Data Visualization Best Practices & Resources for Effective Communication

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Right here’s my scorching take: Good knowledge visualization is goal. It’s an artwork, sure, however in contrast to the controversy about whether or not fashionable artwork is sweet or unhealthy, which is unattainable to reply, there are positively “good” and “unhealthy” knowledge visualizations.

We’ve all seen a nasty graph and have been capable of say, objectively, that graph sucks. And likewise, we’ve all seen a tremendous piece of knowledge visualization that succinctly and cleverly communicates an advanced matter.

Right here’s one of my favorites, simply for example of fine knowledge viz. It’s a map of a cholera outbreak in 1854. Utilizing this rudimentary dot chart, doctor John Snow was capable of see the place deaths have been highest and in the end determine what should be blamed for the outbreak – a contaminated nicely. This appears to be like easy by right now’s requirements, but it surely was positively ground-breaking in 1854.

It’s attention-grabbing, it’s wealthy, it invitations additional investigation, and it determines a development. With no epidemiological data, you possibly can intuit what’s taking place right here. In different phrases, it’s nice knowledge viz.

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If you wish to see a nasty instance, have a look at the graph I generated for this text, the place I’m making an attempt to determine if folks like my chart-making expertise or not.

It’s unhealthy. You haven’t any thought what I’m making an attempt to say; it doesn’t assist spot any developments or patterns. With a single look, you possibly can say, “Yeah, Nate, that wants some work.”

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The excellent news is that as a result of it’s an goal artwork, you possibly can be taught to do it nicely. It’s not an innate expertise that you simply’re both born with or not – it’s a discovered ability.

That can assist you keep away from the sin of unhealthy knowledge viz, I’ll speak about the most effective practices. Although it’s a little bit of an artwork, there’s a science you possibly can apply to the method of knowledge visualization to ensure you’re successfully speaking.

Knowledge visualization is if you make numbers inform a narrative. That’s my model of the definition anyway; Wikipedia considerably extra dryly defines it as “the method of designing and creating easy-to-communicate and easy-to-understand graphic or visible illustration of a considerable amount of complicated knowledge and knowledge.”

Any variety of jobs will find yourself touching knowledge visualization, since there isn’t a single job title of “knowledge visualist,” not less than not right now. Knowledge analysts, enterprise analysts, knowledge scientists, and even backend builders could be tasked with making a graphic to convey some key element.

For instance, as a backend developer, you may discover that your knowledge analytics workforce needs you to create a visualization representing outcomes in a binary search tree. As a knowledge scientist, you’ll be asked to show complicated finance numbers right into a chart that is sensible to C-suite execs.

Knowledge visualization is communication, plain and easy.

That is like asking why good communication issues. However let’s break it down even additional. Good knowledge visualization issues for a number of completely different causes.

Talk complicated info

Think about you’re John Snow, again in 1854. Your sufferers are dying. there’s a sample, you already know it’s one thing to do with a specific contaminated nicely. You’re making an attempt to elucidate this to beleaguered, skeptical metropolis officers who don’t actually imagine that illness can unfold this fashion.

Are you able to think about making an attempt to explain that cholera chart to somebody? How would you do it? It’d be borderline unattainable.

Against this, non-experts can see that chart and immediately make sense of what’s taking place. There’s a sample of deaths that matches geography. These households are those drawing water from that nicely. His chart communicated complicated info at a look. That’s one of many strengths of fine knowledge viz.

Determine patterns and developments

Let’s say you’re a knowledge scientist working for a healthcare firm. You’re making an attempt to research affected person knowledge to enhance care, so that you’re taking a look at affected person demographics, medical historical past, and therapy outcomes.

Once you run a typical statistical evaluation, you don’t discover any standout patterns. Nonetheless, if you throw mortality and age onto a scatter plot, you understand that sufferers over the age of 65 have a sharply elevated mortality price.

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Now you possibly can go these findings on to healthcare practitioners to allow them to examine methods of reversing that development.

OK, now you perceive what good knowledge viz is and why it issues. Let’s get into the info visualization finest practices you possibly can apply to ensure you create beautiful, memorable, compelling graphs and charts.

Know your viewers

That is an important step. Who’re you creating this knowledge visualization for? What are they fascinated by? What sort of fundamental understanding do they have already got? What do they want this knowledge viz for?

For instance, think about you’re a knowledge analyst making an attempt to elucidate to the CTO how efficient an e mail advertising and marketing marketing campaign is for numerous segments of the model’s viewers. The result of this assembly will decide your complete e mail advertising and marketing technique for the following quarter.

However you’ve forgotten that what’s second nature to you – CTRs and CTAs and segments named issues like “Phase A” are usually not simply parsed by non-experts.

You current the next atrocity and need to spend your complete assembly re-communicating what precisely all that jargon and phase names imply. The CTO is confused, unhappy, and unable to decide.

