Rising action is the part of a story that keeps attention after the opening hook. It supplies background, develops the characters or situation, introduces conflict, and builds momentum toward the turning point. In a visualization, it can appear through a subtitle that frames the stakes and through data that visibly rises or accumulates. section 6.1.3
Use rising action to help an audience care before delivering the main insight:
- Add enough context to make the subject meaningful, without burying the audience in background. section 6.1.3
- Introduce the conflict or stakes so the audience understands what is at risk. section 6.1.3
- Build toward the climax: the visualization’s main insight, conclusion, or implication if nothing changes. section 6.1.3
A rising line with rising stakes
A rhino-poaching visualization uses the subtitle “One of the greatest threats for rhinos . . .” to establish conflict, while a literal rise in data points, connected by a red line, creates momentum toward the main insight. section 6.1.3
