Best Practices for Data Visualization
By: Avery Somers
Tags: Data Visualization, Excel, Tableau, Power Bi, Data

Photo by Lukas Blazek on Unsplash

Data visualization can seem daunting to a beginner, and the best way to learn is through iteration and practice. However, there are some helpful rules and standards that you can follow to help you create effective data visualizations at work.

First, you must create a consistent brand.

A consistent personal brand is essential for your team or office. If your team’s data visualizations have a strong brand, your stakeholders can instantly recognize your team’s work. Creating a strong brand over time will help build your team’s credibility and establish your work in the larger organization. Here are some key points you should consider when creating your team’s brand:

· Establish Consistent Formatting — You must establish consistent formatting across all reports and dashboards your team produces. To start, many companies have a brand book — these packets give guidelines on specific color schemes, fonts, and logos for you to use. This brand book can be really helpful with first establishing guidelines for your team.

· Create a Cohesive Title — Another formatting piece to standardize is the title of your visualization. At my company, we put the logo to the left and the company name, title of the visualization, date, and data source to the right. We also often put a larger title and small description in the top of the visualization as well. This format is just one example and many designs could work great –the most important takeaway is just to keep the design cohesive across your team.

Next, decide on which tool you will use to visualize the data.

With endless tools out there nowadays, it can be difficult to know which type of software to use for your visualization. Luckily, there are some simple criteria you can follow to help guide you on that decision.

· Use Excel for Static Reports — Excel is a great and powerful tool for analyzing your initial data source, but it can also be used for data visualizations. If you need to create a static visualization that will never change, Excel is a great option. Excel is also the best option to use for creating a visually appealing list of data points. For example, if I needed to send a list of customers that signed up from a marketing campaign, I would use Excel.

· Create Interactive Dashboards in Power BI and Tableau — A dashboard is the right tool to use if your end user needs to be able to manipulate or analyze the data. Software such as Power BI and Tableau allows users to create interactive dashboards that can tell a great story. You can technically use Tableau and Power BI for static reports if you want a fancier visualization, but the true power lies in the interactivity of these products. If you are a novice to data visualization, I would recommend Power BI over Tableau — Power BI is a Microsoft product, so it will look and feel similar to products you are already used to. It is simpler to use and has a smaller learning curve than Tableau.

· Showcase End Results in PowerPoint — Once you have finished analyzing your data, use PowerPoint if you need to tell your stakeholder a narrative. Slides will give you the flexibility to tell a cohesive and interesting story.

Lastly, choose your type of data visualization.

There is unfortunately no perfect formula for data visualizations, and a lot of your effectiveness will come from practice and learning what works well and what falls flat. However, there are some best practices that will help you choose a specific data visualization tool.

· Use line charts for trending data over time

· Use bar charts for comparing variables

· Use pie/donut charts for showing parts of a whole. I would recommend no more than four slices per pie

· Use maps for visualizing physical locations. Heatmaps can show high concentrations of customers or competitors quickly. Bubble maps can show how many particular variables are within a starting point (for example, how many competitors are in the radius of a potential new expansion site?)

·Use tables for showing data lists. Tables are important to use when your stakeholder needs to see clear and detailed data points.

·Finally, make data visualizations as clear and simple as possible. At the end of the day, no one wants to have to take a tutorial on how to use a dashboard or a report.