Share Data through the Art of visualization

Effective data visualizations

A data visualization, sometimes referred to as a “data viz,” allows analysts to properly
interpret data. A good way to think of data visualization is that it can be the difference
between utter confusion and really grasping an issue. Creating effective data
visualizations is a complex task; there is a lot of advice out there, and it can be difficult to
grasp it all. In this reading, you are going to learn some tips and tricks for creating effective
data visualizations. First, you'll review two frameworks that are useful for thinking about
how you can organize the information in your visualization. Second, you'll explore pre-
attentive attributes and how they can be used to affect the way people think about your
visualizations. From there, you'll do a quick review of the design principles that you
should keep in mind when creating your visualization. You will end the reading by
reviewing some practices that you can use to avoid creating misleading or inaccurate
visualizations. 

Frameworks for organizing your thoughts about

visualization
Frameworks can help you organize your thoughts about data visualization and give you a
useful checklist to reference. Here are two frameworks that may be useful for you as you
create your own data viz: 

1) The McCandless Method

You learned about the David McCandless method in the first lesson on effective data
visualizations, but as a refresher, the McCandless Method lists four elements of good data
visualization: 

1. Information: the data you are working with

2. Story: a clear and compelling narrative or concept
3. Goal: a specific objective or function for the visual
4. Visual form: an effective use of metaphor or visual expression
Note: One useful way of approaching this framework is to notice the parts of the graphic
where there is incomplete overlap between all four elements. For example, visual form
without a goal, story, or data could be a sketch or even art. Data plus visual form without a
goal or function is eye candy. Data with a goal but no story or visual form is boring. All four
elements need to be at work to create an effective visual.

2) Kaiser Fung’s Junk Charts Trifecta Checkup

This approach is a useful set of questions that can help consumers of data visualization
critique what they are consuming and determine how effective it is. The Checkup has
three questions:
 1. What is the practical question? 
2. What does the data say?
3. What does the visual say? 
Note: This checklist helps you think about your data viz from the perspective of your
audience and decide if your visual is communicating your data effectively to them or not.
In addition to these frameworks, there are some other building blocks that can help you
construct your data visualizations. 

Pre-attentive attributes: marks and channels

Creating effective visuals means leveraging what we know about how the brain works, and
then using specific visual elements to communicate the information effectively. Pre-
attentive attributes are the elements of a data visualization that people recognize
automatically without conscious effort. The essential, basic building blocks that make
visuals immediately understandable are called marks and channels. 

Marks
Marks are basic visual objects like points, lines, and shapes. Every mark can be broken
down into four qualities:

1. Position - Where a specific mark is in space in relation to a scale or to other marks

2. Size - How big, small, long, or tall a mark is

3. Shape - Whether a specific object is given a shape that communicates something about
it

4. Color - What color the mark is

Channels
Channels are visual aspects or variables that represent characteristics of the data.
Channels are basically marks that have been used to visualize data. Channels will vary in
terms of how effective they are at communicating data based on three elements: 

1. Accuracy - Are the channels helpful in accurately estimating the values being
represented?

For example, color is very accurate when communicating categorical differences, like
apples and oranges. But it is much less effective when distinguishing quantitative data like
5 from 5.5.

2. Popout - How easy is it to distinguish certain values from others?

There are many ways of drawing attention to specific parts of a visual, and many of them
leverage pre-attentive attributes like line length, size, line width, shape, enclosure, hue,
and intensity.

3. Grouping - How good is a channel at communicating groups that exist in the data?

Consider the proximity, similarity, enclosure, connectedness, and continuity of the

channel.
 But, remember: the more you emphasize different things, the less that emphasis counts.
The more you emphasize one single thing, the more that counts. 

Design principles
Once you understand the pre-attentive attributes of data visualization, you can go on to
design principles for creating effective visuals. These design principles are important to
your work as a data analyst because they help you make sure that you are creating
visualizations that communicate your data effectively to your audience. By keeping these
rules in mind, you can plan and evaluate your data visualizations to decide if they are
working for you and your goals. And, if they aren’t, you can adjust them! 

Principle Description
One of the first things you have to decide is which visual will be the most effective for your
Choose the
audience. Sometimes, a simple table is the best visualization. Other times, you need a more
right visual
complex visualization to illustrate your point. 
The data-ink entails focusing on the part of the visual that is essential to understanding the
Optimize the
point of the chart. Try to minimize non-data ink like boxes around legends or shadows to
data-ink ratio
optimize the data-ink ratio.
Use
Make sure the written components of the visual, like the labels on a bar chart, are easy to
orientation
read. You can change the orientation of your visual to make it easier to read and understand. 
effectively
There are a lot of important considerations when thinking about using color in your visuals.
These include using color consciously and meaningfully, staying consistent throughout your
Color
visuals, being considerate of what colors mean to different people, and using inclusive color
scales that make sense for everyone viewing them.
Think about how many elements you include in any visual. If your visualization uses lines, try
Numbers of to plot five or fewer. If that isn’t possible, use color or hue to emphasize important lines. Also,
things when using visuals like pie charts, try to keep the number of segments to less than seven
since too many elements can be distracting. 
 Avoiding misleading or deceptive charts 

What to avoid Why

Changing the scale on the y-axis can make the differences between different
Cutting off the y-axis groups in your data seem more dramatic, even if the difference is actually
quite small. 
Using a dual y-axis without clearly labeling it in your data visualization can
Misleading use of a dual y-axis
create extremely misleading charts. 
If you only consider the part of the data that confirms your analysis, your
Artificially limiting the scope of
visualizations will be misleading because they don’t take all of the data into
the data
account. 
It is important to make sure that the way you are grouping data isn’t
Problematic choices in how
misleading or misrepresenting your data and disguising important trends and
data is binned or grouped
insights. 
Using part-to-whole visuals If you are using a part-to-whole visual like a pie chart to explain your data, the
when the totals do not sum up individual parts should add up to equal 100%. If they don’t, your data
appropriately  visualization will be misleading. 
Hiding trends in cumulative Creating a cumulative chart can disguise more insightful trends by making
charts the scale of the visualization too large to track any changes over time. 
Adding smooth trend lines between points in a scatterplot can make it easier
Artificially smoothing trends to read that plot, but replacing the points with just the line can actually make
it appear that the point is more connected over time than it actually was. 
As you are considering what kind of visualization to create and how to design it, you will
want to be sure that you are not creating misleading or deceptive charts. As you have been
learning, data analysis provides people with insights and knowledge they can use to make
decisions. So, it is important that the visualizations you create are communicating your
data accurately and truthfully. Here are some common errors to avoid so that your
visualizations aren’t accidentally misleading: 

Finally, keep in mind that data visualization is an art form, and it takes time to develop
these skills. Over your career as a data analyst, you will not only learn how to design good
data visualizations, but you will also learn how to evaluate good data visualizations. Use
these tips to think critically about data visualization—both as a creator and as an audience
member.

Further reading
 The beauty of data visualization: In this video, David McCandless explains the need
for design to not just be beautiful, but for it to be meaningful as well. Data
visualization must be able to balance function and form for it to be relevant to your
audience. 
 ‘The McCandless Method’ of data presentation: At first glance, this blog appears to
be written by a David McCandless fan, and it is. However, it contains very useful
information and provides an in-depth look at the 5-step process that McCandless
uses to present his data.
 Information is beautiful: Founded by McCandless himself, this site serves as a hub
of sample visualizations that make use of the McCandless method. Explore data
from the news, science, the economy, and so much more and learn how to make
visual decisions based on facts from all kinds of sources. 
 Beautiful daily news: In this McCandless collection, explore uplifting trends and
statistics that are beautifully visualized for your creative enjoyment. A new chart is
released every day so be sure to visit often to absorb the amazing things happening
all over the world.
 The Wall Street Journal Guide to Information Graphics: The Dos and Don'ts of
Presenting Data, Facts, and Figures: This is a comprehensive guide to data
visualization, including chapters on basic data visualization principles and how to
create useful data visualizations even when you find yourself in a tricky situation.
This is a useful book to add to your data visualization library, and you can
reference it over and over again.

The beauty of visualizing

You will find that organizing your data and communicating your results are significant
parts of a data analyst’s role. In this reading, you are going to navigate different resources
for effective data visualization that will allow you to choose the best model to present
your data. 
Inspiration is in the air
Data visualization is the graphical representation of data. But why should data analysts
care about data visualization? Well your audience won’t always have the ability to
interpret or understand the complex information that you relay to them so your job is to
inform them of your analysis in a way that is meaningful, engaging, and easy to
understand. Part of why data visualization is so effective is because people’s eyes are
drawn to colors, shapes, and patterns, which makes those visual elements perfect for
telling a story that goes beyond just the numbers. 

Of course, one of the best ways to understand the importance of data visualization is to go
through different examples of it. As a junior data analyst, you want to have several
visualization options for your creative process whenever you need. Below is a list of
resources that can inspire your next data-driven decisions, as well as teach you how to
make your data more accessible to your audience:

 The data visualization catalogue: Not sure where to start with data visualization?
This catalogue features a range of different diagrams, charts, and graphs to help
you find the best fit for your project. As you navigate each category, you will get a
detailed description of each visualization as well as its function and a list of similar
visuals. 
 The 25 best data visualizations: In this collection of images, explore the best
examples of data that gets made into a stunning visual. Simply click on the link
below each image to get an in-depth view of each project, and learn why making
data visually appealing is so important.
 10 data visualization blogs: Each link will lead you to a blog that is a fountain of
information on everything from data storytelling to graphic data. Get your next
great idea or just browse through some visual inspiration.  
 Information is beautiful: Founded by David McCandless, this gallery is dedicated to
helping you make clearer, more informed visual decisions based on facts and data.
These projects are made by students, designers, and even data analysts to help
you gain insight into how they have taken their own data and turned it into visual
storytelling.
  Data studio gallery: Information is vital, but information presented in a digestible
way is even more useful. Browse through this interactive gallery and find examples
of different types of data communicated visually. You can even use the data studio
tool to create your own data-driven visual.

Engage your audience

Remember: an important component of being a data analyst is the ability to communicate
your findings in a way that will appeal to your audience. Data visualization has the ability
to make complex (and even monotonous) information easily understood, and knowing
how to utilize data visualization is a valuable skill to have. Your goal is always to help the
audience have a conversation with the data so your visuals draw them into the
conversation. This is especially true when you have to help your audience engage with a
large amount of data, such as the flow of goods from one country to other parts of the
world.

Correlation and causation

In this reading, you will examine correlation and causation in more detail. Let’s review the
definitions of these terms:

 Correlation in statistics is the measure of the degree to which two variables move
in relationship to each other. An example of correlation is the idea that “As the
temperature goes up, ice cream sales also go up.” It is important to remember that
correlation doesn’t mean that one event causes another. But, it does indicate that
they have a pattern with or a relationship to each other. If one variable goes up and
the other variable also goes up, it is a positive correlation. If one variable goes up
and the other variable goes down, it is a negative or inverse correlation. If one
variable goes up and the other variable stays about the same, there is no
correlation.
 Causation refers to the idea that an event leads to a specific outcome. For
example, when lightning strikes, we hear the thunder (sound wave) caused by the
air heating and cooling from the lightning strike. Lightning causes thunder.  
Why is differentiating between correlation and causation
important? 
When you make conclusions from data analysis, you need to make sure that you don’t
assume a causal relationship between elements of your data when there is only a
correlation. When your data shows that outdoor temperature and ice cream consumption
both go up at the same time, it might be tempting to conclude that hot weather causes
people to eat ice cream. But, a closer examination of the data would reveal that every
change in temperature doesn’t lead to a change in ice cream purchases. In addition, there
might have been a sale on ice cream at the same time that the data was collected, which
might not have been considered in your analysis. 

Knowing the difference between correlation and causation is important when you make
conclusions from your data since the stakes could be high. The next two examples
illustrate the high stakes to health and human services. 

Cause of disease
For example, pellagra is a disease with symptoms of dizziness, sores, vomiting, and
diarrhea. In the early 1900s, people thought that the disease was caused by unsanitary
living conditions. Most people who got pellagra also lived in unsanitary environments.
But, a closer examination of the data showed that pellagra was the result of a lack of
niacin (Vitamin B3). Unsanitary conditions were related to pellagra because most people
who couldn’t afford to purchase niacin-rich foods also couldn’t afford to live in more
sanitary conditions. But, dirty living conditions turned out to be a correlation only.
Distribution of aid
Here is another example. Suppose you are working for a government agency that provides
food stamps. You noticed from the agency’s Google Analytics that people who qualify for
food stamps are browsing the official website, but they are leaving the site without signing
up for benefits. You think that the people visiting the site are leaving because they aren’t
finding the information they need to sign up for food stamps. Google Analytics can help
you find clues (correlations), like the same people coming back many times or how quickly
people leave the page. One of those correlations might lead you to the actual cause, but
you will need to collect additional data, like in a survey, to know exactly why people
coming to the site aren’t signing up for food stamps. Only then can you figure out how to
increase the sign-up rate.

Key takeaways 
In your data analysis, remember to: 

 Critically analyze any correlations that you find 

 Examine the data’s context to determine if a causation makes sense (and can be
supported by all of the data)
 Understand the limitations of the tools that you use for analysis

Further information
You can explore the following article and training for more information about correlation
and causation:

 Correlation is not causation: This article describes the impact to a business when
correlation and causation are confused.
 Correlation and causation (Khan Academy lesson): This lesson describes
correlation and causation along with a working example. Follow the examples of
the analysis and notice if there is a positive correlation between frostbite and
sledding accidents.

The wonderful world of visualizations

As a data analyst, you will often be tasked with relaying information and data that your
audience might not readily understand. Presenting your data visually is an effective way
to communicate complex information and engage your stakeholders. One question to ask
yourself is: “what is the best way to tell the story within my data?” This reading includes
several options for you to choose from (although there are many more).

Line chart 
A line chart is used to track changes over short and long periods of time. When smaller
changes exist, line charts are better to use than bar graphs. Line charts can also be used to
compare changes over the same period of time for more than one group. 

Let’s say you want to present the graduation frequency for a particular high school
between the years 2008-2012. You would input your data in a table like this:

Year Graduation rate

2008 87
2009 89
2010 92
2011 92
2012 96
From this table, you are able to present your data in a line chart like this:

Maybe your data is more specific than above. For example, let’s say you are tasked with
presenting the difference of graduation rates between male and female students. Then
your chart would resemble something like this:
Column chart 
Column charts use size to contrast and compare two or more values, using height or
lengths to represent the specific values.  

The below is example data concerning sales of vehicles over the course of 5 months:

Month Vehicles sold

August 2,800
September 3,700
October 3,750
November 4,300
December 4,600
Visually, it would resemble something like this:
What would this column chart entail if we wanted to add the sales data for a competing
car brand?

Heatmap 
Similar to bar charts, heatmaps also use color to compare categories in a data set. They
are mainly used to show relationships between two variables and use a system of color-
coding to represent different values. The following heatmap plots temperature changes
for each city during the hottest and coldest months of the year.

Pie chart
The pie chart is a circular graph that is divided into segments representing proportions
corresponding to the quantity it represents, especially when dealing with parts of a whole.

For example, let’s say you are determining favorite movie categories among avid movie
watchers. You have gathered the following data:

Movie category Preference

Comedy 41%
Drama 11%
Sci-fi 3%
Romance 17%
Action 28%
Visually, it would resemble something like this:
Action- 28% Comedy- 41% Romance- 17% Sci-fi- 3% Drama- 11%

Scatterplot
Scatterplots show relationships between different variables. Scatterplots are typically
used for two variables for a set of data, although additional variables can be displayed.

For example, you might want to show data of the relationship between temperature
changes and ice cream sales. It would resemble something like this:
As you may notice, the higher the temperature got, the more demand there was for ice
cream – so the scatterplot is great for showing the relationship between the two variables.

Distribution graph
A distribution graph displays the spread of various outcomes in a dataset.

Let’s apply this to real data. To account for its supplies, a brand new coffee shop owner
wants to measure how many cups of coffee their customers consume, and they want to
know if that information is dependent on the days and times of the week. That
distribution graph would resemble something like this:
From this distribution graph, you may notice that the amount of coffee sales steadily
increases from the beginning of the week, reaching the highest point mid-week, and then
decreases towards the end of the week.

If outcomes are categorized on the x-axis by distinct numeric values (or ranges of numeric
values), the distribution becomes a histogram. If data is collected from a customer
rewards program, they could categorize how many customers consume between one and
ten cups of coffee per week. The histogram would have ten columns representing the
number of cups, and the height of the columns would indicate the number of customers
drinking that many cups of coffee per week.

Reviewing each of these visual examples, where do you notice that they fit in relation to
your type of data? One way to answer this is by evaluating patterns in data. Meaningful
patterns can take many forms, such as:

 Change: This is a trend or instance of observations that become different over

time. A great way to measure change in data is through a line or column chart.
 Clustering: A collection of data points with similar or different values. This is best
represented through a distribution graph.
 Relativity: These are observations considered in relation or in proportion to
something else. You have probably seen examples of relativity data in a pie chart.
 Ranking: This is a position in a scale of achievement or status. Data that requires
ranking is best represented by a column chart.
 Correlation: This shows a mutual relationship or connection between two or more
things. A scatterplot is an excellent way to represent this type of data pattern.

Studying your data

Data analysts are tasked with collecting and interpreting data as well as displaying data in
a meaningful and digestible way. Determining how to visualize your data will require
studying your data’s patterns and converting it using visual cues. Feel free to practice your
own charts and data in spreadsheets. Simply input your data in the spreadsheet, highlight
it, then insert any chart type and view how your data can be visualized based on what you
choose.

Data grows on decision trees

With so many visualization options out there for you to choose from, how do you decide
what is the best way to represent your data? 

A decision tree is a decision-making tool that allows you, the data analyst, to make
decisions based on key questions that you can ask yourself. Each question in the
visualization decision tree will help you make a decision about critical features for your
visualization. Below is an example of a basic decision tree to guide you towards making a
data-driven decision about which visualization is the best way to tell your story. Please
note that there are many different types of decision trees that vary in complexity, and can
provide more in-depth decisions. 

-Does your data have only one numeric variable? Histogram or Density plot -Are there multiple
data sets?  Line chart or pie chart -Are you measuring changes over time? Bar chart -Do
relationships between the data need to be shown? Scatter plot or heatmap
Begin with your story
Start off by evaluating the type of data you have and go through a series of questions to
determine the best visual source:
 Does your data have only one numeric variable? If you have data that has one,
continuous, numerical variable, then a histogram or density plot are the best
methods of plotting your categorical data. Depending on your type of data, a bar
chart can even be appropriate in this case. For example, if you have data pertaining
to the height of a group of students, you will want to use a histogram to visualize
how many students there are in each height range:

 Are there multiple datasets? For cases dealing with more than one set of data,
consider a line or pie chart for accurate representation of your data. A line chart
will connect multiple data sets over a single, continuous line, showing how
numbers have changed over time. A pie chart is good for dividing a whole into
multiple categories or parts. An example of this is when you are measuring
quarterly sales figures of your company. Below are examples of this data plotted
on both a line and pie chart.
 Are you measuring changes over time? A line chart is usually adequate for
plotting trends over time. However, when the changes are larger, a bar chart is the
better option. If, for example, you are measuring the number of visitors to NYC over
the past 6 months, the data would look like this:

 Do relationships between the data need to be shown? When you have two
variables for one set of data, it is important to point out how one affects the other.
Variables that pair well together are best plotted on a scatterplot. However, if there
are too many data points, the relationship between variables can be obscured so a
heat map can be a better representation in that case. If you are measuring the
population of people across all 50 states in the United States, your data points
would consist of millions so you would use a heat map. If you are simply trying to
show the relationship between the number of hours spent studying and its effects
on grades, your data would look like this:
Additional resources
The decision tree example used in this reading is one of many. There are multiple decision
trees out there with varying levels of details that you can use to help guide your visual
decisions. If you want more in-depth insight into more visual options, explore the
following resources:

 From data to visualization: This is an excellent analysis of a larger decision tree.

With this comprehensive selection, you can search based on the kind of data you
have or click on each  graphic example for a definition and proper usage.
 Selecting the best chart: This two-part YouTube video can help take the guesswork
out of data chart selection. Depending on the type of data you are aiming to
illustrate, you will be guided through when to use, when to avoid, and several
examples of best practices. Part 2 of this video provides even more examples of
different charts, ensuring that there is a chart for every type of data out there. 
 What kind of graph did you consider using before consulting the decision tree?
What was your reasoning?
 How did a decision tree simplify your decision-making process? Did the result of
the decision tree differ from your first instinct?
 nclude your first guess at the appropriate visualization to use, as well as the results of using the
decision tree.
 Decision trees allow you to break problems that can seem big or overwhelming into smaller,
more manageable decisions. By framing the decision as a flowchart of various conditions,
constraints, and goals, you can approach it systematically. When selecting a data visualization,
this tool can help you find the most appropriate visualization to clearly communicate a
message about the data to your audience.
Principles of design
In this reading, you are going to learn more about using the elements of art and principles
of design to create effective visualizations. So far, we have learned that communicating
data visually is a form of art. Now, it's time to explore the nine design principles for
creating beautiful and effective data visualizations that can be informative and appeal to
all audiences.

After we go through the various design principles, spend some time examining the visual
examples to ensure that you have a thorough understanding of how the principle is put
into practice. Let’s get into it! 

Nine basic principles of design 

There are nine basic principles of design that data analysts should think about when
building their visualizations.  

1. Balance: The design of a data visualization is balanced when the key visual elements,
like color and shape, are distributed evenly. This doesn’t mean that you need complete
symmetry, but your visualization shouldn’t have one side distracting from the other. If
your data visualization is balanced, this could mean that the lines used to create the
graphics are similar in length on both sides, or that the space between objects is equal.
For example, this column chart (also shown below) is balanced; even though the columns
are different heights and the chart isn’t symmetrical, the colors, width, and spacing of the
columns keep this data visualization balanced. The colors provide sufficient contrast to
each other so that you can pay attention to both the motivation level and the energy level
displayed.
2. Emphasis: Your data visualization should have a focal point, so that your audience
knows where to concentrate. In other words, your visualizations should emphasize the
most important data so that users recognize it first. Using color and value is one effective
way to make this happen. By using contrasting colors, you can make certain that graphic
elements—and the data shown in those elements—stand out. 

For example, you will notice a heat map data visualization below from The Pudding’s
“Where Slang Comes From" article. This heat map uses colors and value intensity to
emphasize the states where search interest is highest. You can visually identify the
increase in the search over time from low interest to high interest. This way, you are able
to quickly grasp the key idea being presented without knowing the specific data values.

3. Movement: Movement can refer to the path the viewer’s eye travels as they look at a
data visualization, or literal movement created by animations. Movement in data
visualization should mimic the way people usually read. You can use lines and colors to
pull the viewer’s attention across the page. 

For example, notice how the average line in this combo chart (also shown below) draws
your attention from left to right. Even though this example isn’t moving, it still uses the
movement principle to guide viewers’ understanding of the data. 
4. Pattern: You can use similar shapes and colors to create patterns in your data
visualization. This can be useful in a lot of different ways. For example, you can use
patterns to highlight similarities between different data sets, or break up a pattern with a
unique shape, color, or line to create more emphasis.

In the example below, the different colored categories of this stacked column chart (also
shown below) are a consistent pattern that makes it easier to compare book sales by
genre in each column. Notice in the chart that the Fantasy & Sci Fi category (royal blue) is
increasing over time even as the general category (green) is staying about the same. 

5. Repetition: Repeating chart types, shapes, or colors adds to the effectiveness of your
visualization. Think about the book sales chart from the previous example: the repetition
of the colors helps the audience understand that there are distinct sets of data. You may
notice this repetition in all of the examples we have reviewed so far. Take some time to
review each of the previous examples and notice the elements that are repeated to create
a meaningful visual story.

6. Proportion: Proportion is another way that you can demonstrate the importance of
certain data. Using various colors and sizes helps demonstrate that you are calling
attention to a specific visual over others. If you make one chart in a dashboard larger than
the others, then you are calling attention to it. It is important to make sure that each chart
accurately reflects and visualizes the relationship among the values in it. In this
dashboard (also shown below), the slice sizes and colors of the pie chart compared to the
data in the table help make the number of donuts eaten by each person the focal point. 

These first six principles of design are key considerations that you can make while you are
creating your data visualization. These next three principles are useful checks once your
data visualization is finished. If you have applied the initial six principles thoughtfully,
then you will probably recognize these next three principles within your visualizations
already. 

7. Rhythm: This refers to creating a sense of movement or flow in your visualization.

Rhythm is closely tied to the movement principle. If your finished design doesn’t
successfully create a flow, you might want to rearrange some of the elements to improve
the rhythm.

8. Variety: Your visualizations should have some variety in the chart types, lines, shapes,
colors, and values you use. Variety keeps the audience engaged. But it is good to find
balance since too much variety can confuse people. The variety you include should make
your dashboards and other visualizations feel interesting and unified.

9. Unity: The last principle is unity. This means that your final data visualization should be
cohesive. If the visual is disjointed or not well organized, it will be confusing and
overwhelming. 

Being a data analyst means learning to think in a lot of different ways. These nine
principles of design can help guide you as you create effective and interesting
visualizations. 

Design thinking for visualization

improvement
Design thinking for data visualization involves five phases:
 1. Empathize: Thinking about the emotions and needs of the target audience for the
data visualization 
2. Define: Figuring out exactly what your audience needs from the data
3. Ideate: Generating ideas for data visualization
4. Prototype: Putting visualizations together for testing and feedback
5. Test: Showing prototype visualizations to people before stakeholders see them
As interactive dashboards become more popular for data visualization, new importance
has been placed on efficiency and user-friendliness. In this reading, you will learn how
design thinking can improve an interactive dashboard. As a junior analyst, you wouldn’t
be expected to create an interactive dashboard on your own, but you can use design
thinking to suggest ways that developers can improve data visualizations and
dashboards.

An example: online banking dashboard

Suppose you are an analyst at a bank that has just released a new dashboard in their
online banking application. This section describes how you might explore this dashboard
like a new user would, consider a user’s needs, and come up with ideas to improve data
visualization in the dashboard. The dashboard in the banking application has the
following data visualization elements:

 Monthly spending is shown as a donut chart that reflects different categories like
utilities, housing, transportation, education, and groceries. 
 When customers set a budget for a category, the donut chart shows filled and
unfilled portions in the same view.
 Customers can also set an overall spending limit, and the dashboard will
automatically assign the budgeted amounts (unfilled areas of the donut chart) to
each category based on past spending trends.
Empathize
First, empathize by putting yourself in the shoes of a customer who has a checking
account with the bank. 

 Do the colors and labels make sense in the visualization? 

 How easy is it to set or change a budget? 
 When you click on a spending category in the donut chart, are the transactions in
the category displayed?
What is the main purpose of the data visualization? If you answered that it was to help
customers stay within budget or to save money, you are right! Saving money was a top
customer need for the dashboard. 

Define
Now, imagine that you are helping dashboard designers define other things that
customers might want to achieve besides saving money.

What other data visualizations might be needed? 

 Track income (in addition to spending)

 Track other spending that doesn’t neatly fit into the set categories (this is
sometimes called discretionary spending)
 Pay off debt
Can you think of anything else?
Ideate
Next, ideate additional features for the dashboard and share them with the software
development team. 

 What new data visualizations would help customers?

 Would you recommend bar charts or line charts in addition to the standard donut
chart?
 Would you recommend allowing users to create their own (custom) categories?
Can you think of anything else?

Prototype
Finally, developers can prototype the next version of the dashboard with new and
improved data visualizations.

Test
Developers can close the cycle by having you (and others) test the prototype before it is
sent to stakeholders for review and approval.

Key takeaways
This design thinking example showed how important it is to:

 Understand the needs of users

 Generate new ideas for data visualizations
 Make incremental improvements to data visualizations over time
You can refer to the following articles for more information about design thinking:

 Three Critical Aspects of Design Thinking for Big Data Solutions

 Data and Design Thinking: Why Use Data in the Design Process?

Pro tips for highlighting key information

Headlines, subtitles, labels, and annotations help you turn your data visualizations into
more meaningful displays. After all, you want to invite your audience into your
presentation and keep them engaged. When you present a visualization, they should be
able to process and understand the information you are trying to share in the first five
seconds. This reading will teach you what you can do to engage your audience
immediately. 

If you already know what headlines, subtitles, labels and annotations do, go to the
guidelines and style checks at the end of this reading. If you don’t, these next sections are
for you. 
Headlines that pop
A headline is a line of words printed in large letters at the top of a visualization to
communicate what data is being presented. It is the attention grabber that makes your
audience want to read more. Here are some examples:

 Which Generation Controls the Senate?: This headline immediately generates

curiosity. Refer to the subreddit post in the dataisbeautiful community,
r/dataisbeautiful, on January 21, 2021.
 Top 10 coffee producers: This headline immediately informs how many coffee
producers are ranked. Read the full article: bbc.com/news/business-43742686.
Check out the chart below. Can you identify what type of data is being represented?
Without a headline, it can be hard to figure out what data is being presented. A graph like
the one below could be anything from average rents in the tri-city area, to sales of
competing products, or daily absences at the local elementary, middle, and high schools. 

Turns out, this illustration is showing average rents in the tri-city area. So, let’s add a
headline to make that clear to the audience. Adding the headline, “Average Rents in the
Tri-City Area” above the line chart instantly informs the audience what it is comparing.
Subtitles that clarify
A subtitle supports the headline by adding more context and description. Adding a
subtitle will help the audience better understand the details associated with your chart.
Typically, the text for subtitles has a smaller font size than the headline. 

In the average rents chart, it is unclear from the headline “Average Rents in the Tri-City
Area” which cities are being described. There are tri-cities near San Diego, California
(Oceanside, Vista, and Carlsbad), tri-cities in the San Francisco Bay Area (Fremont,
Newark, and Union City), tri-cities in North Carolina (Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill),
and tri-cities in the United Arab Emirates (Dubai, Ajman, and Sharjah). 

We are actually reporting the data for the tri-city area near San Diego. So adding
“Oceanside, Vista, and Carlsbad” becomes the subtitle in this case. This subtitle enables
the audience to quickly identify which cities the data reflects.
Labels that identify
A label in a visualization identifies data in relation to other data. Most commonly, labels in
a chart identify what the x-axis and y-axis show. Always make sure you label your axes. We
can add “Months (January - June 2020)” for the x-axis and “Average Monthly Rents ($)”
for the y-axis in the average rents chart. 

Data can also be labeled directly in a chart instead of through a chart legend. This makes it
easier for the audience to understand data points without having to look up symbols or
interpret the color coding in a legend. 
We can add direct labels in the average rents chart. The audience can then identify the
data for Oceanside in yellow, the data for Carlsbad in green, and the data for Vista in blue. 

Annotations that focus

An annotation briefly explains data or helps focus the audience on a particular aspect of
the data in a visualization. 

Suppose in the average rents chart that we want the audience to pay attention to the
rents at their highs. Annotating the data points representing the highest average rents will
help people focus on those values for each city.
 Guidelines and pro tips
Visualization
Guidelines Style checks
components
- Use brief language - Don’t use all caps -
- Content: Briefly describe the data -
Don’t use italic - Don’t use acronyms - Don't
Headlines Length: Usually the width of the data
use abbreviations - Don’t use humor or
frame - Position: Above the data
sarcasm
- Content: Clarify context for the data - - Use smaller font size than headline - Don’t
Length: Same as or shorter than use undefined words - Don’t use all caps,
Subtitles
headline - Position: Directly below the bold, or italic - Don’t use acronyms - Don't
headline use abbreviations
- Content: Replace the need for legends -
- Use a few words only - Use thoughtful color-
Length: Usually fewer than 30 characters
Labels coding - Use callouts to point to the data -
- Position: Next to data or below or
Don’t use all caps, bold, or italic
beside axes
- Content: Draw attention to certain data
- Don’t use all caps, bold, or italic - Don't use
- Length: Varies, limited by open space -
Annotations rotated text - Don’t distract viewers from the
Position: Immediately next to data
data
annotated
Refer to the following table for recommended guidelines and style checks for headlines,
subtitles, labels, and annotations in your data visualizations. Think of these guidelines as
guardrails. Sometimes data visualizations can become too crowded or busy. When this
happens, the audience can get confused or distracted by elements that aren’t really
necessary. The guidelines will help keep your data visualizations simple, and the style
checks will help make your data visualizations more elegant.

You want to be informative without getting too detailed. To meaningfully communicate

the results of your data analysis, use the right visualization components with the right
style. In other words, let simplicity and elegance work together to help your audience
process the data you are sharing in five seconds or less.

Designing a chart in 60 minutes

By now, you understand the principles of design and how to think like a designer. Among
the many options of data visualization is creating a chart, which is a graphical
representation of data. 

Choosing to represent your data via a chart is usually the most simple and efficient
method. Let’s go through the entire process of creating any type of chart in 60 minutes.
The goal here is to develop a prototype or mock up of your chart that you can quickly
present to an audience. This will also enable you to have a sense of whether or not the
chart is communicating the information that you want.
5 minutes- prep 15 minutes- talk & listen 20 minutes- prototype & improve 20 minutes- sketch &
design
Follow this high level 60-minute chart to guide your thinking whenever you begin working
on a data visualization. 

Prep (5 min): Create the mental and physical space necessary for an environment of
comprehensive thinking. This means allowing yourself room to brainstorm how you want
your data to appear while considering the amount and type of data that you have.

Talk and listen (15 min): Identify the object of your work by getting to the “ask behind
the ask” and establishing expectations. Ask questions and really concentrate on feedback
from stakeholders regarding your projects to help you hone how to lay out your data. 

Sketch and design (20 min): Draft your approach to the problem. Define the timing and
output of your work to get a clear and concise idea of what you are crafting.

Prototype and improve (20 min): Generate a visual solution and gauge its effectiveness at
accurately communicating your data. Take your time and repeat the process until a final
visual is produced. It is alright if you go through several visuals until you find the perfect
fit. 
Key takeaway
This is a great overview you can use when you need to create a visualization in a short
amount of time. As you become more experienced in data visualization, you will find
yourself creating your own process. You will get a more detailed description of different
visualization options in the next reading, including line charts, bar charts, scatterplots,
and more. No matter what you choose, always remember to take the time to prep, identify
your objective, take in feedback, design, and create.

 What insights did you gain about the two products you visualized? What trends did
you notice?
 How did design thinking (Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test) influence the
process of making the data visualization? 
 How can design thinking help make data visualizations more accessible and easier
to understand?
1 point
A good response would include how design thinking should be at the heart of your
visualization process because it allows analysts to create user-centric visualizations.

Design thinking helps you stay focused on your audience, message, and goal. This helps
you create a data visualization that tells a meaningful story about your data that is useful
to your audience. Design thinking also helps you plan for accessibility issues. By improving
accessibility, you make data visualizations that communicate more effectively.

Visualizations in spreadsheets and Tableau

This reading summarizes the seven primary chart types: column, line, pie, horizontal bar,
area, scatter, and combo. Then, it describes how visualizations in spreadsheets compare
to those in Tableau.

