I typically discover uncooked knowledge overwhelming — countless rows of numbers will be arduous to decipher. That is why I like knowledge visualization; it transforms complicated figures into clear, intuitive charts that assist me rapidly spot tendencies and perceive the story behind the numbers.
Visible charts and graphs not solely save me valuable time but additionally empower me to make higher choices by contextualizing data in a manner that uncooked knowledge simply can‘t.
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On this article, I’ll clarify what knowledge visualization is and share some knowledge visualization greatest practices that can assist you get began.
Desk of Contents
What’s knowledge visualization?
Information visualization means that you can manage knowledge in a manner that is each compelling and straightforward to digest.
It is about representing knowledge in a visible context, similar to a chart or a map, to assist anybody viewing it higher perceive the significance of that knowledge.
How does knowledge visualization work?
Whereas knowledge shared through textual content will be complicated (to not point out bland), knowledge represented in a visible format may help individuals extract that means from that data extra rapidly and simply.
Information visualization means that you can expose patterns, tendencies, and correlations which will in any other case go undetected,
Static vs. Interactive Information Visualization
Information visualization will be static or interactive. For hundreds of years, individuals have been utilizing static knowledge visualization like charts and maps.
Interactive knowledge visualization is a little bit bit newer: It lets individuals drill down into the soiled particulars of those charts and graphs utilizing their computer systems and cellular gadgets,after which change which knowledge they see and the way it’s processed.
Time Sequence Visualization
Along with static and interactive knowledge visualization, you might also hear the time period time collection visualization. Time collection visualization is what it feels like — visuals that monitor knowledge, or efficiency, over a time period.
That is essential as a result of a significant cause why individuals wish to give attention to knowledge visualization is to point out adjustments in variables over time.
Time Sequence Information Visualization Examples
There are lots of methods to make use of time-series knowledge visualization — you‘ll study extra about these under, however right here’s a fast record to offer you a greater understanding of which visuals are thought of time-series visuals.
- Line chart
- Bar chart
- Space chart
- Bullet graph
Featured Information: An Introduction to Information Visualization
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Methods to Visualize Information: 10 Approaches
1. Line Chart
A line chart is a simple device for visualizing knowledge tendencies over time. It really works by connecting particular person knowledge factors with a line, which makes it simple so that you can see patterns and adjustments throughout totally different time intervals.
You should utilize a line chart to trace a single knowledge collection or examine a number of collection concurrently. It’s notably helpful for highlighting tendencies, recognizing fluctuations, and understanding general progress in your knowledge.
2. Bar Chart
A bar chart makes use of rectangular bars to symbolize values, with the size or top of every bar equivalent to the amount it represents. One of these chart is very helpful once you wish to spotlight variations throughout numerous teams or objects at a look.
Whether or not the bars are displayed vertically or horizontally, a bar chart makes it simple to see which classes stand out, serving to you to rapidly analyze and talk your knowledge.
For instance, say you have been utilizing Casted on your content material advertising and marketing and have to report on which medium is performing greatest. You’ll be able to pull knowledge studies from the dashboard to visualise the information for key stakeholders.
3. Scatter Chart
A scatter chart is a great tool for inspecting the connection between two variables by plotting particular person knowledge factors on a coordinate airplane. Every level represents an remark, permitting you to see patterns, correlations, or outliers in your knowledge.
One of these visualization is good for exploring how adjustments in a single variable would possibly relate to adjustments in one other. It offers you insights into tendencies and relationships which may not be instantly obvious.
4. Space Chart
An space chart is just like a line chart however fills within the area beneath the road, which helps emphasize the quantity of change over time. This visible illustration is helpful once you wish to present cumulative totals or spotlight how totally different components contribute to the entire.
By filling within the space under the development line, an space chart could make it simpler to identify patterns, examine magnitudes, and perceive the general influence of the information.
5. Map Chart
A map chart shows knowledge on a geographic map, which makes it simple to see how values differ throughout areas or areas. It makes use of colours, symbols, or shading to symbolize numerous knowledge factors in areas like international locations, states, or cities.
