What Is Information Visualization?

Information visualization is using visible representations to show info. This definition may sound fashionable, however information visualization has been round for hundreds of years. One of many earliest and most blatant examples is maps, which developed out of the necessity to graphically show geographic information. Since then information visualization has continued to develop to satisfy the wants of as we speak’s customers.

There are a number of methods to visualise information (together with charts, graphs, and infographics), and expertise is continually evolving to current info in additional eye-catching and helpful methods. Examples of this embrace making visualizations interactive and permitting the top consumer to filter and show completely different metrics. No matter these updates, the intention stays the identical: to current key insights and make it simpler to have interaction with and perceive information.

Any dialogue of the which means of information visualization could be incomplete and not using a point out of dashboards. You will need to observe that though information visualization and dashboards are carefully associated they aren’t in truth the identical factor. The intention of a dashboard is to supply an summary of the important thing efficiency indicators (KPIs) of the offered space. Sometimes a dashboard will comprise a number of visualizations, which collectively present an summary of the important thing insights — as proven within the picture beneath.

Why Is Information Visualization Essential?

Information visualization helps to make sure information insights aren’t misplaced in supply; most of us can’t course of huge blocks of statistics, our brains aren’t constructed like that. Anybody who has checked out an extended checklist of numbers will perceive the disconnect this may trigger. Graphical illustration solves this ache level by making statistics and information simpler to soak up.

Information visualization isn’t solely about creating easy and engaging visuals. It may be used to create insights by figuring out patterns and traits that might in any other case be tough to identify. Displaying a set of information on a scatter plot, for instance, may reveal connections between outliers that beforehand went unnoticed when the statistics have been in a desk.

Information visualization can also be an vital enterprise intelligence (BI) device, permitting firms to successfully talk their information and enhance decision-making. Excessive-quality visualizations will help a corporation promote an information tradition as a result of the insights needn’t be defined to non-technical finish customers. Selections will be made with elevated accuracy and pace as a result of everyone seems to be on the identical web page. In addition to bettering inside processes, visualizations assist to extend exterior engagement by making the information extra accessible to companions and prospects.

Sorts of Information Visualization

There are several types of visualizations to select from, and every is best suited to showcasing sure attributes and metrics. You will need to use the visualization that makes probably the most sense for the insights you intention to convey. Under is a quick overview of the visualizations you may select for some typical situations. For extra on this, take a look at our publish on how to decide on the very best chart kind to visualise your information.

1. There are cases when chances are you’ll have to show one key determine, for instance, the variety of prospects, or the variety of returned objects. A KPI visualization is greatest suited to this goal as a result of it reveals one huge quantity. Nonetheless, this quantity will imply nothing by itself; it’s a must to, on the very least, present a date vary and evaluate it with one other metric to provide it some context.

2. To point out comparisons between classes, for instance, the variety of gross sales every employees member has made within the final month, it’s best to make use of a bar chart or column chart. A stacked bar chart offers you the choice so as to add one other class, so in addition to displaying what number of gross sales every employees member has made, you may additionally embrace the product kind they bought by including colour and a key.

3. When evaluating components to the entire it’s best to make use of a pie chart, donut chart, or treemap. An instance of part-to-whole comparability is the quantity of people that answered ‘sure’ or ‘no’ to a particular query. Typically talking, it’s a dangerous concept to make use of a pie chart or donut chart for greater than three classes as a result of it turns into tough for customers to precisely take in the information. With extra classes, it’s higher to make use of a treemap.

4. To point out adjustments over time the best choices are line charts, space charts, or column charts. You may, for example, select one in every of these to show month-by-month income. If you wish to add an extra class (reminiscent of product kind) you need to use a line chart with a number of strains or a stacked space chart. However it’s greatest to tread fastidiously with these as a result of they’ll turn into complicated if not correctly executed.

5. To point out the particulars of many objects it’s best to make use of a desk. Some folks keep away from utilizing tables as a result of they appear too primary, however when you might have many objects (reminiscent of a number of buyer particulars) a desk will be the precise alternative. Amid the myriad of visualization choices accessible, tables will be fairly putting when mixed with different varieties of charts and graphs on a dashboard.

   

What Is Actual-Time Information Visualization?

With real-time information visualization, customers can see the information altering as it’s being up to date or generated. For instance, they may see the peak of bar charts altering, or colours adjusting themselves on a heatmap.

To create this sort of visualization, an organization wants the flexibility to carry out real-time information reporting. In different phrases, their information structure should function in real-time to construct up-to-the-minute visuals. This structure consists of elements reminiscent of information processing, information streaming, and all of the logic of the outlined evaluation that results in the displayed insights.

Actual-time analytics and their visualization will be essential below sure circumstances. On different events, this may be pointless and even complicated. Earlier than deciding whether or not to make use of automated real-time visualization, an organization may ask themselves the next questions:

• Do we actually have to see in-the-moment information to make selections?
• Do we’ve sufficient new information at frequent intervals to necessitate real-time updates?
• Will these immediate updates make our decision-making processes extra complicated and create delays?
• Will real-time visualization assist our customers, i.e., what worth will they get from the stay updates?