Primary chart types in spreadsheets

In spreadsheets, charts are graphical representations of data from one or more sheets.
Although there are many variations to choose from, we will focus on the most broadly
applicable charts to give you a sense of what is possible in a spreadsheet. As you review
these examples, keep in mind that these are meant to give you an overview of
visualizations rather than a detailed tutorial. Another reading in this program will describe
the applicable steps and process to create a chart more specifically. When you are in an
application, you can always select Help from the menu bar for more information. 

 To create a chart In Google Sheets, select the data cells, click Insert from the main
menu, and then select Chart. You can set up and customize the chart in the dialog
box on the right.
 To create a chart in Microsoft Excel, select the data cells, click Insert from the main
menu, and then select the chart type. Tip: You can optionally click Recommended
 Charts to view Excel’s recommendations for the data you selected and then select
the chart you like from those shown.
These are the primary chart types available:

 Column (vertical bar): a column chart allows you to display and compare multiple
categories of data by their values. 

 Line: a line chart showcases trends in your data over a period of time. The last line
chart example is a combo chart which can include a line chart. Refer to the
description for the combo chart type.

 Pie: a pie chart is an easy way to visualize what proportion of the whole each data
point represents. 

 Horizontal bar: a bar chart functions similarly to a column chart, but is flipped
horizontally. 
  Area: area charts allow you to track changes in value across multiple categories of
data. 

 Scatter: scatterplots are typically used to display trends in numeric data.

 Combo: combo charts use multiple visual markers like columns and lines to
showcase different aspects of the data in one visualization. The example below is a
combo chart that has a column and line chart together.

You can find more information about other charts here:

 Types of charts and graphs in Google Sheets: a Google Help Center page with a list
of chart examples you can download. 
 Excel Charts: a tutorial outlining all of the different chart types in Excel, including
some subcategories. 

How visualizations differ in Tableau

As you have also learned, Tableau is an analytics platform that helps data analysts display
and understand data. Most if not all of the charts that you can create in spreadsheets are
available in Tableau. But, Tableau offers some distinct charts that aren’t available in
spreadsheets. These are handy guides to help you select chart types in Tableau: 

 Which chart or graph is right for you? This presentation covers 13 of the most
popular charts in Tableau.
  The Ultimate Cheat Sheet on Tableau Charts. This blog describes 24 chart
variations in Tableau and guidelines for use. 
The following are visualizations that are more specialized in Tableau with links to
examples or the steps to create them:

 Highlight tables appear like tables with conditional formatting. Review the steps
to build a highlight table. 
 Heat maps show intensity or concentrations in the data. Review the steps to build
a heat map.
 Density maps show concentrations (like a population density map). Refer to
instructions to create a heat map for density.  
 Gantt charts show the duration of events or activities on a timeline. Review the
steps to build a Gantt chart.
 Symbol maps display a mark over a given longitude and latitude. Learn more from
this example of a symbol map.
 Filled maps are maps with areas colored based on a measurement or dimension.
Explore an example of a filled map.
 Circle views show comparative strength in data. Learn more from this example of
a circle view.
 Box plots also known as box-and whiskers charts show the distribution of values
along a chart axis. Refer to the steps to build a box plot.
 Bullet graphs compare a primary measure with another and can be used instead
of dial gauge charts. Review the steps to build a bullet graph.
 Packed bubble charts display data in clustered circles. Review the steps to build a
packed bubble chart.

Key takeaway
This reading described the chart types you can create in spreadsheets and introduced
visualizations that are more unique to Tableau.

 What elements can you change to customize a chart in Tableau? 

 What other kinds of visualizations could you create in Tableau?
1 point
A good response would include how Tableau allows you to create in-depth visualizations
for data and customize the colors, labels, sizing and more.

Moreover, some versions of the program are available at no charge. Because of these
advantages, many data analysts use it extensively. With the information in this activity,
you can prepare for upcoming activities where you will learn more about what you can do
in Tableau.

Optional: Using Tableau Desktop

In addition to accessing Tableau Public online, you can download a desktop version to
create and upload data visualizations directly from your computer. Tableau Desktop is
part of the Tableau Creator subscription, but you can start a free 14-day trial by
downloading Tableau Desktop from their website. In order to access the desktop version,
you will need a compatible device since Tableau Desktop doesn’t work on mobile devices
or Chromebooks.

This reading will help you download Tableau Desktop, if you want to try it out.

Important note: All hands-on activities are based on the use of Tableau Public. You don't
need to download Tableau Desktop to complete the activities.

Features 
Tableau Public is a great free resource, and it allows you to explore a lot of data
visualizations online. But the desktop version has features that can help make Tableau an
even more powerful tool. Using Tableau Desktop you can:

 Interact with and combine data from more sources

 Save data visualizations locally to your device
 Keep your work more private and secure
 Build calculations and visualize them live in-platform
 Access built-in maps of over 50 countries
 Share your creations with specific users
The Tableau Creator subscription also gives you access to other useful tools, like Tableau
Prep Builder, which can help you prepare your data for visualization and immediately use
it. 

Downloading Tableau Desktop

You can start your free 14-day trial of Tableau Desktop by going to the download page.
Click DOWNLOAD FREE TRIAL to get started. This will bring up a dialogue box
prompting you to save the trial version to your desktop. 

Once you have downloaded Tableau onto your desktop, you can go to the Connect menu
to upload data from local files, like Excel spreadsheets or PDFs, connect to data stored in a
server, or connect to data sources you have used before. Tableau also has a step-by-step
guide to help you get started using your own data in Tableau Desktop. 

Tableau is a powerful tool, and once you have downloaded the app onto your desktop,
you can start using it to create data visualizations of your own.

Misleading visualizations
You can create data visualizations in Tableau using a wide variety of charts, colors, and styles. And you
have tremendous freedom in the tool to decide how these visualizations will look and how they will
present your data. 

Below is an example of a visualization created in Tableau:

Study the visualization and think about these questions: 

 Red normally indicates danger or a warning. Why do you think cells are highlighted in red?
 Green normally indicates a positive or “go” status. Is it clear why certain cells are highlighted in
green? 
 The purpose of the color coding isn’t clear without a legend, but can you guess what might
have been the intent?  
 This table potentially tells the audience that the numbers in red were bad for the
business while the numbers in greed were good. Without proper context, the
audience would not be able to ascertain the accuracy of the visuals.
  The table probably wanted to show to which extent the order quantities had
achieved certain sales quotas.

What makes an effective visualization?

The key to effective presentations is data visualizations that are clear and convincing. In
turn, the key to effective visualizations is selecting the best way to depict your data. 

You have learned about a few types of visualizations (e.g., bar graphs, pie charts) and what
each type is best at emphasizing. Determining which type of visualization to use is
essential to giving your presentation the impact it needs.

So far, you have considered a few rules about what makes a helpful data visualization:

 Five-second rule: A data visualization should be clear, effective, and convincing

enough to be absorbed in five seconds or less.
 Color contrast: Graphs and charts should use a diverging color palette to show
contrast between elements.
 Conventions and expectations: Visuals and their organization should align with
audience expectations and cultural conventions. For example, if the majority of
your audience associates green with a positive concept and red with a negative
one, your visualization should reflect this.
 Minimal labels: Titles, axes, and annotations should use as few labels as it takes to
make sense. Having too many labels makes your graph or chart too busy. It takes
up too much space and prevents the labels from being shown clearly.
For a refresher, you can refer back to the readings from this section. Check out Designing a
chart in 60 minutes, The wonderful world of visualizations, and Visualizations in
spreadsheets and Tableau.

A good reflection would include how the first step to identifying appropriate visualizations
is understanding what kind of data you are presenting, and that you should apply the four
rules above to ensure the visualization has the biggest impact.

After you understand the type of data (frequency, changes over time, categorical
comparisons, etc.), then you must determine what your audience needs to see to
understand your analysis. After that, find which graph or chart style fits your goal. Finally,
utilize the visual design guidelines above to create an accessible and aesthetically
pleasing data visualization.

 What did linking data from multiple sources allow you to do with your visualization
in Tableau? 
 What other kinds of datasets could you link to the four you used in this activity?
What kinds of comparisons or insights could you make?
 If you couldn’t link data in this way, how would you make complex comparative
datasets and visualizations like this?
  A good response would include that linking data allows you to combine different
features of multiple datasets without having to create a new dataset as you
visualize comparisons and combinations of data.
 With Tableau and other visualization software, you can simplify the process of
combining and visualizing data. Otherwise, you would need to select the
information you need and create a new data source, which takes a lot of time. This
simplified process will allow you to share more insights with your peers and
stakeholders throughout your career as a data analyst.

Tableau resources for combining multiple

data sources
Now that you have some experience working with data in Tableau, you are ready to start
doing more, including combining multiple data sources. This reading will provide you with
some how-to guides for that, and other helpful resources you can use as you practice
using Tableau on your own. 

Resource Description 
This page links to other resources explaining how to set up your data sources and
prepare them for analysis once you have connected them to your Tableau account. It
Set up data sources specifically includes articles explaining how to join or blend data, and what a union is
and how they work. This is a great starting point as you get ready to begin using and
combining data sources. 
Joining refers to the process of combining data sources based on common fields. This
Join your data article gives a more detailed explanation of the different joins, how to use them in
Tableau, and an example join with a step-by-step guide. 
Relationships allow you to combine multiple data sources in Tableau. This is a more
Don’t be scared of flexible alternative to joins, and doesn’t force you to create one single table with your
relationships multiple data sources. This article will give you more insight into how relationships
work. 
How relationships This article goes into more detail about the differences between using relationships and
differ from joins joins, and guides you through the process of using relationships to combine data. 
Data blending is another method you can use to combine multiple data sources.
Instead of truly combining the data, blends allow you to query and aggregate data from
Blend your data
multiple sources. This resource goes into more detail about blending and includes a
tutorial. 
Combining This resource provides examples that explain how to combine date fields when using
multiple date fields four different methods of data combination in Tableau. 
These are just a few resources you can use. You can also find more information online or in
the Tableau community forums.
Effective data stories
In data analytics, data storytelling is communicating the meaning of a dataset with visuals
and a narrative that is customized for a particular audience. In data journalism, journalists
engage their audience of readers by combining visualizations, narrative, and context into
data-driven articles. It turns out that data analysts and data journalists have a lot in
common! As a junior data analyst, you might learn a few things about effective storytelling
from data journalism. Read further to explore the role and work of a data journalist in
telling a good story.

Note: This reading refers to an article published in The New Yorker. Non-subscribers may
access several free articles each month. If you already reached your monthly limit on free
articles, bookmark the article and come back to this reading later.

Take a tour of a data-driven article

Ben Wellington, a contributing writer for The New Yorker and a professor at the Pratt
Institute, used New York City’s open data portal to track down noise complaints from
logged service requests. He analyzed the data to gain a more quantitative understanding
of where the noise was coming from and which neighborhoods were the noisiest. Then, he
presented his findings in the Mapping New York's Noisiest Neighborhoods article. 

First, click the link above to skim the article and familiarize yourself with the data
visualizations. Then, join the bus tour of the data! You will be directed to three
visualizations (tour stops) to observe how each visualization helped strengthen the overall
storytelling in the article.

Tour stop 1: setting context 

Earlier in the training, you learned how context is important to understand data. Context
is the condition in which something exists or happens. Based on the categorization of
noise complaints, the data journalist set the context in the article by defining what people
considered to be noise. 
In the article, review the combo table and bar chart that categorizes the noise
complaints. Evaluate the visualization:

 How does the visualization help set the context?  The combo table and bar chart is
effective in summarizing the noise categories as percentages of the logged
complaints. This helps set the context by answering the question, “what is noise?”
Notice that the data journalist created a combo table and bar chart instead of a pie
chart. With 11 noise categories, a list with a bar chart showing relative proportions
is an elegant representation. A pie chart with 11 slices would have been harder to
read. 
 How does the visualization help clarify the data?  If you add the percentages in
the categories in the combo table and bar chart, the total is ninety-eight percent.
There is a difference of two percent that can’t be accounted for in the visualization.
So, rather than clarifying the data, the visualization actually causes a little
confusion. One lesson is to always make sure that your percentages add up
correctly. Sometimes rounding decimal places up or down causes percentages to
be off so they don’t add up to 100%.
 Do you notice a data visualization best practice?  You learned that a companion
table in Tableau shows data in a different way in case some in your audience prefer
tables. It appears that the data journalist had the same idea by using a combo
table and bar chart. Note: As a refresher, a companion table in Tableau is displayed
right next to a visualization. A companion table displays the same data as the
visualization, but in a table format. You may replay the Getting Creative video
which includes an example of a companion table.

Tour stop 2: analyzing variables

After setting the context by identifying the noise categories, the data journalist describes
his analysis of the noise data. One interesting analysis is the distribution of noise
complaints versus the time of day.

In the article, review the stacked area chart for the distribution of noise complaints by
hour of the day. Evaluate the visualization:

 How does the visualization perform against the five-second rule?  Recall that the
five-second rule states that you should understand what is being conveyed within
the first five seconds of seeing a chart. We are guessing that this visualization
performs quite well! The area charts for loud music and barking dogs help the
audience understand that more of these types of noise complaints were made
during late night and early morning hours (between 10:00 PM and 2:00 AM). Notice
also that the color coding in the legend aligns with the colors in the chart. A chart
legend normally has the largest category at the top, but the data journalist chose
to order the legend so the largest category, “Loud music or party” appears at the
bottom instead. How much time do you think this alignment saved readers?
  How does the visualization help clarify the data?  Unlike the visualization from
the previous tour stop, this visualization does a better job of clearly showing that
all percentages add up to 100%. 
 Do you notice a data visualization best practice?  As a best practice, both the x-
axis and y-axis should be labeled. But, the data journalist chose to include % or
A.M. and P.M. with each tick on an axis. As a result, labeling the x-axis “Time of
Day'' and the y-axis “Percentage of Noise Complaints” isn’t required. This
demonstrates that a little creativity with labeling can help you achieve a cleaner
chart.  

Tour stop 3: drawing conclusions

After describing how the data was analyzed, the data journalist shares which
neighborhoods are the noisiest using a variety of visualizations: combo table and bar
chart, density map, and neighborhood map. 

In the article, review the neighborhood map for how close a noisy neighborhood is to a
quiet neighborhood. Evaluate the visualization:

 How does the visualization help make a point?  The data journalist observed that
one of the noisiest neighborhoods was right next to one of the quietest
neighborhoods. The neighborhood map is effective in emphasizing this
observation as a dark blue area versus a white area.  
 How does the visualization help clarify the data? The visualization classifies the
data by neighborhood and allows the audience to follow along when the journalist
focuses specifically on the Williamsburg, East Williamsburg, and North Side/South
Side neighborhoods. 
 Do you notice a data visualization best practice?  Each neighborhood is directly
labeled so a legend isn’t necessary.

End of the tour: being inspired 

We hope you enjoyed your tour of a data journalist’s work! May this inspire your data
storytelling to be as engaging as possible. For additional information about effective data
storytelling, read these articles:

 What is Data Storytelling?

 The Art of Storytelling in Analytics and Data Science | How to Create Data Stories?
 Use Data and Analytics to Tell a Story
 Tell a Meaningful Story With Data

 Data storytelling and visualization


  Before you write your response in the learning log template linked below, take a
moment to consider how data storytelling and visualization are used to
communicate about data. 
 Data storytelling means communicating the meaning of a dataset with visuals and
a narrative that are customized for a particular audience. 
 For example, some music-streaming companies send their customers a “year in
review” email. In these emails, they tell their customers which artists and songs
they were a top fan of. This way, the companies use their customers’ data to tell a
story.
 Data visualization is the representation and presentation of data to help with
understanding. You can use graphs, charts, word clouds, and other visual
depictions to help your audience see and clearly understand your data. 
 The effects of data storytelling and data visualization can be powerful. Data
storytelling and data visualization can captivate your audience, make stories
memorable, touch people’s hearts, and inspire people to take action.

Live and static insights

Previously, you learned about data storytelling and interpreting your dataset through a
narrative. In this reading, you will explore the difference between live and static insights to
make your data even clearer.

Live versus static 

Identifying whether data is live or static depends on certain factors:

 How old is the data?

 How long until the insights are stale or no longer valid to make decisions?
 Does this data or analysis need updating on a regular basis to remain valuable?
Static data involves providing screenshots or snapshots in presentations or building
dashboards using snapshots of data. There are pros and cons to static data.
PROS

 Can tightly control a point-in-time narrative of the data and insight

 Allows for complex analysis to be explained in-depth to a larger audience
CONS

 Insight immediately begins to lose value and continues to do so the longer the data
remains in a static state
 Snapshots can't keep up with the pace of data change
Live data means that you can build dashboards, reports, and views connected to
automatically updated data. 

PROS

 Dashboards can be built to be more dynamic and scalable

 Gives the most up-to-date data to the people who need it at the time when they
need it
 Allows for up-to-date curated views into data with the ability to build a scalable
“single source of truth” for various use cases
 Allows for immediate action to be taken on data that changes frequently
 Alleviates time/resources spent on processes for every analysis
CONS

 Can take engineering resources to keep pipelines live and scalable, which may be
outside the scope of some companies' data resource allocation
 Without the ability to interpret data, you can lose control of the narrative, which
can cause data chaos (i.e. teams coming to conflicting conclusions based on the
same data)
 Can potentially cause a lack of trust if the data isn’t handled properly

Key takeaways
Analysts need to familiarize themselves with the business and data so they can
recommend when an updated static analysis is needed or should be refreshed. Also, this
data insight will help you make the case for what sorts of analyses, visualizations, and
additional data are recommended for the types of decisions that the business needs to
make.