One of these chart is very useful once you wish to spotlight regional tendencies or examine knowledge geographically. With a map chart, you may rapidly determine patterns, clusters, or outliers which might be tied to particular areas of the world.
6. Indicator Chart
An indicator chart often reveals a number of giant numerical values, typically accompanied by visible cues like colours or icons (e.g., gauge, ticker), to rapidly talk whether or not a metric is assembly its goal or requires consideration.
You should utilize an indicator chart to watch efficiency over time, examine present values towards targets, or spotlight essential knowledge factors on a dashboard. Its clear and direct presentation makes it simple so that you can instantly perceive the standing of a important measurement with out digging into extra detailed knowledge.
7. Pivot Desk
A pivot desk is a flexible device that helps you rapidly summarize and analyze giant knowledge units. It means that you can reorganize uncooked knowledge right into a structured format by grouping and aggregating key values, similar to sums, averages, or counts.
With a pivot desk, you may simply examine totally different classes or time intervals and uncover patterns which may not be seen within the authentic knowledge.
8. Bullet Graph
A bullet graph is designed to point out progress towards a goal in a transparent and space-efficient method. It usually includes a horizontal bar that represents the primary measure, together with markers that point out goal values or efficiency ranges.
One of these chart is very helpful on dashboards, the place it offers a fast snapshot of how nicely a metric is performing towards set targets. By evaluating the size of the bar to the reference markers, you may simply assess whether or not a price is inside a suitable vary or if it wants consideration.
9. Field Plot
A field plot is a statistical visualization that summarizes a dataset utilizing its quartiles and highlights any outliers. It shows a field that represents the interquartile vary, with a line inside indicating the median and “whiskers” that stretch to point out the vary of the information.
This chart is helpful for rapidly understanding the central tendency, unfold, and symmetry of your knowledge, in addition to figuring out any uncommon observations.
10. Pie Chart
A pie chart is a round graph divided into slices, the place every slice represents part of the entire. One of these chart is very helpful once you wish to present how particular person classes contribute to an general whole. By displaying knowledge in proportional segments, a pie chart means that you can rapidly grasp the relative dimension of every class at a look.
Nevertheless, it is simplest when used with a restricted variety of classes to maintain the visualization clear and straightforward to know.
Able to really feel impressed? Let’s check out some nice examples to encourage your knowledge visualization concepts.
Examples of Information Visualization
Beneath are 20 examples of knowledge visualization, cut up into two main sections: static and interactive knowledge visualization.
Examples of Static Information Visualization
1. United States City Inhabitants
This chart goals to point out the expansion of the agricultural inhabitants versus the city inhabitants in the US between 1955 and 2024. On the graph, the agricultural inhabitants is inexperienced, whereas the city inhabitants is blue.
What I like: This graph doesn’t make you do any calculations to determine precisely what the agricultural or city populations are. As a substitute, once you hover over a bar, you may see the precise determine and share of each populations in that particular 12 months.
2. World Warming
On this chart, the World Meteorological Group goals to point out the rise in world imply temperature over the past two centuries. The chart shows knowledge from six world floor temperature datasets used to trace and analyze the typical temperature of the Earth’s floor over time.
In keeping with all six datasets, 2024 was the warmest 12 months on report, with a world imply floor air temperature of 1.54C.
What I like: The graph represents every dataset with a special shade so you may see when and the way they converge. So, whereas there could also be some slight variations between at the least three datasets for the years 1860 by means of 1880, all six agree that the worldwide floor temperature has been rising steadily since 1970 on the identical ranges.
3. The Introduction of Generative AI
This pie chart goals to point out the software program classes that can be affected by the rise of generative synthetic intelligence (AI). It additionally reveals the levels to which every classes can be disrupted. For instance, content material creation would doubtless be affected probably the most by generative AI, whereas system infrastructure could be affected the least.