Primarily based on the above questions, situations the place real-time visualizations could also be useful embrace:

• Safety and fraud prevention, e.g., when monitoring for main safety breaches.
• A scenario the place an organization must act promptly to a disaster.
• Aim monitoring (however provided that these objectives are affected by quickly altering info)
• In monetary groups – the place it’s essential for crew members to obtain up-to-the-minute monetary info (for instance, inventory markets).

Below is an instance of real-time visualization in motion:

What Is Interactive Information Visualization?

On the floor, interactive information visualization tends to look much like common (or static) visualization. The distinction is there’s an choice to click on a button or transfer a slider, so the consumer can work together with the information, somewhat than simply have a look at it. This means to govern charts, graphs, and maps can positively affect consumer expertise (UX).

Generally interactive options are custom-designed for a particular goal, however usually talking, the most typical interactive options are:

• Filtering: Permits you to filter for the precise info required, highlighting the related information and decreasing the information that’s presently unimportant.
• Drilling: Lets you transfer between completely different visualizations and ship an motion from the dashboard.
• Zooming and panning: Creates the chance to hone in on a selected element; you’ll be able to zoom in on a particular a part of the visualization and pan throughout it.

Interactive options will be extraordinarily helpful, for instance, when customers rapidly have to reply particular queries, which is why they’re usually utilized in BI experiences. Nonetheless, there are additionally instances when a static visualization may be your best option; for example, when visualizations have to be printed and shared as experiences, or when it’s pointless for customers to govern the data and all they should do is to take a look at it. For extra on this, take a look at our article that compares interactive and non-interactive visualizations utilizing the instance of world happiness ranges.

Benefits and Disadvantages of Information Visualization

Whereas there are big advantages to visualizing information, if not executed correctly the method can unfold misinformation. Under we have a look at a few of the essential benefits of information visualization and easy methods to mitigate its downsides.

Advantages of information visualization

• Straightforward to identify traits. Visualization permits customers to see patterns within the information they may in any other case have missed.
• Easy sharing of data. It’s far simpler to share information with charts, graphs, and infographics.
• Makes information accessible to non-technical customers. With visualization, you not have to be a mathematician to know the information insights.
• Straightforward to recollect. Charts and graphs are usually not solely simpler to digest; additionally they have a tendency to remain within the reminiscence extra simply than lists of numbers and statistics.
• Enhance income. When all of the decision-makers have the data at their fingertips, it empowers administration to make fast and correct selections.

Issues with information visualization

• Info nonetheless must be correct. Nice visualizations don’t make up for dangerous information. If greatest practices are usually not adopted then visualizations can fall into the entice of turning into model over substance.
• Information visualization is an funding. Firms that wish to successfully arrange and visualize their information, or present this means to their prospects, will both want a number of involvement from analytics engineers (if they’ve the sources)), or an built-in analytics resolution. Neither of those choices comes with out its prices, and pricing can range relying on necessities. This then raises the query of whether or not to construct the analytics resolution in-house or purchase off the shelf.
• Correlation doesn’t equal causation. Visualizations usually present the correlation between two or extra metrics, so customers usually assume causation. However simply because there’s a correlation it doesn’t essentially imply that one is brought on by the opposite. There could also be a number of different elements at play that aren’t included within the visualization.
• Customers can nonetheless misread the data. Whereas visualization makes it simpler for customers to soak up information, it’s nonetheless open to misinterpretation. For instance, customers may concentrate on the fallacious factor when viewing it. This as soon as once more highlights the significance of utilizing the precise visualization kind for the information displayed and the specified end result.
• Complicated visualizations. Visualizations are purported to simplify information, but when executed badly they’ll make issues much more sophisticated. Maybe the fallacious chart kind has been chosen, or there’s an excessive amount of info — as within the image beneath.

The instruments required to visualise information will depend upon the venture and the complexities of what it’s essential obtain. In case you’d like to visualise some primary information for a presentation, you need to use Excel to create some easy charts and graphs. In case your information is extra advanced, you’ll have to create the insights first, which can contain information evaluation or information mining. To realize this, you’ll seemingly have to study a programming language like Python. Alternatively, you’ll be able to put money into a BI resolution(s) reminiscent of these listed beneath.

1. Chart mills or plugins: These are typically utilized by builders and information engineers as a result of the software program requires a extra superior stage of experience. The plugins have many visualization sorts to select from and there might even be a data-processing API that lets you create actionable insights out of your information. These instruments often have the potential to categorize and analyze primary information, and so can be utilized as the muse of an organization’s BI platform.
2. Visualization reporting software program: That is most frequently utilized by report builders and BI engineers. The software program creates enterprise and information evaluation experiences, which might then be became visualizations utilizing a number of built-in charts.
3. A completely built-in BI and analytics resolution: Because the title suggests, that is probably the most full resolution. BI platform will assist you to simply discover information by yourself, and create interactive dashboards and charts through a user-friendly no-code UI. The highest options supply plug-and-play integrations, no-code instruments, and versatile embedding choices (reminiscent of React, Iframes, and Internet Parts) that assist you to seamlessly embed visualizations and dashboards into your product in a manner that matches the model.

