How to Turn Data Into Compelling Visual Presentations

Communicating data and the story of what that data means has become increasingly important in recent years. As attention spans decrease and the amounts of quantitative information increase, it is crucial to be able to visualize your data for your audiences in the most clear and effective ways possible. A chart that takes 10 seconds to understand, compared to one that takes only 2 seconds, could mean the difference between a sale and no sale.

Your data is only as powerful as your visual presentation of it.

In this course, you will learn the fundamentals and best practices of data visualization techniques, as well as hands-on approaches to using Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint to present your data in a variety of formats.

You will complete multiple exercises and create various types of visualizations and charts throughout the course. You will also work individually and in groups to analyze, redesign, and improve poorly designed charts that are provided.

• Understand basic graphic design principles and how audiences process information visually
• Learn how to make use of emphasis, color, layout, and typography to maximize the clarity of your messages
• Become familiar with available tools/techniques for data visualization
• Understand the differences between “Glanceable” and “Referenceable” visualizations and how to harness the power of each
• Increase the impact and strength of your messages by choosing the most effective chart for a given data set and story in various circumstances
• Learn the one color that you should make use of in every visualization, the one default element that should be removed from every chart, how legends can confuse your audience, why a bar is nearly always better than a pie, and common design mistakes that distort your data and damage your credibility  

• The history and current landscape of information and data design 
• Basic principles of graphic, information, and layout design 
• “Chart Junk” and how to remove it to improve clarity
• Basic charts such as pies, columns, bars, lines, and variations of these 
• Advanced charts such as scatters, bubbles, histograms, bullet graphs, combos, and Paretos
• Specialty charts including units, tree maps, and proportional shapes
• How to make use of trend lines, reference bands, annotations, and direct labeling
• When to use Excel® and PowerPoint® to create tables, how to properly design them, and how to apply conditional formatting to create heat maps and table lenses
• Tricks, tips, and techniques for overcoming Excel and PowerPoint limitations and creating proper workflows

Learning Objective

• Apply Best Practices for Optimizing Data Visualization and information Design to Determine the Most Effective Way to Present the Story of Your Quantitative Information and Data

The World of Data Visualization

• Discuss the Importance of Information Design and Data Visualization
• Identify General Options for Telling the Story of Your Data
• Apply Best Practices for Graphic Design When Presenting Your Data

Chart Types

• Identify and Eliminate Chart Junk
• Apply Best Practices for Labeling and Titling When Presenting Your Data
• Compare and Contrast Three Different Groups of Chart Types
• Select a Chart Type That Best Communicates and Presents the Data Story You Wish to Tell