Module 4: Adapting to Your Audience
Replace jargon with plain language. Make your story readable in 5 minutes.
1
Quick Intro
2
Guided Practice
3
Applied Task
4
Quick Refinement
1
Quick Intro
~2 min
WHAT
Audience adaptation means matching language, technical depth, and emphasis to who's actually reading. A council member and an engineer read the same data differently.
WHY
A technically correct story aimed at the wrong audience is invisible. The audience is the test of your story, not the data.
HOW IT FITS
Audience adaptation shapes pillar 3 (narration) and the controls you put on pillar 4 (interaction). The data itself doesn't change — the framing does.
EXAMPLE
"Modal split of motorized transport fell 12% YoY" (engineer) → "Public transit usage dropped 12% in one year" (council member). Same number, different audience.
1
Know your audience
30 sec
Different audiences need different language. A politician has 5 minutes. A technician has technical vocabulary.
Technical (expert)
"ÖPNV modal split Pkm declined 12% YoY"
Plain (decision-maker)
"Public transit's share of all trips fell 12% this year"
MobiDaS R5: Stories must be adapted to the target group.
2
Spot jargon
30 sec
Jargon = words only experts understand. Replace them with everyday language.
Common mobility jargon to replace
3
The 5-minute test
30 sec
A busy decision-maker should understand your story in 5 minutes. If longer, simplify.
Rule: If a sentence requires background knowledge, add a one-line explanation or remove the jargon.
Shorter is better. Clear beats clever.
2
Guided Practice
~3 min
1
Translate jargon
1 min
Practice replacing technical terms with plain language.
Technical version
"The modal split shows ÖPNV at 18% Pkm share, with S-Bahn recovery lagging."
↓ Translate for a politician ↓
Write the plain version:
2
Choose your audience
30 sec
Select who will read your data story.
Who is your primary audience?
🏛️ Politician
5 min, no jargon, big picture
📊 Manager
10 min, some detail, action-focused
🔬 Expert
Full detail, technical terms OK
✍️ Custom
Describe your own audience
3
Adapt an annotation
1 min
Rewrite your M3 annotation for your chosen audience.
Your M3 visualization
(Loading...)
Rewrite the annotation in plain language:
Example rewrites by audience
Politician: "Trains are almost back to pre-COVID levels — but still running on a 2020 timetable. We need more trains now."
Manager: "Ridership is at 91.7% of 2019. Service frequency has not recovered. Operational gap persists."
Expert: "SPNV ridership: 91.7% recovery by 2023. Service-km supply: 8.4% below baseline. Demand-capacity gap: unresolved."
3
Applied Task
~3 min
1
Define your audience profile
1 min
Describe your specific reader: role, time available, background.
Audience profile template
Role: [job title]
Time: [minutes available]
Background: [expert/non-expert]
Time: [minutes available]
Background: [expert/non-expert]
Write your audience profile:
2
List jargon to replace
1 min
Identify 3 technical terms in your story and their plain replacements.
Jargon → Plain
1. [jargon] → [plain]
2. [jargon] → [plain]
3. [jargon] → [plain]
2. [jargon] → [plain]
3. [jargon] → [plain]
Write your replacements:
Quick reference: modal split → share of trips by travel mode · ridership recovery → passengers returning after decline · service frequency → how often buses/trains run
3
Write your plain summary
1 min
Write a 2-sentence summary of your story for your audience.
Plain-language summary (2 sentences):
4
Quick Refinement
~2 min
1
Review your adaptation
30 sec
Would your target audience understand this in their available time?
Your audience adaptation
(Your summary will appear here)
2
Simplify further
30 sec
Cut any remaining jargon or complex sentences.
Final check
3
Commit your adaptation
30 sec
Your audience adaptation will guide your narrative in Module 5.
Final audience adaptation: