DATA VISULAIZATION

In the era of big data, improvements in technology have made it easy for organizations to
collect huge volumes of information of a vast variety of types and characteristics. From
consumer shopping habits to real-time electricity usage, from internet connectivity to weather
patterns, from social media data to employee accident and error rates, terabytes of data are
constantly and meticulously collected, filed, sorted, and stored by automated and hand-
entered systems. Big data provide the raw information needed to perform complex analysis
and discern key patterns and trends to a degree that would have been impossible 20, or even
five, years ago. Despite the advancement in data tracking and accumulation, however, the
human brain has not advanced at the same rate. It is simply not possible to readily make use
of such a massive scope and scale of data in its raw form. This limitation is a key barrier to
individuals and organizations seeking to leverage the power harnessed within newly
accessible large-scale datasets. Even the most comprehensive and expansive databases are
worthless without a way to understand and process their qualities and to translate these
qualities into actionable insight. Although the potential of big data is substantial, methods for
identifying and comprehending new aspects of knowledge hidden within these data are
essential. Without approaches that enable this and that do so in a manner that increases
accessibility of information to the broad array of those charged with extracting value from big
data, this value will be underutilized at best, or ignored at worst. Data visualization brings
accessibility and interpretability to big data.

DATA VISUALIZATION: DEFINITION AND GOALS

In its simplest form, data visualization is a set of methods for graphically displaying information
in a way that is understandable and straightforward, ideally while also incorporating aesthetic
considerations to drive engagement and interest to in turn capture the attention of the intended
audience. Data visualizations use distinctive techniques and design choices to guide users to
easily absorb, understand, and make decisions based on information. How well this goal is
accomplished is dependent not only on the qualities of the data themselves, but also on the
skills of the researcher and visualization creator in choosing the right presentation method,
and in guiding the user to observe key features in the data—while simultaneously considering
the appropriateness of the format and guidance provided.
Data Visualization- is the representation of data in a graphical format. It makes the data
easier to understand. Data Visualization can be done using tools like Tableau, Google charts,
DataWrapper, and many more. Excel is a spreadsheet that is used for data organization and
data visualization as well
From an analytic perspective, visualization serves two primary purposes
 1. To explore data and to explain it. The exploratory purpose of data visualization is to
discover patterns, relationships, hierarchies, and differences that would be difficult or
impossible to detect based solely on statistical procedures or by reviewing textual or
tabular forms of data presentation. It is important to note that data visualization typically
plays an inductive role in the analytic process, detecting observations and findings that
themselves have a distinctive value, yet can also serve as centering points for further
hypotheses and investigation using more traditional analytic techniques. That is, an
exploration-focused use of data visualization can be an outcome in itself, or it can be a
precursor to further analyses of high-level patterns detected.
2. A second function of visualization is to explain patterns, trends, or relationships
involving variables of interest. Visualizations that originate not in a raw dataset, but
rather in a research question or business objective, can graphically display alternative
hypotheses, allowing the user to gauge which is most likely. The explanation function
extends to communication of the findings themselves to reach a broader audience, to
efficiently orient a user to a topic area, and to incite interpretation, inferences, and
decisions to a degree that would not be possible using text- or numerically-based
communication formats
ADVANTAGES OF VISUALIZED DATA

i. Visualization makes data approachable to a broad audience

ii. It democratizes data access, interpretation, and analysis by drawing upon our
substantial visual skills and by leveraging common visual referents
iii. Visualization, regardless of the size of data to which it is applied, is also advantageous
in comparison to textual or tabular forms of data presentation. They enable detection
of relationships that would otherwise remain hidden, and do so efficiently
iv. Visualizations facilitate integration of multiple data sources
v. Visualization provides specific advantages for each facet of big data: volume, velocity,
and variety enabling big data understandability- this helps organisations harness the
power of big data in effective decision making.

Considerations when visualizing Data

1. Objectives – the objectives to be met from the Visualization of the data- this will help
in choosing the appropriate technique and tools for visualization.
2. Sources of data – where the data to be visualized is stored.
3. Process of transferring the data to the viewers or end users- how the visualization will
be presented to the users.
4. Design – design of the visualization to fit all the above other considerations
Steps for visualizing data in Excel:
 Excel provides various types of charts like Column charts, Bar charts, Pie
charts, Line charts, Area charts, Scatter charts, Surface charts, and much
more.

 Open the Excel Spreadsheet and enter the data or select the data you
want to visualize.
 Click on the Insert tab and select the chart from the list of charts available
or the shortcut key for creating chart is by simply selecting a cell in the
Excel data and press the F11 function key.