Keep this customer survey spreadsheet on hand as it will be useful for the next video.

 How did you arrange the sheets onto the dashboard to effectively present the data? 
 What are some other ways in which you might use dashboards?
 Is there a dashboard that you would like to create? If so, what kinds of data might it feature?
1 point
good response would include how you can arrange the layout of a dashboard with
visualizations and corresponding legends to help highlight key takeaways from the data.

A data analyst’s effectiveness is strongly dependent on their ability to communicate their

findings to stakeholders. Dashboards are an accessible and thorough way of
communicating by telling stories with data visualizations.

Learning Log: Review a slide presentation

Use your knowledge of presentations to ask yourself: What do you like about each slide?
How would you improve each slide? To help guide your review, consider the following
best practices for slide decks:

 Include a title, subtitle, and date

 Use a logical sequence of slides
 Provide an agenda with a timeline
 Limit the amount of text on slides. Your audience should be able to scan each block
of text on your slides within 5 seconds
 Start with the business task. Focus on the business task and frame the information
in the context of the business task.
 Establish the initial hypothesis
 Show what business metrics you used
 Use visualizations
 Introduce the graphic by name
 Provide a title for each graph
 Go from the general to the specific
 Use speaker notes to help you remember talking points
 Include key takeaways
You can also make edits directly to the presentation to improve it.

Step-by-step critique of a presentation

This reading provides an orientation of two upcoming videos:

 Connor: Messy example of a data presentation

 Connor: Good example of a data presentation
To get the most out of these videos, you should watch them together (back to back). In the
first video, Connor introduces a presentation that is confusing and hard to follow. In the
second video, he returns to talk about what can be done to improve it and help the
audience better understand the data and conclusions being shared.

Messy data presentation

In the first video, watch and listen carefully for the specific reasons the “messy”
presentation falls short. Here is a preview:

 No story or logical flow

  No titles
 Too much text
 Inconsistent format (no theme)
 No recommendation or conclusion at the end
Messy presentation: people don’t know where to focus their attention 
The main problem with the messy presentation is the lack of a logical flow. Notice also
how the data visualizations are hard to understand and appear without any introduction
or explanation. The audience has no sense of what they are looking at and why.  When
people in the audience have to figure out what the data means without any help, they can
end up being lost, confused, and unclear about any actions they need to take. 

Good data presentation

In the second video, numerous best practices are applied to create a better presentation
on the same topic. This “good” presentation is so much easier to understand than the
messy one! Here is a preview:

 Title and date the presentation was last updated

 Flow or table of contents
 Transition slides 
 Visual introduction to the data (also used as a repeated theme)
 Animated bullet points
 Annotations on top of visuals
 Logic and progression 
 Limitations to the data (caveats) - what the data can’t tell you
Tip: As you watch this video, take notes about what Connor suggests to create a good
presentation. You can keep these notes in your journal. When you create your own
presentations, refer back to your notes. This will help you to develop your own thinking
about the quality of presentations.

Good presentation: people are logically guided through the data

The good presentation logically guides the audience through the data – from the
objectives at the beginning all the way to the conclusions at the end. Notice how the data
visualizations are introduced using a common theme and are thoughtfully placed before
each conclusion. A good presentation gives people in the audience the facts and data,
helps them understand what the data means, and provides takeaways about how they
can use their understanding to make a change or do some good.

Up next
Get started with the messy vs. good presentation comparison by viewing the first video:
Connor: Messy example of a data presentation.
Guide: Sharing data findings in presentations
Use this guide to help make your presentation stand out as you tell your data story. Follow
the recommended tips and slide sequence in this guide for a presentation that will truly
impress your audience. 

You can also download this guide as a PDF, so you can reference it in the future:

Sharing your data findings in presentations _ Tips and Tricks.pdf

PDF File

Telling your data story (tips and tricks to present your

data and results)
Use the following tips and sample layout to build your own presentation. 

Tip 1: Know your flow

Just like in any good story, a data story must have a good plot (theme and flow), good
dialogue (talking points), and a great ending or big reveal (results and conclusions). One
flow could be an overview of what was analyzed followed by resulting trends and
potential areas for further exploration.

In order to develop the right flow for your presentation, keep your audience in mind. Ask
yourself these two questions to help you define the overall flow and build out your
presentation. 

Who is my audience?
  If your intended audience is executives, board members, directors, or other C-level
(C-Suite) executives, your storytelling should be kept at a high level. This audience
will want to hear about your story but might not have time to hear the entire story.
Executives tend to focus on endings that encourage improving, correcting, or
inventing things. Keep your presentation brief and spend most of your time on
your results and recommendations. Refer to an upcoming topic in this reading—
Tip 3: end with your recommendations.
 If your intended audience is stakeholders and managers, they might have more
time to learn about how you performed your analysis and they might ask more
data-specific questions. Be prepared with talking points about the aspects of your
analysis that led you to your final results and conclusions. 
 If your intended audience is other analysts and individual contributors, you will
have the most freedom—and perhaps the most time—to go more deeply into the
data, processes, and results. 
What is the purpose of my presentation?

 If the goal of your presentation is to request or recommend something at the end,

like a sales pitch, you can have each slide work toward the recommendations at
the end. 
 If the goal of your presentation is to focus on the results of your analysis, each slide
can help mark the path to the results. Be sure to include plenty of breadcrumbs
(views of the data analysis steps) to demonstrate the path you took with the data.
 If the goal of your presentation is to provide a report on the data analysis, your
slides should clearly summarize your data and key findings. In this case, it is alright
to let the data be the star or speak for itself.

Tip 2: Prepare talking points and limit text on slides

As you create each slide in your presentation, prepare talking points (also called speaker
notes) on what you will say.
Don’t forget that you will be talking at the same time that your audience is reading your
slides. If your slides start becoming more like documents, you should rethink what you
will say so that you can remove some text from the slides. Make it easy for your audience
to skim read the slides while still paying attention to what you are saying. In general,
follow the five-second rule. Your audience should not be spending more than five seconds
reading any block of text on a slide.

Knowing exactly what you will say when explaining each slide throughout your
presentation also creates a natural flow to your story. Talking points help you avoid
awkward pauses between topics. Slides that summarize data can also be repetitive (and
boring). If you prepare a variety of interesting talking points about the data, you can keep
your audience alert and paying attention to the data and its analysis.

Tip 3: End with your recommendations

When climbing a mountain, getting to the top is the goal. Making recommendations at the
end of your presentation is like getting to the mountaintop. 

 Use one slide for your recommendations at the end. Be clear and concise.
 If you are recommending that something be done, provide next steps and describe
what you would consider a successful outcome.

Tip 4: Allow enough time for the presentation and questions

Assume that everyone in your audience is busy. Keep your presentation on topic and as
short as possible by:

 Being aware of your timing. This applies to the total number of slides and the time
you spend on each slide. 
 Presenting your data efficiently. Make sure that every slide tells a unique and
important part of your data story. If a slide isn’t that unique, you might think about
combining the information on that slide with another slide.
 Saving enough time for questions at the end or allowing enough time to answer
questions throughout your presentation.

Putting it all together: Your slide deck layout

In this section, we will describe how to put everything together in a sample slide deck
layout.

First slide: Agenda 

Provide a high-level bulleted list of the topics you will cover and the amount of time you
will spend on each. Every company’s norms are different, but in general, most
presentations run from 30 minutes to an hour at most. Here is an example of a 30-minute
agenda:

 Introductions (4 minutes)
 Project overview and goals (5 minutes)
 Data and analysis (10 minutes)
 Recommendations (3 minutes)
 Actionable steps (3 minutes)
 Questions (5 minutes)

Second slide: Purpose

Everyone might not be familiar with your project or know why it is important. They didn’t
spend the last couple of weeks thinking about the analysis and results of your project like
you did. This slide summarizes the purpose of the project and why it is important to the
business for your audience.

Here is an example of a purpose statement:

Service center consolidation is an important cost savings initiative. The aim of this project
was to determine the impact of service center consolidation on customer response times. 

Third slide: Data/analysis

First, It really is possible to tell your data story in a single slide if you summarize the key
things about your data and analysis. You may have supporting slides with additional data
or information in an appendix at the end of the presentation. 

But, if you choose to tell your story using more than one slide, keep the following in mind:

 Slides typically have a logical order (beginning, middle, and end) to fully build the
story. 
 Each slide should logically introduce the slide that follows it. Visual cues from the
slides or verbal cues from your talking points should let the audience know when
you will go on to the next slide. 
 Remember not to use too much text on the slides. When in doubt, refer back to the
second tip on preparing talking points and limiting the text on slides. 
 The high-level information that people read from the slides shouldn’t be the same
as the information you provide in your talking points. There should be a nice
balance between the two to tell a good story. You don’t want to simply read or say
the words on the slides.
For extra visuals on the slides, use animations. For example, you can:

 Fade in one bullet point at a time as you discuss each on a slide.