To search out out extra about a few of the greatest BI options with visualization instruments, take a look at Gartner’s Magic Quadrant, which offers an goal evaluation of the market leaders.

Examples of Information Visualization

Information visualization has turn into so omnipresent that we use it day by day with out even noticing. Climate maps, bus schedules, pc audio ranges, and health trackers – all make use of visualizations to offer info in a extra palatable manner.

The above are simply a few of the methods firms use customer-facing visualizations to enhance UX. However additionally they name upon information visualization to make inside selections, for instance, when easy methods to enhance the provision chain, checking product gross sales throughout completely different international locations, or how a particular advertising and marketing marketing campaign or venture is performing. Information visualization can also be helpful to get a greater sense of exterior elements which may affect the corporate, such because the financial local weather.

Information visualization use instances throughout completely different industries

Information visualization is used throughout all industries, from banking to healthcare. Under we have a look at how it may be used to enhance processes in 4 completely different sectors.

• Software program as a service (SAAS): Information is the beating coronary heart of most software program firms, and plenty of of those embed analytics into their purposes. They’ll then share the information with their prospects by means of visualizations in a user-friendly manner. instance of that is Zendesk, whose software program is all about bettering the connection between a enterprise and its prospects. Utilizing superior analytics and visualization instruments, Zendesk offers their prospects instant entry to the insights they want, which in flip hastens response instances and will increase satisfaction among the many purchasers of their prospects.
• E-commerce: Information visualization helps manufacturers and suppliers streamline their logistics and provide chains and optimize their operations. An e-commerce platform may use visualization to each enhance the patron expertise and optimize model efficiency. They may, for instance, use their information to get a greater understanding of how consumers are utilizing their website, serving to them to higher goal prospects and develop their enterprise. Visualization is critical to share these buyer insights each internally and externally.
• Monetary companies: Monetary corporations leverage information and analytics to satisfy compliance necessities, handle threat, enhance effectivity, and develop their enterprise. Time is cash, so the faster they’ll make insights accessible to their workers and companions, the higher. Visualization will also be used to assist mitigate threat in real-time, and create extremely personalised experiences for purchasers inside monetary service merchandise.
• Insurance coverage: Insurance coverage corporations depend on analysts to create impactful insights. These insights are then shared throughout the enterprise with folks reminiscent of adjusters, underwriters, and entrepreneurs. Information visualization is essential for insurance coverage firms because it permits them to current clear insights, improve pace, and cut back inaccuracy.

Information Visualization Greatest Practices

With the precise analytics platform, it’s simple to create insights out of your information and fantastically visualize them on dashboards. So why do some visualizations fail to realize what they got down to do? The straightforward reply is that it’s essential be intentional concerning the info you wish to convey. Good information visualization requires considerate human design. To that finish, it may be helpful to ask your self the next questions to make sure greatest follow.

1. What story am I making an attempt to inform?

Visualization is a type of storytelling, solely you’re utilizing visuals as an alternative of phrases. You want to discover a clear technique to inform the story to make sure it has the best affect. Information metrics and attributes should be related to the story that you’re making an attempt to inform. In case you’re permitting customers to filter, contemplate fastidiously how it will enable them to create their very own tales from one supply of reality.

2. Have I designed the visualization for the viewer’s eye?

When you’re clear on who the visualization is designed for and what you need them to take from it, you’ll be able to concentrate on UX. Large-picture readability is essential, however it’s vital to not neglect the main points both. For instance, what do the colours you’re utilizing imply? Pink often implies hazard, inexperienced is taken into account extra constructive. Are you able to customise the visualization to suit the model? What about shortening numbers to make them simpler to learn (e.g., utilizing Ok, M, B for 1000’s, tens of millions, billions)?

3. Am I making an attempt to show an excessive amount of information?

Relating to information visualization, much less is extra. Though it’s tempting to current as many insights as potential, there’s a tremendous line to be walked between insightful and overwhelming.

4. Have I supplied context?

With out a aim or a benchmark, customers might miss the important thing insights. You will need to standardize benchmarks in order that comparisons are usually not being made between two various things – which might result in deceptive takeaways.

The above are simply a few of the questions you may contemplate when creating visualizations. For a deeper dive, take a look at our article on visualization greatest practices.

Prepared To Get Began With Information Visualization?

For some first-hand expertise with information visualization, join a free GoodData trial. Our analytics platform lets you absolutely combine real-time custom-made dashboards into your app or product.

Uncover Extra About Information Visualization

To study extra about information visualization and the way it will help your small business, you may like to take a look at a few of our different sources:

Interactive vs. non-interactive information visualizations

7 methods to create nice information visualizations