 A chart with the data entered in the excel sheet is obtained.

 You can design and style your chart with different types of styles and
colors by selecting the design tab.
 In Excel 2010, the design tab option is visible by clicking on the chart.

Sparklines
Sparklines are tiny charts placed in single cells, each representing a row of data in
your selection. They provide a quick way to see trends.
You can add Sparklines with Quick Analysis tool.

 Select the data for which you want to add Sparklines.

 Keep an empty column to the right side of the data for the Sparklines. sheets.
Waterfall Chart
Waterfall Chart is one of the most popular visualization tools used in small and large
businesses. Waterfall charts are ideal for showing how you have arrived at a net value
such as net income, by breaking down the cumulative effect of positive and negative
contributions.
Excel 2016 provides Waterfall Chart type. If you are using earlier versions of Excel,
you can still create a Waterfall Chart using Stacked Column Chart.
The columns are color coded so that you can quickly tell positive from negative
numbers. The initial and the final value columns start on the horizontal axis, while the
intermediate values are floating columns. Because of this look, Waterfall Charts are
also called Bridge Charts.
TYPES OF DATA VISUALIZATIONS
A dataset contains one or more variables, and we can visualize each and their interaction
with others in multiple ways. Which visualization to choose depends on data and the kind of
information we want to communicate. However, fundamentally, they are of four different kinds

 Distribution of a single variable

 Relationship between two variables

 Composition of a single or multiple variables

 Comparison between different categories/individuals

1) Distribution

An important concept in statistics and data science is distribution. Distribution generally refers
to the probability of occurrence of an outcome. In a distribution of 100 coin flips how many will
get heads and how many tails? Frequency distributions like this are presented in histograms
or curves.

Below is a representation of studnets’ heights distribution in a swimming class. The x-axis

shows different height categories and y-axis has the number of students in each category
2) Relationship visualization

Trees grow taller as they get older in the early years. That’s a relationship between two
variables — height and age.

height = f(age)

In another example, the price of a house depends on the number of beds, number of
bathrooms, location, square footage etc. This is a relationship between one dependent and
many explanatory variables.

price = f(beds, baths, location, area)

If you look at a dataset just as numbers, there is no way to identify these relationships. But in
fact, you can, without going into complex statistical analysis, with the help of a good
visualization.
 3. Comparison visualization

The third cornerstone of data visualization is Comparison. This kind of visual material
compares multiple variables in datasets or multiple categories within a single variable. Let’s
check out the following two visuals:

4) Composition

Have you heard about stacked bar charts? But I’m sure you know what a pie chart is. The

purpose of these charts is to show the composition of one or more variables in absolute

numbers and in normalized forms (e.g. percentage). Composition charts are some of the old

school visualization techniques that nowadays have limited use cases (do you really need a

pie chart to show a composition of yellow 10% and red 15%?). Nevertheless, sometimes they

can present information in a visually aesthetic and familiar, vintage fashion.

Qualities of good data Visualization
 Accurate: The visualization should accurately represent the data and
its trends.
 Clear: Your visualization should be easy to understand.
 Empowering: The reader should know what action to take after
viewing your visualization.
 Succinct: Your message shouldn’t take long to resonate.

Other tools of Data Visualization

Power BI is a cloud-based business analytics service from Microsoft that

enables anyone to visualize and analyze data, with better speed and
efficiency. It is a powerful as well as a flexible tool for connecting with
and analyzing a wide variety of data. Many businesses even consider it
indispensable for data-science-related work. Power BI’s ease of use comes
from the fact that it has a drag and drop interface. This feature helps to
perform tasks like sorting, comparing and analyzing, very easily and fast.
Power BI is also compatible with multiple sources, including Excel, SQL
Server, and cloud-based data repositories which makes it an excellent
choice for Data Scientists. Power BI provides the ability to collaborate and
share customized dashboards and interactive reports across colleagues and
organizations, easily and securely.

2. Tableau is a Data Visualisation tool that is widely used for Business

Intelligence but is not limited to it. It helps create interactive graphs and
charts in the form of dashboards and worksheets to gain business insights.
And all of this is made possible with gestures as simple as drag and drop!

3. The MicroStrategy Visualization SDK provides APIs, sample code,

documentation, and the Custom Visualization Tool. This tool is designed to
help users quickly and easily create the file and folder structure of a
visualization plug-in that is integrated with MicroStrategy.