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The Importance of Data Visualisation in Analytics
Data visualization is important for data analysis because it allows analysts to find unknown patterns in data and make an impact by communicating their findings to stakeholders in order to change the world. Specifically, visualizing data makes it easier to spot problems, opportunities, and insights that may have otherwise gone unnoticed. This allows organizations to use data to do good in their communities by showing what resources are needed where and how people can help. In short, data visualization has the potential to identify issues and solutions that could positively change the world.
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The Importance of Data Visualisation in Analytics
- 1. The Importance ofData Visualisation in Analytics Andy Kriebel vizwiz.blogspot.com dataschool.co.uk @VizWizBI
- 2. What is thepurpose of data analysis?
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- 14. What can gowrong?
- 17. Can you seethe problem? Something very bad just happened…
- 21. Doing Good withData
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- 28. Ann Hartman, Directorof Strategic Data Analysis at Connect2Help 211 “We were absolutely blown away by your presentation today. This is proof that a small group of dedicated people working together can change an entire community. With the Tableau workbooks you created, we can show the community what is needed where, and how people can help in their communities.”
- 30. In summary… • Byvisualising data it becomes possible to find opportunities which would have gone unnoticed. • It’s also easier to communicate these opportunities to stakeholders. • This can only be a good thing! • Which might just save the world?
Editor's Notes
- #2 Hi everyone! My name is Andy Kriebel and I’m the Head Coach of The Information Lab’s Data School. I’m here today to talk to you about data visualisation, why it’s important and how the Data School had an impact on a charity in the US.
- #3 First, let’s consider the purpose of data analysis. Why do we even bother with it?
- #4 We do it to WIN! To have an advantage. To be the best. To make more money for our companies.
- #5 We conduct analysis to find something that might have otherwise been unknown. To predict the future. To gain an advantage on the competition.
- #6 We do data analysis to make an IMPACT.
- #7 And maybe we even do it to change the world.
- #8 So why is data visualisation important? And why should we care? For me, data visualisation is not only the quickest way to find answers to complicated questions, but it also allows you to tell stories in a manner that tables simply cannot like this visualisation of mass shootings in America. And for me, Tableau is the best tool on the market for rapid-fire data analysis, data exploration, data visualisation, and storytelling. Let me explain through an example.
- #10 This is a very traditional method for analyzing data. In this example, I’m showing you the number of measles cases by state since 1928. We’ve all worked with people, and likely used to be these very same people, that swore that data analysis could be done this way. But presenting data this way doesn’t reveal patterns.
- #11 And with just two or three clicks in Tableau, I can simply turn this into a heat map that shows a completely different story which you simply cannot see in the vast array of numbers.
- #12 Or I can view it as a series of small multiple maps going from upper left to lower right. Displaying data visually helps us see the impact that the measles vaccine had and how few people now die.
- #13 So I think we can all agree that data visualisation is great for finding patterns when we look at events that have already happened.
- #14 But what about data analysis as things are happening? I optimistically think that data visualisation might one day save the world.
- #15 So what happens when we get visualisations wrong? We’ve all see the examples where Fox news tries to confuse us. But does more serious stuff happen? Let’s go back to the 1970’s and look at some tabular data.
- #16 This is the minute by minute reporting provided to mission control during the Apollo 13 mission… not the one with Tom Hanks, but the actual mission.
- #17 Some smart guys wearing sharp suits and smoking cigars had to study these cards every minute looking for indications that things might not be working. There is one number on this slide which indicates an important part of the craft is about to explode.
- #18 Whoops, it exploded… but they had 2 minutes warning to take action.
- #19 Here’s the viz showing all the warning time they had…
- #20 But everyone came home… just.
- #21 At the Data School, we want to have an impact. We want to make a difference and our second cohort worked with the Tableau Foundation to help a charity in the US.
- #22 In July 2015, Connect2Help 211, a non-profit that facilitates connections between people who need human services and those who provide them, reached out to the Tableau Zen Masters as part of our participation in the Tableau Foundation. Their goals and needs were simple: Create an ETL process that extracts Referrer data, transforms it, and loads it into a MYSQL database that can be connected to Tableau. But that wasn’t enough for us. We also wanted the team to create visualisations that Connect2Help could then use going forward. Let’s quickly look at a few of the visualisations that the team created.
- #23 Benedetta’s goal was to create an advertisement, an emotive piece to perhaps influence legislation. The purpose of this design is to inform the public about the impact Connect2Help 211 is having on the community and the macro picture of the services provided. If we had stopped here, the team at Connect2Help 211 would have been over the moon with what the team had done, but we had so much more to share.
- #24 Simona created an explanatory dashboard that provides a general overview of the situation and explains what is going on as it stands. Her dashboard allows the management team to effectively plan staffing, understand who is calling, and what they are calling about.
- #25 Anuka created a dashboard that allows Connect2Help 211 to dig deeper into whose needs are not being met, which needs are not being met, and why those are not being met. This view also allows you to see a geographical distribution of where the needs aren’t met.
- #26 Ben created a visualisation which allows you to find ways to offer help. This view allows the public to view the problems in their area so that they can best determine where their volunteer services are needed most.
- #27 In just 4 days, the team had built an ETL process and 8 visualisations. To say we made an impact on Connect2Help would be a massive understatement.
- #28 And it didn’t cost the charity anything. 8 consultants, 1 week, no cost.
- #29 This quote from Ann Hartman, the Director of Strategic Data Analysis at Connect2Help 211 says it all. Her quote clearly shows that a small, dedicated, smart team who know how to properly display data in visual form can make a massive impact. How is your company or your team making an impact?
- #30 If you’d like to do a project with the Data School, let me know! I bet we can have just as big of an impact on your organisation as we did for Connect2Help.
- #31 I believe data visualisation is a key tool which allows anyone to make discoveries and communicate them – maybe data visualisation will indeed save the world after all.