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As an alternative, it’s best to streamline this to the principle key element that decision-makers must decide on and guarantee that every thing is sensible to that viewers. Right here’s what a very good model of that knowledge visualization might seem like:

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The viewers can clearly perceive the info and decide.

Preserve it easy

You know the way, if you watch Star Wars these days, it feels a bit of bit like filmmakers not too long ago found all of the PowerPoint transitions they may use, and used each single one simply due to the enjoyable and novelty?

That’s unhealthy knowledge viz follow. An excellent knowledge viz follow is to maintain issues so simple as attainable.

For instance, a number of years in the past there was this large development of doing 3D charts. It didn’t add something to the knowledge being conveyed. However it was fancy, so folks liked it.

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Good knowledge viz means you retain the concentrate on the info. Don’t make it interactive if it doesn’t must be interactive. Don’t add extra colours than you actually need. If you may get away with eradicating further legends by making titles self-explanatory, all the higher.

Select the best chart sort

Let’s say you need to present change over time. What’s the finest sort of chart? 

Your reply to that query can imply the distinction between a very good, clear bit of knowledge visualization, and a monstrosity that shouldn’t see the sunshine of day.

For the report, the best reply is a line chart. Have time on the x-axis, and no matter different issue you’re measuring on the y-axis.

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Return to my hideous pie chart from earlier. You’ll be able to clearly see that is the unsuitable sort of knowledge visualization for the reply I’m making an attempt to get. A pie chart signifies a wholeness of some variety; it’s nice for including up percentages. So if 55% of my staff suppose the chart is nice, however 45% don’t, then a pie chart is sweet to convey that discovering.

However for a mishmash of open textual content field solutions? A pie chart is worse than ineffective.

Here’s a good desk to indicate you, as a tough rule of thumb, which sorts of knowledge viz are proper to make use of when. Keep in mind, you’re the knowledgeable by yourself knowledge, so take this with a pinch of salt.

I additionally encourage you to peruse knowledge viz and make word of what you want and don’t like. Keep in mind, knowledge viz is goal. You’ll be able to, with some thought, put your finger on what’s working and what isn’t, and take these findings to your personal knowledge visualizations.

Present context

Lastly, it’s best to at all times clarify the why behind your knowledge visualizations. What are the info items? What does the info symbolize? What different related info is required to make your case?

Have a look at this instance for what to not do:

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It’s overly complicated, which already violates our second Good Knowledge Viz commandment. However it additionally doesn’t give any context. What takeaway am I speculated to have right here? What do these letters imply? Why are these rectangles to not scale?

If it is advisable to present definitions, throw them in. When you suppose an trade benchmark will higher illustrate the importance of your findings, add it. And most significantly, bear in mind you’re telling a narrative. When you simply wished to offer numbers, you might give folks a desk. However you’re not. You’re shaping the narrative. That’s why context issues a lot.

Keep in mind, you’re the knowledgeable on these numbers. You’re speaking an thought. You should present any supplementary materials you suppose will assist you make your case finest.

There are two methods to be taught extra about knowledge viz: studying and doing. Let’s undergo each sorts.

Learn/watch/eat content material about knowledge viz

First, it’s best to floor your self in knowledge visualization fundamentals. I like to recommend the next assets:

DIY model

When you’re accomplished listening, watching, and studying, it’s time to use what you already know. Get respected knowledge from sources like:

Then, attempt to make knowledge visualizations your self. Take into account the info and take into consideration what questions you’ve, what developments you’d like to identify, and what’s complicated and could possibly be made clearer.

You should utilize platforms like The Pudding or Kaggle to get inspiration for what sorts of questions you possibly can ask or reply.

I additionally suggest trying out what real-life interviewers are asking in knowledge science interviews. Platforms like StrataScratch assist you follow your knowledge viz expertise on real-world examples.

Need extra? The 30 Resources for Mastering Data Visualization is a superb best-of record of assets all about knowledge visualization.

There’s that basic quote: “An image is price a thousand phrases.” If that’s true, then good knowledge visualization is a library’s price of phrases.

Good knowledge visualization is the spine of just about any significant determination that will get made at any firm. It’s what helps folks from completely different departments talk in a manner that is sensible to all events. It’s how you’re taking a large number of numbers and make them inform a narrative.

However it’s simple to get unsuitable. To do knowledge visualization the best manner, bear in mind it is advisable to hold your viewers in thoughts, hold issues so simple as attainable, select the best sort of chart, and at all times present context.

Hopefully, this illustrated information has helped you to higher perceive what good knowledge viz is, and how one can make the most effective knowledge visualizations shifting ahead.
 
 
Nate Rosidi is a knowledge scientist and in product technique. He is additionally an adjunct professor educating analytics, and is the founding father of StrataScratch, a platform serving to knowledge scientists put together for his or her interviews with actual interview questions from prime firms. Join with him on Twitter: StrataScratch or LinkedIn.