Data visualization made simple: insights into becoming visual

Abstract

Data visualization is the process of representing information graphically. Relationships, patterns, similarities, and differences are encoded through shape, color, position, and size. These visual representations of data can make your findings and ideas stand out. Data visualization is an essential skill in our data-driven world. Almost every aspect of our daily routine generates data: the steps we take, the movies we watch, the goods we purchase, and the conversations we have. Much of this data, our digital exhaust, is stored waiting for someone to make sense of it. But why is anyone interested in these quotidian actions? Imagine you are Nike, Netflix, Amazon, or Twitter. Your data helps these companies better understand you and other users like you. Companies utilize this information to target markets, develop new products, and ultimately outpace their competition by knowing their customers’ habits and needs. However, such insights do not just “automagically” happen. One does not simply transform data into information. It requires several steps: cleaning the data, formatting the data, interrogating the data, analyzing the data, and evaluating the results. Let’s take this a step further. Suppose you identify new markets your company should target. Would you know how to effectively share this information? Could you provide clear evidence that would convince your company to allocate resources to implement your recommendations? What would you rather present: a spreadsheet with the raw data? Or a graphic that shows the data analyzed in an informative way? I imagine you would want to show your insight so that it could be understood by anyone from interns to executives. Data visualization can help make access to data equitable. Data graphics with dashboard displays and/or web-based interfaces, can change an organization’s culture regarding data use. Access to shared information can promote data-driven decision making throughout the organization.