Share what you know with millions of people
Focus is the best place to turn what you know into remarkable content
0
What are the benefits of data visualization?
What are the benefits of data visualization? Are there any standalone apps that offer this feature or do you have to build it into a BI system? How does a data visualization system help you?
Events
- Dos and Don'ts of Small Business Marketing May 29 @ 11 am PT
- Lead Nurturing 202: The Next Generation May 31 @ 11 am PT
- The Tricks to Paid Media June 6 @ 11 am PT
- Display Advertising for Brand Awareness June 20 @ 11 am PT
Related Activity
4 Answers
Hi,
data visualizations, when properly done, has major advantages compared to raw data.
Imagine a 20 pages report full of raw data, indexes, calculations. All of it can often be shown in a one-page dashboard.
Whan this is done properly, that dashboard will tell you a story of your data (history), state of your company (present), and what you can expect if nothing changes (future).
To achieve this, one have to know what visualization is the best to show some particular demands (ratios, comparisons, variances, distributions, bullet graphs for KPIs etc.)
Without right data visualization you are stuck with mere numbers and you will have to spend hours to understand them.
Many BI systems are capable for data visualization, the point is that one who creates them is not always competent.
Imagine a long, long spreadsheet filled with rows and rows and columns and columns of numbers. Now, someone asks you to quickly figure out patterns in those nondescript rows and columns.
Visualization software lets you see those numbers as charts, graphs, colors, and other means, so you can more quickly and easily interpret meaning. Good visualization can help you see patterns and discern meanings where they otherwise might be impossible to detect.
However, beware of eye candy -- nice look charts and graphs that have little meaning or offer minimal value. Visualizations are only effective when they offer clear purpose; otherwise, it's nothing more than pretty screens that are not useful.
It's relatively safe to say that citing numbers, facts, statistics (anticipated cost, how much tax you will save as an individual, how many jobs will be created) adds credibility and weight to an argument. However, lack of surrounding background information and a poorly demonstrated context, can leave listeners or readers somewhat confused. In some cases, the introduction of figures to a debate can do more harm than good, if the subject matter is already complicated enough to understand.
One way to try and avoid this confusion is through the use of good data visualization. A well-presented chart can be a hundred times more effective than a list of numbers at putting a message across, and often much easier for people to process, spot trends and generally understand.
Any organization that seeks to convince its audience (whether it be your customers, your colleagues, your CEO..) of something, can benefit from strong data visualization. Accompanied by solid supporting materials (presentations, videos, reports..), this can reinforce the message you are trying to portray and can no doubt set you up for successful outcomes.
Other benefits include clarity, consistency and time saving.
Data visualization means a chart, graph or picture shows the data in some meaningful context. The old saying is that "one picture is worth a thousand words." So a good data visualization should be better than showing a table with a thousand numbers and words. Dynamic visualizations where a user can quickly change the "picture" often create even more useful information and permit interactive analysis.
Picture this -- a simple line graph with meaningful axes versus a table of values in a column. A good visualization takes the simple line graph data display to a more sophisticated level.
Answer This Question