What I like: I like how simple it’s to learn the information on this pie chart. The names of the industries are clearly listed, in addition to their particular person financial values. There’s additionally a shade scheme that permits you to know the extent of disruption/reimagination every class will bear. So, at first look, you understand what you’re taking a look at and what it means.
4. Labor Provide Development in Completely different Nations
As a substitute of utilizing eight different-colored strains on a single graph to symbolize this knowledge, this chart includes eight distinct charts for every nation. Every chart depicts the precise labor provide development in that nation from 2010 to 2023 after which the projected development from 2023 to 2030.
What I like: If the strains don’t converge sooner or later (like within the world warming chart), a stacked line chart is usually a bit troublesome to learn. I like that McKinsey determined to separate all eight charts and make the information simple to learn.
I ought to word, although, that the purpose of those charts isn’t to know the precise determine of labor provide. As a substitute, the visualization notes the place labor provide has been rising and can proceed to develop (or not).
5. Workforce of B Corps
This pictogram goals to point out the inhabitants of the workforce of the B Corps by sector. It divides the workforce into 5 sectors: Agriculture, Manufacturing, Service, Service with Vital Environmental Footprint, and Wholesale/Retail. Then, it makes use of different-colored pictograms to depict the variety of B Corps workforce in every sector.
What I like: Pictograms are a neat and interesting option to show knowledge, particularly once you’re capable of hover over every variable and get the precise quantity/worth of the information. For instance, on this chart, hovering over the yellow pictogram (which represents Service) reveals that the inhabitants of the B Corps workforce in that sector is 230,160.
6. In style Opinion of China Over Time in Choose Indo-Pacific Nations
This chart depicts the outcomes of 5 surveys wherein 1,000 – 1,700 respondents have been requested, “If the Affiliation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have been pressured to align itself with one of many strategic rivals, which one ought to it select?” The rivals in query are China and the US, and the surveys have been achieved yearly from 2020 to 2024.
What I like: On the high of the chart, there’s an aggregated graph compiling the solutions of all of the member international locations of ASEAN, which decided that, as of 2024, they’d fairly facet with China than with the US.
Nevertheless, I like that the charts under break down how respondents from every member nation responded over time. Whenever you hover over the crimson or blue bars, you see the odds of people that picked both choice.
7. Goal Candlestick Chart
This boxplot chart follows the motion of Goal’s inventory out there over the previous week. Every candlestick represents sure values that present merchants/buyers when it’s okay to enter or exit the market to maximise earnings and decrease loss.
What I like: Newbie merchants/buyers (like me, for instance) may not be capable of have a look at the candlestick patterns and instantly know what they imply. So, I recognize that hovering over every candlestick reveals essential values like Open, Excessive, Low, Shut, and Quantity, which might inform my buying and selling choices.
9. Reputation of Basketball and Soccer in the US
In 2024, Statista surveyed 17,639 American adults who adopted sports activities and requested them which one they adopted: American soccer, basketball, or each. These adults ranged from 18-64 years previous, so Statista broke them up into 5 classes based mostly on age and plotted their solutions on this bar chart.
What I like: I like how every variable was represented with two extremely contrasting colours and the way the odds are put atop every bar. This ensures that, at first look, you may glean data from the chart. For instance, I instantly know that Individuals between the ages of 35 and 44 comply with American soccer greater than they do basketball.
Examples of Interactive Information Visualization
10. Non-public Fairness Curiosity in Mining
This infographic-like chart reveals the historical past of personal fairness’s curiosity in mining. It begins with a breakdown of the ten largest mining-focused funds to have closed traditionally, with the colours of the tree stumps signifying the areas of the funds (e.g., North America, Asia-Pacific, and multi-regional).
It’s a very lengthy graph (solely half of it’s within the screenshot above), and as you scroll, the data, graphics, numbers, and so forth., slide onto/seem on the web page.
What I like: This interactive chart is made up of various sorts of graphs, together with pictograms and bar graphs. I like how the chart compiled all this knowledge in an enticing and reader-friendly method.
