More Than Pretty Pictures: A Guide to Data Visualization for Info Pros

More Than Pretty Pictures: A Guide to Data Visualization for Info Pros

Marcy PhelpsPhelps Research, Inc.September 10, 2014www.PhelpsResearch.comTwitter: @marcyphelps

DataViz for Info Pros

Understanding DataVizWhat is it?

DataViz in practice

DataViz and Info ProsDataViz = Opportunity

Now what?

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www.PhelpsResearch.com 4

We’re drowning in information!7

Time is the new currencyData-driven decisions in real time


Boring numbers

Insights! 3,009.9

3,424.9

3,734.93,919.2 3,973.3 4,041.6

492.2

872.3

1,284.6

1,621.4

1,947.22,201.7

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Worldwide Ethernet Semiconductor Revenue Forecast($ million)

Total Ethernet 10 G Ethernet

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Information becomes…

ReadableLogical/memorable

Usable


UNDERSTANDING DATAVIZ


Data art vs. data visualization


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Interactive vs. staticCharts/graphs

Data mapsDiagrams

Word cloudsDashboards

ImagesVideoetc.

DATA VISUALIZATION =

Visualization design + Visual analysis


More than pretty pictures!

From: SHOW ME THE NUMBERS, BY STEPHEN FEW 15

Analyze Discover the message

Communicate Share the message

Monitor Track performance

Plan Predict/prepare for future

Health InfoScape: http://bit.ly/1mspaSQMIT/GE 16

Find Connections

ID clusters in mailing list

Source: Blog.MailChimp.com17

Investigate cause and effect

http://bit.ly/18DsuHx

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Fast answers


Real-time tracking


HealthMap.org 22

Monitoring progress with dashboards


http://bit.ly/1jn4Ai1

DATAVIZ AND INFO PROS


"Prove yourself on the field, not by talking"

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Visual analysis process

Data/View SpecificationView Manipulation

Process & Provenance

Interactive Dynamics for Visual Analysis: A taxonomy of tools that support the fluent and flexible use of visualizations, Jeffrey Heer & Ben Shneiderman, ACMQueu, February 2012, http://queue.acm.org/detail.cfm?id=2146416


DataViz team

Strategy

Tool selection/evaluation

Asking the right questions

Analysis

Sharing

Archiving


“There is a simple way to package information that, under the right

circumstances, can make it irresistible. All you have to do is find it.”

Malcolm GladwellThe Tipping Point

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VISUAL DESIGN


DataViz options for deliverables

Using visualizations from sourcesUsing data from sources & creating visualizationsCreating our own data & visualizations


34http://data.worldbank.org/

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MarketingCharts.com

Ready-to-use graphics

American FactFinderhttp://factfinder2.census.gov

Eurostathttp://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/eurostat/home

ESRIwww.esri.com


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What type of graphic?

What kind of info?

What’s the message?

What’s the relationship?

Select your graphic


http://bit.ly/1yp3pth44

Selecting the right graphic

Keep learning!

Show Me the Numbers: Designing Tables and Graphs to Enlighten, Stephen Few

The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, Edward R. Tufte

Say it with Charts: The Executive’s Guide to Visual Communication, Gene Zelazny

Tableausoftware.com

Practice!!


“If you are seen as someone who adds value, then you have a seat at the table.”


More Than Pretty Pictures: A Guide to Data Visualization for Info Pros

Data & Analytics

Transcript of More Than Pretty Pictures: A Guide to Data Visualization for Info Pros