type, axes (units, time window), filters applied, sample size, and any annotations. If you attach images elsewhere, paste links or storage paths here. Example: 'Chart 1 — Median wait time by week (line chart, y-axis minutes, weeks 1–12, N=12 weeks). Chart 2 — Distribution of wait times pre/post (boxplots).'" }, { "Key": "chart_quality_checks", "Label": "Chart quality checklist (brief)", "FieldType": "checkbox", "Required": false, "HelpText": "Quick checks to confirm charts are trustworthy and interpretable.", "Options": [ { "Value": "axis_labels", "Label": "Axes labeled with units and time window" }, { "Value": "sample_size", "Label": "Sample size or N noted" }, { "Value": "filters", "Label": "Filters/segment definitions documented" }, { "Value": "outliers", "Label": "Outliers or anomalies noted" }, { "Value": "aggregation", "Label": "Aggregation method (median/mean) specified" }, { "Value": "reproducible_query", "Label": "Reproducible query or dataset reference included" } ] }, { "Key": "interpretation", "Label": "Interpretation — what the data suggests", "FieldType": "textarea", "Required": true, "HelpText": "Explain the finding in plain language. Avoid overstating causation; note alternative explanations. Example: 'Median wait increased after routing change; pattern suggests a routing bottleneck but could also reflect increased overall volume.'" }, { "Key": "confidence", "Label": "Confidence level (1 = low, 5 = high)", "FieldType": "scale", "Required": true, "HelpText": "Rate how confident you are in the interpretation based on data quality, sample size, and controls.", "Options": [ { "Value": "1", "Label": "1 - Low" }, { "Value": "2", "Label": "2 - Some concerns" }, { "Value": "3", "Label": "3 - Moderate" }, { "Value": "4", "Label": "4 - Fairly confident" }, { "Value": "5", "Label": "5 - High confidence" } ] }, { "Key": "evidence_strength", "Label": "Evidence strength", "FieldType": "radio", "Required": false, "HelpText": "Choose the best descriptor for the evidence supporting your interpretation.", "Options": [ { "Value": "exploratory", "Label": "Exploratory — hypothesis-generating" }, { "Value": "suggestive", "Label": "Suggestive — worth targeted testing" }, { "Value": "compelling", "Label": "Compelling — likely action justified" }, { "Value": "reproducible", "Label": "Reproducible — validated across datasets/periods" } ] }, { "Key": "recommended_actions", "Label": "Recommended next actions", "FieldType": "textarea", "Required": true, "HelpText": "Concrete, time-bounded recommendations or decisions to try. Prefer small experiments or measurable pilots when appropriate. Example: 'Run a two-week routing A/B test; track median wait and SLA misses daily.'" }, { "Key": "experiment_proposal", "Label": "Experiment or validation plan", "FieldType": "textarea", "Required": false, "HelpText": "If recommending a test, describe success criteria, metrics to measure, duration, and sample size. Keep plans practical and measurable." }, { "Key": "impact_estimate", "Label": "Estimated impact (qualitative or numeric)", "FieldType": "textarea", "Required": false, "HelpText": "Briefly estimate potential impact if action succeeds (e.g., minutes saved, % reduction in SLA misses, or revenue/cost implications). Mark as estimate." }, { "Key": "stakeholders", "Label": "Stakeholders to notify or involve", "FieldType": "text", "Required": false, "HelpText": "List teams, roles, or individuals who should review or take ownership of next steps." }, { "Key": "reproducibility_notes", "Label": "Reproducibility notes / how to rerun the analysis", "FieldType": "textarea", "Required": false, "HelpText": "Provide queries, dataset names, filters, and version tags so others can reproduce the charts. This increases trust and reduces friction for validation." }, { "Key": "presentation_headline", "Label": "Presentation headline (one sentence)", "FieldType": "text", "Required": true, "HelpText": "A single sharp sentence that summarizes the finding and recommended action for non-technical stakeholders. Example: 'Routing change likely increased median wait time — run a two-week routing A/B test.'" }, { "Key": "supporting_bullets", "Label": "Supporting bullets for slides or executive summary", "FieldType": "textarea", "Required": false, "HelpText": "3–5 short bullets summarizing evidence, confidence, and recommended next step." }, { "Key": "links_and_attachments", "Label": "Links to dashboards, reports, or attachments", "FieldType": "textarea", "Required": false, "HelpText": "Paste URLs, notebook links, or storage paths to charts, queries, or raw data." } ]