What Is storytelling with data and What Does the Site Offer?

storytelling with data (SWD) is a training and education organization that teaches people to communicate data effectively—specifically, to create graphs that make sense and present compelling, action-inspiring stories rather than simply showing charts. The site is best suited for professionals and teams who need to present data to an audience and want a practical, structured process for doing it well. Its teaching is based on the lessons in its best-selling books, and it offers a range of free and paid resources spanning books, podcasts, videos, articles, courses, and training.

What the site is about

The core premise, stated directly on the homepage, is: "Don't just show data, tell a story with it!" SWD positions itself as "the team who wrote the book on it," and its instruction centers on a straightforward process for communicating data effectively, drawn from its books.

The emphasis is on two connected skills:

• Making graphs that make sense — clear, well-designed data visualizations.
• Presenting compelling, action-inspiring stories — turning those visuals into a narrative that moves an audience to act.

If your goal is simply to learn chart-building software, this is a different kind of resource: it focuses on the communication and design decisions around the data.

What resources the site offers

SWD describes a number of resources for building data storytelling skills:

Two free entry points are highlighted for getting a feel for the teaching style: graph and slide makeovers and learning videos. These let you sample the approach before committing to a paid option.

Training and course options

SWD offers multiple ways to develop skills, aimed at both individuals and teams:

Team trainings

Customized virtual and on-site sessions ranging from short keynotes to full-day hands-on workshops. The training is tailored with examples from your own organization and adapted to your data communication needs.

Public workshops

Individual enrollment in a workshop where you learn alongside people from a variety of roles and industries. The focus is on bringing data to life and communicating a story confidently to an audience.

Online course

An in-depth 8-week course described as a multi-media experience combining lectures, reading, videos, podcasts, exercises, and a course project—for those who want to dedicate more time to developing their skills.

Who it's for

SWD is aimed at professionals and teams who communicate with data. The testimonials on the site come from team training attendees, public workshop participants, online course students, and a team training organizer—suggesting the audience spans individual learners and organizations.

The site states it has "experience with all types of data from a variety of industries," so the material is not limited to one sector. Typical fit:

• Analysts and individual contributors who need to present findings.
• Managers and teams who want a shared approach to data communication.
• Anyone preparing a data-driven presentation who wants it to be clear and persuasive.

How to get started

1. Sample the free material first. Explore the graph and slide makeovers and learning videos to see whether the teaching style fits how you learn.
2. Choose a format based on your time and setting. Short keynote or full-day workshop for a team; public workshop for individual skill-building; the 8-week online course if you want a deeper, structured commitment.
3. For team training, expect customization. Sessions are tailored with examples from your organization, so the content is adapted to your context rather than generic.
4. Sign up for the newsletter via the subscribe page to stay informed about resources and offerings.

What to keep in mind

• The site does not publish pricing on the pages reviewed here, so costs for trainings, workshops, and the online course are not stated—check the individual offering pages for details.
• The free resources (makeovers, videos, articles, podcast) are a reasonable way to evaluate the approach before paying for a course or training.
• The teaching is grounded in SWD's books, so the site and the books reinforce each other; if you prefer structured reading, the books are the natural companion to the online material.