How to Use Case Studies in Science Talks

Everyone loves a good story. You should be using your data to tell one every chance you get. The importance of narrative in scientific communication cannot be understated. And that includes communication in traditionally technical environments! One thing that gets beaten into you in graduate school is that a scientific presentation is a technical affair. Communicating science is fact based, it's black and white, here's the data, this is the conclusion, do you have any questions? Actually, I do. Did you think about what story your data could tell before you put your slides together? I know this is a somewhat provocative question because a lot of scientists overlook the importance of telling a story when they present results. But if you want to keep your audience engaged and interested in what you have to say, you should think about your narrative! This is true for a presentation at 'The Mountain Lake Lodge Meeting on Post-Initiation Activities of RNA Polymerases,' the 'ACMG Annual Clinical Genetics Meeting,' or to a class of 16 year old AP Biology Students. The narrative doesn't need to be the same for all of those audiences, BUT IT SHOULD EXIST! There is nothing more frustrating to me than seeing someone give a presentation filled with killer data only to watch them blow it by putting the entire audience to sleep with an arcane technical overview of the scientific method. Please. Tell. A. Story. With. Your. Data. Here's how: 1. Plot - the series of events that drive the story forward to its resolution. What sets the scene, the hypothesis or initial observation? How can the data be arranged to create a beginning, middle, and end? 2. Theme - Good vs Evil, Human vs Virus, Day in the life of a microbe? Have fun with this (even just as a thought experiment) because it makes a big difference. 3. Character development - the team, the protein, gene, or model system 4. Conflict - What were the blockers and obstacles? Needed a new technique? Refuting a previous finding? 5. Climax - the height of the struggle. Use your data to build to a climax. How did one question lead to another and how were any problems overcome? 6. Resolution - What's the final overall conclusion and how was the conflict that was setup in the beginning resolved by what you found? By taking the time to work through what story you can tell, you can engage your entire audience and they'll actually remember what you had to say!

So there I was sitting in a breakout room wondering why I torture myself so...But the room was too small to get up and leave - that felt rude. I scribbled To Dos in my notebook, hoping it looked like I was taking notes. All the while, thinking: We've either forgotten how to prep people to lead sessions, or presenters are unwilling to take the organizers' advice... It was a software provider's user conference, filled with fellow product users who were eager to learn from each other. I went as a prospect because they marketed that the sessions were all going to be case studies from their customers - and I was really interested to hear how people were using their product. 8 out of 10 of them were SO FRIGGIN' BADDDDD!!! One was basically a slide deck of memes describing the "before" and "after". It was kind of cute and some of them were funny, but it felt like a sales pitch with no value prop. One of them was a VERY nervous first-time speaker who was ADORABLE, but the whole presentation was screen shots of how she clicked through the software. Almost like it was supposed to be a technical product demo, but it wasn't. One spent so much time describing the setup to why they had a problem, that they ran out of time explaining the solution and ended with a rushed "come see me and I can show you what we ended up doing!" But then a couple of them were REALLY good. ...Like SUPER good: helpful, well-framed, great explanations, and doable/implementable by everyone. So here's what I'd like to propose if you are tasked with presenting a case study at an upcoming event, based on the two that were pretty darn awesome: 1. The Challenge (or Opportunity): Set the stage quickly. → What problem were you solving, or opportunity were you seizing? → Why now? → What was at stake? 2. The Context: Give enough background to make it relatable. → Who was involved? (industry, company size, audience type) → What constraints did you have? (budget, timeline, brand restrictions) → Why was this hard? 3. The Approach: YOUR secret sauce. → What framework or philosophy guided your strategy? → What were the key decisions you made? → What partners, platforms, or tools did you leverage? 4. The Experience (or Execution): Walk me through how it came to life. → What did you/the audience/the customer experience? → How did you design for emotion, engagement, or outcomes? → Show photos or a short video clip if you can. 5. The Results + Replication: This is the part everyone wants (DON'T RUN OUT OF TIME BEFORE GETTING TO THIS!!!). → What happened? (quant + qual results) → What surprised you? → What would you do differently? → How can others replicate this approach? That would be a cool case study to listen in on! If you're a conference organizer and you've tapped people to do case studies, you might slip this this little template to make sure they don't suck. 😅 Resources like this exist inside Club Ichi. Get in here. www.weareichi.com

How do you share your knowledge with an audience? You can push information out, or you can pull them in with a story. Try these three tried-and-true ways to incorporate storytelling into your speech or presentation: 1. Start with a Relatable Personal Anecdote Stories that tap into common experiences immediately capture attention and build trust. A personal anecdote helps humanize you and sets the tone for the message. Example: In a presentation about resilience, start with: When I was in college, I failed my first major exam. I remember sitting in my dorm room, devastated, wondering if I’d chosen the wrong path. But that moment taught me something I’ve carried with me ever since -failure is often a better teacher than success. This approach sets up the topic, makes you relatable, and primes your audience for your insights on resilience. 2. Use a Case Study or Transformational Narrative Highlight a real or hypothetical example of someone facing a problem, overcoming challenges, and achieving results. Audiences love to see the before and after journey. Example: In a workshop on goal-setting, tell a story like: Last year, I worked with a team of accountants who were overwhelmed by deadlines. They described their process as controlled chaos. After introducing a clear goal-setting system and monthly check-ins, their productivity increased by 40%, and they reported feeling less stressed. One team member said, “For the first time in my career, I don’t dread quarter-end.” That’s the power of clear goals. 3. Incorporate a Powerful Metaphor or Fable Metaphors and fables make abstract concepts tangible and memorable. They also leave a lasting impression by connecting the idea to a universal truth. Example: When discussing teamwork, use the metaphor of geese flying in formation: Have you ever watched a flock of geese flying in a V-formation? They do it because it’s 70% more efficient than flying solo. Each bird takes a turn leading, and when one gets tired, they fall back, relying on the group’s strength. Teams work the same way- when we share the load, we achieve more together than we ever could alone. This story connects the audience to the theme of collaboration in a vivid, visual way. Why These Methods Work: Relatability: Personal anecdotes forge emotional connections. Engagement: Case studies make your message real and applicable. Memorability: Metaphors and fables stick in the audiences mind long after the presentation ends. Your preparation will become more fun and interesting thinking about your storytelling ideas. #storytelling #publicspeaking

Stop telling stories. Start telling "better" stories. All engaging case studies come from storytelling. Here are the five steps of Freytag's Pyramid to create compelling case studies: 1. Exposition Introduce the project, its goals, and your role. ↳ How it Helps: Sets the stage by explaining the "inciting incident" and your motivation. 2. Rising Action Outline the challenges faced and your design process. ↳ Take the reader through initial stages including user research and early deliverables. 3. Climax Reveal the most exciting events of your project. ↳ Showcase tough decisions, unexpected user insights, or novel solutions. 4. Falling Action Show how insights and ideas come together. ↳ Present wireframes, prototypes, and user test results. 5. Resolution Showcase the final outcomes of your project. ↳ Explain how your work achieved its goals and include specific business outcomes. Craft your case studies with these elements in mind. Use real examples and scenarios to illustrate your points. Observe how your audience reacts and refine your approach. You're not just sharing a design, you're telling a story. A great story makes your work stand out and resonate deeply. A bland presentation can have the opposite effect. Tell your story wisely.