With so much information being collected through data analysis in the business world today, we must find a way to paint a picture with that data so that we can interpret it. Data visualisation gives us a clear idea of what the information means by giving it visual context through maps or graphs. This makes the data more natural for the human mind to comprehend and therefore makes it easier to identify trends, patterns, and outliers within large data sets.
Data visualisation is one of the steps of the data science process, which states that after data has been collected, processed and modelled, it must be visualised for conclusions to be made. Data visualisation is also an element of the broader data presentation architecture (DPA) discipline, which aims to identify, locate, manipulate, format and deliver data in the most efficient way possible.
A good data visualisation combines three key aspects
- Data on a topic with a precise angle
- An efficient and purposeful visual
- A design that is impactful but balanced
Since our eyes can capture the colours and patterns, therefore, we can quickly identify the red portion from blue, square from the circle, our culture is visual, including everything from art and advertisements to TV and movies. So, Data visualisation is another technique of visual art that grabs our interest and keeps our main focus on the message captured with the help of eyes. Whenever we visualise a chart, we quickly identify the trends and outliers present in the dataset.
It’s hard to think of a professional industry that doesn’t benefit from making data more understandable. Every STEM field benefits from understanding data—and so do fields in government, finance, marketing, history, consumer goods, service industries, education, sports, and so on. While we’ll always wax poetically about data visualisation there are practical, real-life applications that are undeniable. And, since visualisation is so prolific, it’s also one of the most useful professional skills to develop. The better you can convey your points visually, whether in a dashboard or a slide deck, the better you can leverage that information. The concept of the citizen data scientist is on the rise. Skill sets are changing to accommodate a data-driven world. It is increasingly valuable for professionals to be able to use data to make decisions and use visuals to tell stories of when data informs the who, what, when, where, and how. While traditional education typically draws a distinct line between creative storytelling and technical analysis, the modern professional world also values those who can cross between the two: data visualisation sits right in the middle of analysis and visual storytelling.