11. How Completely different Nations Strategy Governance
There’s no particular reply to the query of what function the federal government ought to play in on a regular basis individuals’s lives. Nevertheless, this interactive visualization helps you to discover how totally different nations method governance right this moment.
It measures a number of indicators, together with the rule of regulation, management of corruption, judicial effectiveness rating, authorities integrity rating, property rights rating, tax burden rating, general financial freedom rating, monetary freedom, and life expectancy, amongst others.
What I like: I like how in-depth this interactive visualization is. Not solely does it present you the scores of various international locations based mostly on one of many a number of indicators it measures for, nevertheless it additionally has totally different chart sorts that can assist you uncover tendencies and interpret the mountain of data higher.
For instance, if I wish to see the small print of Malaysia’s management of corruption, I may click on on it and get details about Malaysia’s Gross Home Product (GDP), GDP development, well being expenditure price, employment price, authorities spending rating, college life expectancy, and extra.
12. NASA’s Eclipse Explorer
NASA created this interactive map to assist individuals who’d wish to witness a photo voltaic eclipse know when one can be taking place of their location. On the map, you may lookup your metropolis, zoom out and in of the map, and get data on when the subsequent eclipse is estimated to occur.
What I like: I like that the data is spelled out for individuals, however they’re nonetheless capable of dictate what they’re searching for. For instance, I looked for Delaware, Ohio on the map. It instantly introduced up details about the subsequent eclipse to occur within the metropolis, what time it should occur, how lengthy whole protection will final, and even the estimated temperature of that day.
13. North Korea’s Trash Balloons Defined
For this interactive visualization, Reuters takes the storytelling route to elucidate the balloons North Korea launched into South Korea final 12 months. The visualization includes principally purple balloons with different luggage hooked up to the ends, symbolizing the luggage of trash/manure that North Korea hooked up to the ends of the balloons it launched into South Korea.
What I like: This visualization takes you on a journey. Whenever you first scroll, there are tons of balloons to offer you an concept of the size of the balloon launches. Then, the variety of balloons can be diminished relative to the batches that North Korea despatched.
I like how Reuters accompanies every wave of balloons with some details about the dates North Korea despatched it and what number of balloons it despatched.
14. Parallel Lives
This Parallel Lives interactive visualization is a database of outstanding historic figures. These figures are grouped into three classes based mostly on their professions and influence: Tradition, Discovery/Science, and Management.
This graph begins at 3,345 BC, and as you scroll down the graph (and down the years), you see the names of outstanding individuals who existed on the identical time throughout these classes. For instance, in 486 BC, Euripides, Socrates, and Pericles have been all alive, though they have been 12, 2, and 26 years previous, respectively.
What I like: I like how this visualization means that you can contextualize the lives of those figures in relation to at least one one other. It offers their names, professions, and ages, which provides you a broad have a look at what life would possibly’ve been like at the moment, particularly if mentioned figures existed in several components of the world.
15. The Wealth Disparity Hole
The bigger a quantity is, the tougher it turns into to mentally image and perceive simply how giant it’s. So, whereas most individuals know the distinction between $100 and $1,000, lots of people (myself included) can’t actually image $1 billion, not to mention $320 billion (Elon Musk’s web value).
With this interactive visualization, Jason Zhang (the creator) makes use of acquainted objects to assist people perceive the rising wealth disparity and its societal implications.
What I like: Similar to the Reuters visualization, I like how Jason used objects individuals see pretty typically to assist individuals contextualize wealth.
For instance, this visualization explains that $320 billion is identical as stacking checks of $1 million every atop one another until they attain the peak of a 10-story constructing. It additionally notes that even if you happen to (and I) make $1 million per hour (I want!), it’ll nonetheless take over 100 years to make as a lot cash as Elon Musk.
That description alone makes it simple for me to know the wealth disparity hole between the higher 1% and the remainder of us.
16. Is the Love Music Dying?
The creators of this enjoyable and insightful visualization wished to discover the concept love songs are dying. To do this, it analyzed all 5,100 Billboard High 10 hits from 1958 to 2023 and remoted the love songs from the bunch.
