Tracking down the unicorn

In the absence of a magic formula that guarantees a good story from data, there are a series of steps that anyone can take to help them build a convincing argument that should be understood by a wide audience. Consider the following urinal and give it a price.

To see the original visit: http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/duchamp-fountain-t07573

Now that you have a figure in mind here is a bit of background information: Marcel Duchamp submitted this artwork (for artwork it is) under the name ‘The Fountain’ to the 1917 Parisian Salon des Indépendants. The art fair committee turned it down for display but the application launched what was to become an iconic art movement – conceptual art.

As for comparison, LHOOQ, a cheap postcard reproduction of Mona Lisa on which Duchamp drew a moustache and a beard, was sold for $607,500 USD in 1999 by the Christie’s auction house.

Raw data is much like the urinal analogy above, and far too often people just throw it at their audience’s face. Unless further background and context is provided, then the gap between the data and the audiences understanding is doomed to widen. By following a simple process such as the one below you can reduce this risk significantly.

The emotional connexion. Be more like Donald Trump