 Only display the visual that is relevant to what you are talking about (fade out non-
relevant visuals).
 Use arrows or callouts to point to a specific area of a visual that you are using.

Fourth slide: Recommendations

If you have been telling your story well in the previous slides, the recommendations will be
obvious to your audience. This is when you might get a lot of questions about how your
data supports your recommendations. Be ready to communicate how your data backs up
your conclusion or recommendations in different ways. Having multiple words to state the
same thing also helps if someone is having difficulty with one particular explanation.

Fifth slide: Call to action

Sometimes the call to action can be combined with the recommendations slide. If there
are multiple actions or activities recommended, a separate slide is best. 

Recall our example of a purpose statement: Service center consolidation is an important

cost savings initiative. The aim of this project was to determine the impact of service center
consolidation on customer response times. 

Suppose the data analysis showed that service center consolidation negatively impacted
customer response times. A call to action might be to examine if processes need to change
to bring customer response times back to what they were before the consolidation.
Wrapping it up: Getting feedback 
After you present to your audience, think about how you told your data story and how you
can get feedback for improvement. Consider asking your manager or another data analyst
for candid thoughts about your storytelling and presentation overall. Feedback is great to
help you improve. When you have to write a brand new data story (or a sequel to the one
you already told), you will be ready to impress your audience even more!

Learning Log: Evaluate your presentation

Overview

Earlier in this course, you practiced creating, giving, and evaluating your own presentation
for the Hands-on Activity: Presenting practice. Now, you’ll complete an entry in your
learning log revisiting that presentation and reflecting on how much your presentation
skills have developed so far. By the time you complete this activity, you will have more
experience presenting, evaluating, and receiving and applying presentation feedback.
This will help you prepare for future presentations as a data analyst.

Take two: Revisit your presentation

For the hands-on activity, you recorded yourself presenting a data visualization
dashboard that you created. You then evaluated your work. Now that you have more
knowledge and practice under your belt, it’s time to try again! 

 Re-record your presentation with the information you’ve learned during this
course. Keep it as concise as possible so you can compare it to your previous
version.
 Share the presentation with someone you know who might not be familiar with
data analysis. Keep them in mind while you record your presentation, as it should
be as simple and accessible as possible.
 Ask them for their feedback. Did they find it engaging? Did they truly understand
the concept that you explained?
 If it would be helpful to receive feedback in a formal way, print out the checklist
you used last time (provided below) and give it to your audience.
Presentation Evaluation Checklist:

 Do I use an attention-grabbing opening?

 Do I start with broad ideas and later talk about specific details?
 Do I speak in short sentences?
 Do I pause for five seconds after showing a data visualization?
 Do I pause intentionally at certain points?
 Do I keep the pitch of my sentences level?
 Do I stand still and move with purpose?
 Do I have good posture?
 Do I look at my audience (or camera) while speaking?
 Do I keep my message concise?
 Do I end by explaining to my audience why the data analysis matters?
Now, do the same for your slide deck:

 Do I include a good title and subtitle that describe what I’m about to present?
 Do I include the date of my presentation or the date when my slideshow was last
updated?
 Does my font size let the audience easily read my slides?
 Do I showcase what business metrics I used?
 Do I include effective visuals (like charts and graphs)?
Once you have finished revising, recording, and sharing your presentation again, you’ll
have a chance to reflect on your experience in the learning log template linked below. 

Access your learning log

To use the template for this course item, click the link below and select “Use Template.” 

Link to learning log template: Evaluate your presentation

OR

If you don’t have a Google account, you can download the template directly from the
attachment below.

Learning Log Template_ Evaluate your presentation

DOCX File

Reflection
Now that you’ve finished rerecording your presentation and receiving feedback, take a
moment to reflect on the process you just completed. In your learning log template, write
2-3 sentences (40-60 words) in response to each question below:

 What was your experience recording this presentation?

 How does this presentation experience differ from the last one you recorded? How
does it differ from other presentations you delivered in the past?
 Did the feedback you received help you understand which skills you improved on?
Did it help you realize which skills you still need to work on?
When you’ve finished your entry in the learning log template, make sure to save the
document so your response is somewhere accessible. This will help you continue applying
data analysis to your everyday life. You will also be able to track your progress and growth
as a data analyst.

Preparing for the Q&A

When working on any project, it is important to understand from the beginning what stakeholders
expect of you. This reading will be all about preparing questions to ask before planning your data
gathering and presentations. 

There are many things to consider before you begin asking and answering possible questions – like the
objective, stakeholder expectations, and if there are any limitations. Make sure you have everything
covered before you begin. The checklist below identifies ten tasks that you should engage in to be well
prepared for your Q&A:

Before the presentation

1. Assemble and prepare your questions.
2. Discuss your presentation with your manager, other analysts, or other friendly contacts in your
organization.
3. Ask a manager or other analysts what sort of questions were normally asked by your specific
audience in the past.
4. Seek comments, feedback, and questions on the deck or the document of your analysis.
5. At least 24 hours ahead of the presentation, try and brainstorm tricky questions or unclear
parts you may come across- this helps avoid surprises.
6. It never hurts to practice what you will be presenting, to account for any missing information
or simply to calm your nerves.

During the presentation

1. Be prepared to respond to the things that you find and effectively and accurately explain your
findings.
2. Address potential questions that may come up.
3. Avoid having a single question derail a presentation and propose following-up offline.
4. Put supplementary visualizations and content in the appendix to help answer questions.
Practice makes perfect
Preparing for a presentation or a meeting doesn’t have to be intimidating. If you invest time into
knowing your audience, crafting your notes, doing necessary research and organizing your data, then
there is very little reason why your audience will not be engaged, even impressed.

Respond to a business task

While delivering a presentation to an audience, your primary goal is to respond to a

business task. A business task is a question or problem you use data to solve—and a
presentation demonstrates how to solve it. Business tasks can have a variety of contexts
and scopes, so the details of your presentation will depend on a lot of factors.

Sometimes, you may receive questions or objections about your presentation. This is
normal, as your audience wants to understand your presentation as completely as
possible. Responding to these questions and objections in a clear, concise, and polite
manner is crucial to delivering an effective presentation.

Examples of objections

Consider the following situations where a data analyst delivers a presentation and
receives an objection:

1. An analyst is presenting on the sales revenue of their company’s new product: an

autonomous vacuum cleaning robot. The analyst shows the steps they took for
each part of the analysis. They are confident that they have explained each step
 very thoroughly, but a stakeholder is confused when the presentation is over. They
share a concern that the analysis may be incomplete.
2. An analyst is presenting on the effectiveness of a new drug treatment for
heartburn. They use data from an external private company that describes how
common heartburn is in the United States. After the presentation, they receive an
objection from their stakeholder about the data collected. The stakeholder is
concerned that the source of the data may not be reputable, and is unsure about
the credentials of the data’s source company.
3. An analyst is presenting on the traffic patterns of a particular highway in their city.
After extensive research and analysis, they conclude that Friday is the busiest day
for commuters on that highway. One of the stakeholders, who commutes along
that highway, disagrees and believes that Monday is the busiest day for traffic.

Reflection

Consider an objection from one of the three previous scenarios: 

 If you were the data analyst involved, how would you respond to your
stakeholders?
 What would be the impact of not addressing these objections?
 Using the first scenario as an example: If you receive an objection about the
completeness of your analysis, you should politely acknowledge the objection.
Then, reiterate each step you took in your analysis and explain why you did each
one. Finally, promise to investigate your analysis question further so that the
analysis is complete or your presentation is more clear.
 If you don’t address the objection, your stakeholders may not appreciate or
respect the work you’ve done in your analysis. By communicating respectfully with
your stakeholders, you establish a positive relationship with them. You also can
use their feedback to improve your analytical approach for future presentations.
 What are some other ways you can receive feedback from your audience and
stakeholders?
 How can you be as inclusive as possible? How can you make your audience feel
comfortable asking you for clarification?
 What creative methods can you use to engage your audience?
 Feedback is a healthy process for data analyst, as it is also for all other
professionals.What is important is the quality of feedback.We may have two
qualities of feedback: pulling or pushing, of which pulling is by far more effective
than pushing.The objective of the two feedbacks could be the same; however, the
approach is very different.Pushing feedback is focused on the past, critical and
general.Pulling feedback is future oriented, supportive, and specific.
 Pushing may sound like that’s not good enough, we need to do better.Pulling
feedback may sound like great job, taking initiative, helping to unmask any
ambiguity.So, feedback could be the difference between motivating or causing us
a kind of disappointment.
 There are three practical ways to get useful pulling feedback:
 1-Prepare: be fully receptive and attentive when receiving feedback.Most of the
time, valid points are behind and thus let’s keep staying task focused, and future
oriented.
 2-Stay positive: have a deep breath and keep your motivational energy up and
show appreciation and full understanding before replying to feedback.
 3-Dialogue: we may need to engage our stakeholders in further dialogue out of
presentation forum to ensure reaching the best solution the team aims for, asking
them of “what do they think? And how to move forward?”.