Chris MacTaggart

COO

What’s next for Datastory? Insights from our COO on data storytelling and growth.

At Datastory, our mission is to transform complex data into stories that inspire change. In this Q&A, we sit down with our COO, Chris, to explore his journey, his perspective on data storytelling, and Datastory’s goals for the future.

The Power of an Informed Society

Q: What initially attracted you to Datastory, and how has your journey led you to your current role as COO?

Chris: I’ve always believed in education and the power of an informed society. Datastory is really at its core an attempt to create more informed humans, and I think that’s a very fulfilling mission to be working towards.

I’ve been a designer for a decade, and to be honest, I wasn’t a very good designer. I think I interviewed well so I was able to get design jobs, but I quickly got moved into marketing, product management, or strategy. It’s satisfying now that I can apply a design-thinking perspective to problem-solving and strategy. That decade of imposter syndrome really helped me see business from different angles—or at least I hope so.

Turning Data Into Impactful Stories

Q: Which projects or clients do you think best highlight Datastory’s mission to turn data into impactful stories?

Chris: We get to work with amazing clients. I know everyone says that, but take for example the Tax Justice Network. The world loses one nurse's salary a second to tax dodging, and TJN is a team of brilliant people working to bring this money, stolen by the rich from the public, back to fund public services. Helping them by using data to highlight their mission is an honor. But that’s just one of our clients—they’re all using data to do good things in the world.

Want to learn more about how Tax Justice Network used Datastory to build a data-driven website? Read the full case study here.

The Essential Role of Storytelling in Today’s World

Q: Why do you believe data visualization and storytelling are so crucial in today’s information landscape?

Chris: Attention spans are getting shorter, so we as a society are losing both the time and the ability to do proper analysis and understand things deeply. Visualization can distill information into relevant insights backed up by data and serve them in digestible formats. It increases our capacity to understand.

Scaling Impact Through Innovation

Q: What are some goals for Datastory in the next year?

Chris: We’re still working to create a better-informed society. Specifically, we’re launching our Datastory platform, where anyone can build agency-quality visualizations in seconds. This will scale our impact in a way we couldn’t possibly do with consulting projects and make the technology accessible for brilliant impact organizations with limited budgets.

Infinite Possibilities as Inspiration

Q: Outside of work, what inspires you or influences your work at Datastory?

Chris: I’m fascinated and inspired by just being alive and experiencing existence. I think most people tend to grow out of this, but I haven’t yet. I love the idea that every moment or idea presents thousands of possibilities that could lead down thousands of different paths.

That’s why ‘potential’ is my favorite word. By acknowledging the power of ideas, you can turn them into actions, so that any of these potential outcomes could be realized. Keeping that perspective of infinite potential inspires me and keeps me thinking about which of those paths will lead to the actual future.

Craft Your Own Data Stories

At Datastory, we’re passionate about making data accessible and impactful. Whether you're a researcher, a designer, or someone with no design experience, we provide the tools you need to communicate complex information clearly and compellingly. Ready to transform your data into powerful stories?
Start your journey with Datastory today.