Visualizing Data Final

Bar Chart

Numerical data divided into distinct categories to compare values and reveal trends at a glance

Line Chart

Displays trends over time or ordered data; best when time is involved

Scatter Plot

Shows relationship between two numerical variables; identifies patterns, clusters, and outliers

Bubble Chart

Displays three variables: x-axis, y-axis, and size (third variable)

Pie Chart

Shows parts of a whole; should be used sparingly due to difficulty interpreting angles

Donut Chart

Improved version of pie chart with center space for key metric or KPI

Tree Map

Displays hierarchical data or parts-to-whole relationships using nested rectangles

Heat Map

Compares categorical data using color intensity

Packed Bubble Chart

Uses circles to represent values; emphasizes size and grouping

Timeline

Displays events over time; requires at least date and event

Bar-in-Bar Chart

Compares two measures starting from same baseline (e.g., actual vs target)

Lollipop Chart

Hybrid of bar chart and dot plot; reduces clutter and avoids moiré effect

Word Cloud

Displays word frequency using size; not ideal for analytical purposes

Bar Chart Best Use

Comparing categories

Line Chart Best Use

Showing trends over time

Scatter Plot Best Use

Analyzing relationships between variables

Bubble Chart Best Use

Comparing three variables simultaneously

Tree Map Best Use

Hierarchical or parts-to-whole data

Heat Map Best Use

Categorical comparison using color

Pie Chart Best Use

Parts of a whole (limited use, few categories)

Pie Chart Rule

Wedges must add up to 100%

Pie Chart Best Practice

Use as few slices as possible (2-5 ideal)

Pie Chart Best Practice

Add labels for exact values

Pie Chart Best Practice

Avoid 3D effects

Pie Chart Best Practice

Start at noon and move clockwise

Pie Chart Best Practice

Use clear color separation

Pie Chart Best Practice

Donut chart preferred over pie chart

Proportional Symbol Map

Displays quantitative values for individual locations using size or color

Choropleth Map

Displays aggregated or ratio data using shading within geographic areas

Proportional Symbol Map Use

One or two quantitative values per location

Choropleth Map Use

Best for regional comparisons (state, county, etc.)

Sequential Color

Represents quantitative values from low to high using one color gradient

Diverging Color

Represents values with a midpoint (e.g., positive vs negative)

Categorical Color

Represents distinct categories with no inherent order

Default Diverging Palette

Orange-blue

Default Sequential Palette

Blue

Diverging Use Case

Data with midpoint (e.g., profit/loss)

Sequential Use Case

All positive or all negative values

Categorical Use Case

Discrete categories (e.g., product types)

Color Best Practice

Use blue for positive and orange for negative values

Color Warning

Avoid red-green due to color blindness issues

Color Best Practice

Use 5 or fewer colors

Highlight Color

Used to emphasize one data point or category

Alerting Color

Used to draw attention to important or problematic data

Mark Halos

Add a contrasting ring around marks to improve visibility (especially on maps)

Mark Borders

Help distinguish closely spaced marks but can reduce clarity

Opacity

Makes marks more transparent; useful for dense visuals

Lines in Visualization

Should be minimized to reduce clutter

Formatting

Includes titles, colors, shapes, lines, and annotations

Sorting Bar Charts

Data should be sorted ascending or descending for clarity

Curate

Removing unnecessary elements (e.g., headers) to clean up visualization

Annotate

Adding labels or notes to provide context

Tableau Vertical Bar Chart

Dimension on Columns, Measure on Rows

Tableau Horizontal Bar Chart

Measure on Columns, Dimension on Rows

PROPER()

Capitalizes first letter of words and lowers remaining letters

UPPER()

Converts all text to uppercase

LOWER()

Converts all text to lowercase

LEN()

Returns length of string

Format Borders

Used to modify style, width, color, and level of borders

Image Role Assignment

Can be set in worksheet or data source page

Geographic Hierarchy

Allows drill-down into geographic levels (e.g., country → state → city)

Hierarchy Creation

Right-click highest-level field → Hierarchy → Create Hierarchy

Proportional Symbol Map First Step

Specify geographic coordinates

Story Points

Break data story into click-through sequence of visualizations

Dashboard

Collection of multiple visualizations on one screen

Story Points Benefit

Allow interactive storytelling with real-time updates

Storytelling Goal

Communicate one clear purpose or message

Plot

Purpose or main story being told

Characters

Data, filters, and context elements in story

Audience

Who the story is intended for

Storytelling Structure

Three-act structure

Act One

The Setup (introduce story and context)

Act Two

The Rising Action (develop story, combine elements)

Act Three

The Climax (final insight and conclusion)

Visual Hierarchy

Arrangement of elements to show importance

Four-Quadrant Layout

Top-left most important, bottom-right least important

Dashboard Best Practice

Use clear titles, simple visuals, and consistent color

Likert Scale

Measures opinions or sentiment (e.g., strongly agree → strongly disagree)

Likert Visualization

100% stacked bar chart or divergent bar chart

Divergent Likert Chart

Aligns positive and negative values around midpoint

Moire Effect

Visual distortion when many bars are similar in size

Lollipop Chart Benefit

Avoids moiré effect and reduces clutter

Bubble Chart Feature

Encodes third variable using size

Scatter Plot Feature

Used for regression and identifying trends

Heat Map Feature

Uses color intensity to represent values

Tree Map Feature

Uses size and color to show proportions

Color Cultural Meaning

Colors have different meanings across cultures

Example

Color red = danger (West), prosperity (East)

Dashboard Purpose

Explain, explore, or tell a story

Storyboarding Process

Plan order, flow, and structure of data story

Storytelling Best Practice

Focus on one main goal

Storytelling Best Practice

Make visuals intuitive and clear

Packed Bubble Chart Feature

Can use color and labels for added context

Shapes in Visualization

Help group and distinguish data points

Custom Shapes

Can be added in Tableau for storytelling

Word Cloud Use

Displays text frequency visually

Word Cloud Limitation

Not ideal for deep analysis

Time Series Chart

Another name for line chart

Clustered Bar Chart

Groups bars side by side for comparison

Stacked Bar Chart

Stacks values but reduces comparison accuracy