The visualization then put these love songs in several classes (e.g., Serenades, Heartache, Pursuit, It’s Difficult, and so forth.) and plotted them on a chart to see in the event that they’ve elevated or declined over time.
What I like: This knowledge visualization is available in 25 slides, and I like how the creators, David Mora and Michelle Jia, created a story for every slide to elucidate the totally different sorts of affection songs and the evolution of this style over the past 5-6 a long time.
17. Most In style Thanksgiving Pies Throughout the U.S.
Many American households take pleasure in pie on Thanksgiving, however the flavors they select fluctuate considerably throughout totally different states. Utilizing the Google Developments knowledge from October 26 to November 26, 2024, Sherwood Information created an interactive choropleth map exhibiting probably the most googled pie sorts by state.
What I like: Due to the colours, I can instantly inform that pumpkin pie dominated the Google searches in most American States. Nevertheless, the map goes on to offer extra data once I click on on a selected state.
So, whereas pumpkin pie was the preferred in California (53%), the map additionally reveals that 33% of households searched “apple pie” and 14% searched “pecan pie.”
18. Sitters and Standers
Over the past 5 a long time, work in America has turn out to be far much less bodily. Farm work and manufacturing facility work that require standing are more and more being changed by desk jobs, that are sedentary.
The Pudding developed this interactive scatter plot that reveals the divide between occupations the place staff usually stand and people the place they usually sit in relation to your personal job (whether or not you sit or stand).
Every sq. represents a selected occupation, with every individual icon inside it representing 50,000 Individuals in that function. The occupations are organized horizontally, with “sitter” jobs on the left and “stander” jobs on the appropriate.
What I like: I like how this interactive scatter plot means that you can zoom out and in to discover the roles in the midst of this divide. It additionally plots for various job attributes, similar to the flexibility to decide on whether or not to sit down or stand, schooling ranges, revenue, alternatives to pause work, and publicity to environmental parts.
19. Iran and South China Sea Oil Commerce
The world’s largest gathering level for darkish fleet tankers is forty miles east of the Malaysian peninsula. Right here, these tankers, which function with out insurance coverage, switch hundreds of thousands of barrels of sanctioned Iranian oil to China.
The charts above are a results of Bloomberg analyzing 5 years of satellite tv for pc imagery of this area to disclose the fast development of this shadowy oil commerce.
What I like: I like how these charts clearly present the rise in side-by-side ships within the area from 2020 to 2024, particularly with the precise percentages written beneath every chart.
Moderately than plot this data on a line or bar chart, Bloomberg used a scatter plot to assist viewers visualize the areas the place these ships appeared every year. This manner, you may see that between 2020 and 2024, the ships grew by over 100% and have become extra concentrated.
20. Tracing Microplastics
About 170 trillion microplastics are floating on the planet’s oceans, posing severe threats to marine life, aquatic ecosystems, and our meals chain.
To present readers an concept of how harmful these microplastics are, The Strait Occasions makes use of an interactive storytelling expertise to discover the Indian Ocean Rubbish Patch, the place microplastic concentrations can attain over a million particles per sq km.
What I like: I like how methodically this “scrollytelling” expertise breaks down the results of microplastics in oceans and why individuals ought to care extra about it. It takes you on a journey from South Asia to East Africa, illustrating how textile microfibers from washing machines enter these rubbish patches and the implications of this environmental hazard.
21. PIN Code Reputation
Many individuals depend on four-digit PINS to unlock their telephones, entry their financial institution accounts, and confirm their digital identities. But, many individuals subconsciously select extremely predictable codes that scammers can guess.
ABC Information analyzed hundreds of thousands of PINs uncovered in knowledge breaches and created this interactive heatmap chart to point out how frequent and susceptible sure PIN combos are. The brighter the sq. (vibrant inexperienced), the extra susceptible that quantity is.
