Communicating impactful and culturally-charged insight bottles down to one thing: clarity. Clarity of the message, clarity of the copy and clarity of the story. As with many things, however, the tendency to over-complicate and over-include is always tempting – especially when the research is so damn interesting. So how do you use the editing process to create clear content with lasting impact? In this session we’ll provide the tools and tips needed to edit insights. We’ll ask: how can we learn to let go and self-critique? And how can we channel our inner editor to create truly engaging content? Join us in an ode to clarity as we reveal the power of leaving stuff out.

1. How To Edit Insights
Phoebe Trimingham, Crowd DNA
The Future of
Storytelling and
Visualisation
How To Edit Insights
And Tell Impac=ul Research Stories
Phoebe Trimingham
Crowd DNA

2. How To Edit Insights
Phoebe Trimingham, Crowd DNA
The Future of
Storytelling and
Visualisation
Simple is best

3. How To Edit Insights
Phoebe Trimingham, Crowd DNA
The Future of
Storytelling and
Visualisation
As researchers, the goal is to write clear, acAonable and
exciAng insight reports that not only answer
the original research quesAon(s),
but also create lasAng impact

4. How To Edit Insights
Phoebe Trimingham, Crowd DNA
The Future of
Storytelling and
Visualisation
Researchers si: through large
amounts of data to get
to the story
TranscripAons
Audio and video files
Online and mobile community comments
Social listening data
Survey data
Desk research
Ethnographic observaAons
All are full of informaAon, noise and loads
of potenAal insights

5. How To Edit Insights
Phoebe Trimingham, Crowd DNA
The Future of
Storytelling and
Visualisation
Be selecAve in line with the original research
quesAon
By constantly asking: ‘so what?’
What you leave out is o:en
more important than
what you leave in
Cut out all the content, narraAves, insights
and elements that don’t help you
tell your story
Treat your story like a mission

6. How To Edit Insights
Phoebe Trimingham, Crowd DNA
The Future of
Storytelling and
Visualisation
Telling The Story
Using Editorial Formats And Devices

7. How To Edit Insights
Phoebe Trimingham, Crowd DNA
The Future of
Storytelling and
Visualisation
1.
Examine negaAvity,
but then find light
and connecAon
Setup the story as a tale of negaAve, abstract
or conflicAng narraAves
Build a case around it. Make it seem
unsurmountable
Then, highlight unexpected or small connecAons
between your parAcipants
Provide light in the darkness and help the reader find
those ‘unexpected’ connecAons

8. How To Edit Insights
Phoebe Trimingham, Crowd DNA
The Future of
Storytelling and
Visualisation
2.
IdenAfy tensions
and provide
release
Focus on problem solving
Setup a tension wider than the research project
Ask ‘what are we going to do about it?’ – make it
the reader’s problem too!
Spend the rest of the report easing that tension.
Always circle back to how each insights soothes the
problem
Wrap up with how the tension has been solved

9. How To Edit Insights
Phoebe Trimingham, Crowd DNA
The Future of
Storytelling and
Visualisation
3.
Debust myths and
preconcepAons
Aim to surprise the reader with new ways of thinking
Demonstrate that you understand the potenAal
preconcepAons
Either strip them down one by one: explicitly myth
bust!
Or write the report as a challenge: offer evidence and
inspiraAon to think differently
End on a posiAve reflecAon

10. How To Edit Insights
Phoebe Trimingham, Crowd DNA
The Future of
Storytelling and
Visualisation
4.
Line up a series
of contracAons
Given the right balance, highlighAng contradicAons
can be an engaging way to write up data
Present two sides to each coin
Ensure equal weight on each side
Be explicit that you’re using contradicAons!
Make it saAsfying to the reader with clear
implicaAons

11. How To Edit Insights
Phoebe Trimingham, Crowd DNA
The Future of
Storytelling and
Visualisation
5.
Evidence a statement
or a fact
Make a statement or fact early
Spend the report evidencing that statement
Liber it with stats, quotes and data to support your
argument
Make the reader feel secure

12. How To Edit Insights
Phoebe Trimingham, Crowd DNA
The Future of
Storytelling and
Visualisation
6.
Write provocaAve
headlines
‘Hook’ the reader into the story
ProvocaAons are best
ExplanaAons and summaries, descripAons, or even
state a fact – just make them abenAon-grabbing
Headlines as ‘palebe-cleansers’ throughout a deck
Subheads for more detail or context

13. How To Edit Insights
Phoebe Trimingham, Crowd DNA
The Future of
Storytelling and
Visualisation
7.
Open with
oomph
Four mechanics:
One clear statement or impact sentence
Layout the facts: who, what, where?
Draw the reader in by sefng the scene
and/or making it personal
IdenAfy and setup a tension

14. How To Edit Insights
Phoebe Trimingham, Crowd DNA
The Future of
Storytelling and
Visualisation
8.
End with emphasis
Four mechanics:
Summarise the findings
A ‘payoff’ for the reader - killer quote, killer image,
key insight, anecdote
Cliianger or ‘open the window’ to explore
other ideas
Circle back to the intro/setup

15. How To Edit Insights
Phoebe Trimingham, Crowd DNA
The Future of
Storytelling and
Visualisation
Get in touch to find out more about
ediAng impac=ul stories
hello@crowdDNA.com

16. How To Edit Insights
Phoebe Trimingham, Crowd DNA
The Future of
Storytelling and
Visualisation
Q & A
Ray Poynter
NewMR
Phoebe Trimmingham
Crowd DNA

17. How To Edit Insights
Phoebe Trimingham, Crowd DNA
The Future of
Storytelling and
Visualisation
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