Transform data into compelling narratives using visualization, context, and persuasive structure. Use when presenting analytics to stakeholders, creating data reports, or building executive presentations.
64
47%
Does it follow best practices?
Impact
94%
1.06xAverage score across 3 eval scenarios
Passed
No known issues
Optimize this skill with Tessl
npx tessl skill review --optimize ./tests/ext_conformance/artifacts/agents-wshobson/business-analytics/skills/data-storytelling/SKILL.mdQuality
Discovery
67%Based on the skill's description, can an agent find and select it at the right time? Clear, specific descriptions lead to better discovery.
The description has a solid structure with an explicit 'Use when' clause that clearly separates the what from the when, which is its strongest aspect. However, the capabilities described are somewhat abstract ('compelling narratives', 'persuasive structure') rather than listing concrete actions, and the trigger terms could be broader to capture more natural user language. The skill could also be more distinctive to avoid overlap with general visualization or presentation skills.
Suggestions
Replace abstract phrases like 'compelling narratives' and 'persuasive structure' with concrete actions such as 'annotate charts with insights, write narrative summaries, structure data-driven slide decks'.
Expand trigger terms in the 'Use when' clause to include common variations like 'dashboard narrative', 'charts', 'KPIs', 'metrics summary', or 'data-driven story'.
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Specificity | Names the domain (data storytelling) and some actions ('visualization, context, and persuasive structure'), but these are somewhat abstract rather than concrete specific actions like 'create charts, write narrative summaries, build slide decks'. | 2 / 3 |
Completeness | Clearly answers both what ('Transform data into compelling narratives using visualization, context, and persuasive structure') and when ('Use when presenting analytics to stakeholders, creating data reports, or building executive presentations') with an explicit 'Use when' clause. | 3 / 3 |
Trigger Term Quality | Includes some relevant terms like 'analytics', 'stakeholders', 'data reports', 'executive presentations', but misses common variations users might say such as 'dashboard', 'charts', 'graphs', 'insights', 'KPIs', 'metrics', or 'data summary'. | 2 / 3 |
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk | Could overlap with general data visualization skills, presentation creation skills, or report generation skills. The 'data storytelling' niche is somewhat distinct but 'data reports' and 'executive presentations' could easily conflict with other skills. | 2 / 3 |
Total | 9 / 12 Passed |
Implementation
27%Reviews the quality of instructions and guidance provided to agents. Good implementation is clear, handles edge cases, and produces reliable results.
This skill is a comprehensive but bloated reference on data storytelling that reads more like a textbook chapter than a concise skill file. While the example frameworks are well-structured and provide useful templates, the vast majority of content (transition phrases, headline formulas, do's/don'ts, handling uncertainty) is general knowledge Claude already possesses. The skill would benefit enormously from aggressive pruning and splitting into referenced sub-files.
Suggestions
Cut the content by 60-70%: remove Writing Techniques (headlines, transitions, uncertainty handling), Best Practices do's/don'ts, and Core Concepts sections entirely—Claude already knows these.
Split into referenced files: keep SKILL.md as a brief overview with the 3 framework names and quick-start example, then link to separate files like FRAMEWORKS.md, TEMPLATES.md, and VISUALIZATION.md.
Add validation checkpoints to the workflow: include steps like 'verify data accuracy before building narrative', 'check statistical significance of claims', and 'review key insight with data owner before presenting'.
Make the matplotlib example more complete and add 1-2 more executable code snippets (e.g., generating a comparison table or dashboard programmatically) to increase actionability.
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Conciseness | Extremely verbose at ~300+ lines. Much of this is general storytelling advice, presentation templates, and writing tips that Claude already knows well. Transition phrases, headline formulas, do's/don'ts lists, and handling uncertainty sections are all common knowledge for Claude. The content could be reduced by 70%+ without losing actionable value. | 1 / 3 |
Actionability | The frameworks provide concrete markdown templates with specific examples (churn analysis, Q4 review, market comparison), and there's one executable Python matplotlib snippet. However, most content is descriptive templates and general advice rather than executable guidance. The ASCII art slide templates aren't truly actionable—they're illustrative mockups. | 2 / 3 |
Workflow Clarity | The narrative arc and story frameworks provide a clear sequence (Hook → Context → Problem → Insight → Solution → CTA), and the slide flow template gives a logical progression. However, there are no validation checkpoints—no steps for verifying data accuracy, checking statistical significance before presenting, or reviewing with stakeholders before finalizing. For a skill involving data presentation to executives, verification steps matter. | 2 / 3 |
Progressive Disclosure | This is a monolithic wall of text with everything inline. The frameworks, visualization techniques, presentation templates, writing techniques, and best practices could all be separate referenced files. The external resources at the end are book links rather than companion skill files. No content is split or navigated to—everything is dumped in one massive document. | 1 / 3 |
Total | 6 / 12 Passed |
Validation
100%Checks the skill against the spec for correct structure and formatting. All validation checks must pass before discovery and implementation can be scored.
Validation — 11 / 11 Passed
Validation for skill structure
No warnings or errors.
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Table of Contents
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