Before & After: Inside the New Book from the Storytelling with Data Team

About this episode

The episode features a discussion with Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic and Mike Cisneros about their new book, focusing on the evolution of data visualization and the importance of process over rules.

In this episode, I'm joined by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic and Mike Cisneros from Storytelling with Data to talk about their new book, Before & After. We dig into where the examples came from, how they selected and refined real client work, and why the book focuses so heavily on process rather than rules or templates. We also reflect on how the data visualization field has evolved over the past decade—from best practices and chart types to iteration, audience empathy, and real-world constraints. Along the way, we talk about teaching data viz, common pitfalls, and why there's no such thing as a true "201 course"—only practice. Keywords: ddata visualization, storytelling with data, data storytelling, before and after charts, visualization process, data communication, chart design, visual analytics, design iteration, audience-focused data, PolicyViz Podcast, Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic, Mike Cisneros Subscribe to the PolicyViz Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Become a patron of the PolicyViz Podcast [https://patreon.com/policyviz?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink] for as little as a buck a month Grab the new book, Before…

People in this episode

Host: Jonathan Schwabish

Guests: Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic, Mike Cisneros

Topics covered

• data visualization
• storytelling
• data communication
• chart design
• visual analytics
• design iteration

Keywords

• data visualization
• storytelling with data
• data storytelling
• before and after charts
• visualization process
• chart design
• audience-focused data

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Storytelling with Data

Books & works: Before & After

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