Bill Shander is a information designer and storyteller, helping clients turn their data into compelling visual and often interactive experiences. He teaches information design and data visualization in workshops around the world. He’s also speaking at The Design + Marketing Summit 2025, which takes place July 28-30 online, with a session on Communicating Clearly with Your Stakeholders.
We thought it would be fun to get to know him better with some Q&A.
What are you most excited to share during your session, Communicating Clearly with Your Stakeholders?
I think this is one of the most important things that knowledge workers of all kinds are never taught. Designers usually figure out pretty quickly that the problem I’m pointing at (that our stakeholders often don’t know what they really need) is an issue. But what no one ever talks about is how to deal with it! So I’m really excited to point people to a big picture framework and specific skills that will help them do a better job guiding their stakeholders to figuring out what they really need.
You’ve developed a concept called “Stakeholder Whispering.” Can you share your favorite tip for uncovering what someone truly needs, especially when they can’t articulate it themselves?
The most important thing to do is to conduct a Socratic dialog. This is when you ask questions. But what most people think the questions and answers are doing isn’t right. Or it’s not entirely right. People think when you ask questions, you learn from the answers. That you ask your stakeholders things, and then you learn what they need. But in the best of these conversations, the opposite occurs. By asking questions, you’re not the only one learning. They’re learning from the questions…it’s like therapy! They uncover what they really need through that Socratic dialog.
Your background is in data storytelling and communication. What’s something about your career path that might surprise people?
I have degrees in English literature and journalism. I’m not a trained data guy. I never took a single class in design or computer programming (that’s not true, I did take programming…once…and dropped the class!) But I apply what I did learn every day: critical thinking, and a communications-first approach to everything I do.
If someone takes away only one big idea from your session, what do you hope it is?
That our subconscious is driving the bus at all times. Every decision is an automated response, including at work. Your boss is launching a new product? They’re going to jump right to, “let’s make a website/brochure/whatever” and “get the photographer booked” and “start buying Google ads”, or whatever they normally do. And that might be right, or it might be wrong. You need to whisper with them to be sure. If you do, you’ll save tons of time, budget, and heartache by avoiding endless revisions on everything!
This article was last modified on June 8, 2025
This article was first published on June 8, 2025
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