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Data visualization and techniques

Data visualization is a generic term used which describes any attempt to help understanding of
data by providing visual representation. Simply it is the representation of information in the form
of a chart ,diagram, picture, etc.it is the graphical representation of information and data
Visualization of data makes it much easier to analyze and understand the textual and numeric
data. Apart from saving time, increased used of data for decision making further adds to the
importance and need of data visualization. Interactive data visualization is a powerful tool for
delivering insight to people in an intuitive form. This research addresses what data and analytics
leaders can do to get the most from data visualization as part of the ongoing modernization of BI
and analytics.

Understanding digits is difficult, interpretation of countless number is difficult unless it is

presented in a meaningful way. This is where data visualization comes into play. It becomes easy
to understand tables when they are represented pictorially by pie charts, line & bar graphs.
Information hidden in numbers is clearly reflected and understood using charts and graphs.
Human mind is unable to retain and comprehend much of factual data especially when it consist
of numbers. Numbers needs to be formatted before any meaningful inferences can be drawn.
Having raw data makes it impossible to understand the significance of data.

Data visualization is important as it saves time required for reading long reports. It helps you in
delivering much effective & crisp presentations thus saving everyone time and increasing
productivity. Also, making changes to the charts and graphs is much easier as the data
visualization software’s provides flexibility to convert one chart to another and make changes to
specific data which needs to be modified. Some of the advantages which data visualization
provides are:

 By designing data visualizations you will get an idea which product to place where
 A data visualization tool can predict the sales, plot trends and thus help in decision
making
 By using the best interactive data visualization software, it is quite easy to understand the
factors that influence customers behavior
 A big data visualization tool also helps to understand the areas that need improvement
 Brings out the correlations and key details from data which often goes unnoticed
 By using data visualization the data engineers or scientists can track their data sources
and make an analysis report.

Having access to data is an added advantage over competitor but understanding the data
accurately is what the real power is. Data visualisation tools enables you to use data in most
efficient manner thus increasing productivity, profits and sales. At the same time it helps in cost
cutting, saving man hours and making the complete decision making process fast.

Data Visualization Techniques

1. Line Charts
2. Bar Charts
3. Scatter Plots
4. Bubble Plots: A Scatter Plot Variation..
5. Pie and Donut Charts

1.Line Charts
Line charts show the relationship of one variable to another. They are most often used to track changes or
trends over time. Line charts are also useful when comparing multiple items over the same time period.
The stacking lines are used to compare the trend or individual values for several variables You may want
to use line charts when the change in a variable or variables clearly needs

to be displayed and/or when trending or rate-of-change information is of value. It is also important to note
that you shouldn’t pick a line chart merely because you have data points. Rather, the number of data
points that you are working with may dictate the best visual to use. For example, if you only have 10 data
points to display, the easiest way to understand those 10 points might be to simply list them in a particular
order using a table.When deciding to use a line chart, you should consider whether the relationship
between data points needs to be conveyed. If it does, and the values on the X axis are continuous, a
simple line chart may be what you need.

2. Bar charts
Bar charts are most commonly used for comparing the quantities of different categories or groups. Values
of a category are represented using the bars, and they can be configured with either vertical or horizontal
bars, with the length or height of each bar representing the value. When values are distinct enough that
differences in the bars can be detected by the human eye, you can use a simple bar chart. However, when
the values (bars) are very close together or there are large numbers of values (bars) that need to be
displayed, it becomes more difficult to compare the bars to each other .To help provide visual variance,
bars can have different colors. The colors can be used to indicate such things as a particular status or
range. Coloring the bars works best when most bars are in a different range or status. When all bars are in
the same range or status, the color becomes irrelevant, and it is most visually helpful to keep the color
consistent or have no coloring at all. Another form of a bar chart is called the progressive bar chart, or
waterfall chart. A waterfall chart shows how the initial value of a measure increases or decreases during a
series of operations or transactions The first bar begins at the initial value, and each subsequent bar begins
where the previous bar ends. The length and direction of a bar indicates the magnitude and type (positive
or negative, for example) of the operation or transaction. The resulting chart is a stepped cascade that
shows how the transactions or operations lead to the final value of the measure.

3. Scatter Plots
A scatter plot (or X-Y plot) is a two-dimensional plot that shows the joint variation of two data items. In a
scatter plot, each marker (symbols such as dots, squares and plus signs) represents an observation. The
marker position indicates the value for each observation. Scatter plots also support grouping. When you
assign more than two measures, a scatter plot matrix is produced. A scatter plot matrix is a series of
scatter plots that displays every possible pairing of the measures that are assigned to the visualization.
Scatter plots are useful for examining the relationship, or correlations, between X and Y variables.
Variables are said to be correlated if they have a dependency on, or are somehow influenced by, each
other. For example, “profit” is often related to “revenue.” The relationship that exists might be that as
revenue increases, profit also increases (a positive correlation). A scatter plot is a good way to visualize
these relationships in data. In a scatter plot, you can also apply statistical analysis with correlation and
regression. Correlation identifies the degree of statistical correlation between the variables in the plot.
Regression plots a model of the relationship between the variables in the plot.Once you have plotted all of
the data points using a scatter plot, you are able to visually determine whether data points are related.
Scatter plots can help you gain a sense of how spread out the data might be or how closely related the data
points are, as well as quickly identify patterns present in the distribution of the data . Scatter plots are
helpful when you have many data points. If you are working with a small set of data points, a bar chart or
table may be a more effective way to display the information.

4. Bubble Plots: A Scatter Plot Variation

A bubble plot is a variation of a scatter plot in which the markers are replaced with bubbles. A
bubble plot displays the relationships among at least three measures. Two measures are
represented by the plot axes. The third measure is represented by the size of the bubbles . Each
bubble represents an observation. A bubble plot is useful for data sets with dozens to hundreds of
values or when the values differ by several orders of magnitude. You can use color to represent
an additional measure, and you can animate the bubbles to display changes in the data over time.
A geo bubble map is a bubble plot that is overlaid on a geographic map. Each bubble is located
at a geographic location or at the center of a geographical region. A geo bubble map requires a
data item that contains geographical information and is assigned to a geography role.
5. Pie and Donut Charts
There is much debate around the value of pie charts (and their more modern counterpart, donut charts),
which are used to compare the parts of a whole. However, they can be difficult to interpret because the
human eye has a hard time estimating areas and comparing visual angles. Another challenge with using
this chart for analysis is that it is difficult to compare slices, or sections, of the pie or donut that are
similar in size but not located next to each other. If you do use these charts, they are most effective when
there are limited components and when text and percentages are included to describe the content. By
providing additional information, report consumers do not have to guess the meaning and value of each
slice. If you choose to use a pie or donut chart, the slices/sections should be a percentage of the whole

When designing reports or dashboards, another consideration for the efficacy of a pie or donut chart is the
amount of space the chart requires in the sizing of the report. Because of their round shape, these charts
require extra real estate, so they may be less than ideal when developing dashboards for small screens or
mobile devices. Other charts (like a bar chart or line chart) may provide a better way to represent the same
information in less space. Of course, there are many other chart types you can use to present data and
analytical results. The selection of charts usually will depend upon the number of categories and measures
(or dimensions) you want to visualize. By following the tips outlined here and understanding the
examples, you may need to try different types of visuals and test them with your audience to make sure
the correct information is being conveyed.