For instance, the mix 1234 makes up practically 1 in 10 of the hundreds of thousands of PINs ABC Information analyzed.
What I like: I like how this heatmap isn’t only a chart; it’s a mindreader of types. Past exposing susceptible PIN combos, it goes into why individuals are doubtless to decide on these numbers. Whenever you’re conscious of how excessive your chances are high of being hacked once you use these numbers, you’re extra more likely to keep away from them.
The nice examples of knowledge visualization above are nice to reference when you develop your method. Nevertheless, it‘s additionally essential to think about the much less efficient methods to go about knowledge visualization so you understand what to keep away from — so, let’s cowl some dangerous examples subsequent.
Unhealthy Information Visualization Examples
There are lots of methods wherein knowledge visualization can go mistaken.
As an example, have a look at this knowledge visualization instance of MLS salaries in 2013. The sheer quantity of data on this chart makes it troublesome to learn.
Moreover, the size of the variables requires viewers members to zoom in considerably to learn the information. A few of the packing containers which might be getting used to depict knowledge seem like vertical whereas most are horizontal — this additionally makes the data complicated to learn.
Whenever you embody a number of fully totally different variables inside a single visible, it additionally turns into difficult for viewers members to know — the next chart is an instance of this.
One thing else you‘ll wish to do is ensure you’re not making your visible extra difficult than it must be. For instance, this chart has numerous variables which might be depicted by 3D bars. This graph does not must be 3D — in truth, it merely makes the data extra obscure and examine.
Lastly, let’s evaluation some knowledge visualization instruments to assist make this course of less complicated.
Information Visualization Instruments
There are a variety of knowledge visualization assets out there right this moment however the next record is right here to assist get you began. Do not be afraid to check out a number of choices to find out which choice fits your wants (and knowledge) greatest.
1. HubSpot
HubSpot’s Dashboard and Reporting Software program is designed to deliver all of your important enterprise knowledge into one centralized platform. It means that you can create customized dashboards and studies that replicate your advertising and marketing, gross sales, and repair efficiency.
With its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, you may simply construct visualizations that spotlight key metrics, monitor marketing campaign progress, and monitor buyer interactions. The device additionally integrates seamlessly with different knowledge sources to make sure that all of your essential data is well accessible in a single place.
2. Tableau Desktop
Tableau Desktop is a robust knowledge visualization device that helps you join to varied knowledge sources and create interactive dashboards with ease. There are easy-to-make maps, indicators, and lots of extra visuals, in addition to easy analytics that let you derive actionable data from calculations, reference strains, and forecasts because of your visuals.
With built-in analytics options and assist for a variety of knowledge connectors, Tableau Desktop simplifies the method of exploring and sharing your knowledge.
3. Databox
Databox is designed to deliver all of your knowledge sources collectively into one centralized dashboard. There are over 100 integrations that may show you how to rapidly and simply create visuals with pre-built dashboards and studies. It’s also possible to create customized metrics and monitor your KPIs in real-time.
Databox then means that you can hook up with Google Sheets or an SQL database, or you may push it through API to view and share your knowledge.
4. Google Charts
Google Charts is a free device from Google that permits you to create all kinds of interactive charts on your web site or net app. It makes use of HTML5 and SVG know-how to render high-quality visuals that work throughout totally different gadgets and browsers. The device gives a easy API that makes it simple to combine customized charts into your initiatives.
With in depth documentation and lots of chart sorts out there—from line charts and bar charts to extra complicated maps and gauges—Google Charts offers versatile customization choices to satisfy your particular knowledge visualization wants.
Develop Higher With Information Visualization
Engaged on this piece has made me understand that knowledge visualization isn’t nearly making knowledge look interesting—it’s a robust device that helps me (and also you, hopefully) rapidly determine, focus on, and act on insights.
By experimenting with numerous visualization instruments and drawing inspiration from each profitable examples and customary pitfalls, you may remodel complicated knowledge into clear, actionable data on your viewers.
Editor’s Notice: This publish was initially printed in March 2015 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.
