"Statistics aren't inherently helpful"

Quick, is 10,000 good or bad?

As always the answer depends on the context. In the book "Made to Stick" Chip and Dan Heath make this point several times using a variety of examples like movie popcorn.

Usually I'd consider these fighting words, but they are in fact very true. Without providing both context and scale people can't understand a number or statistic. Successful communication of quantitative information depends on relating with the audience in their terms.

Ways to improve understanding:
What was it then and what is it now? "before the ...." or "in the age of ....."
How does it compare to a common task? "faster than a speeding bullet"
What does it mean in everyday terms? "more fat content than 3 hamburgers"

PowerPoints:
1. Never report numbers without their context.
2. Put data on a scale the audience relates two; usually personal and human.
3. Keep it Simple and Jargon Free

Business Redesign

Do you plan for the future or right now?

The book "Idealized Design" by Ackoff et al argues that redesign should be in the here and now with only a few rules.

1. The solution must be technically feasible and not science fiction.
2. The solution must work in the existing environment, i.e. operationally viable.

Their argument is that designing for the here and now removes the uncertainty about the future, something no one can predict. Second, the removal of current constraints lets creativity reign.

To quote the authors: "Desire must replace existence as criteria of choice."

Idealized Design: How to Dissolve Tomorrow's Crisis...Today