Data visualization fundamentals

Why data visualization?

Anscombe's quartet

Univariate Plots

• quantitative variable
  • Histogram
• categorical variable
  • Bar chart
  • Pareto Chart
    

Multivariate Plots

• quantitative vs quantitative
  • scatter plot
• quantitative vs time
  • line plot
• categorical vs categorical
  • side-by-side bar chart

Hierarchies & Filters

Small Multiples

Groups & Sets

Calculated Field

Table Calculation

Double Encodings example

It is very easy to identify the negative one.

How to design a dashboard step by step?

Identify Graphicacy

Low

• Line chart
• bar chart

Medium

• Dual axis
• Scatter plot
• Cumulative measures
• Heat map

High Graphicacy

• Radar
• Tree
• Network
• Error bars (a series of boxplot)
• custom

Visual Hierarchy

Wireframing

You can design wireframe before building dashboard or derive a wireframe from an existing dashboard.

Layouts

• Columns (12 even space for flexibility)
• Gutters
• Margins (eg., filter space to the left and blank space to the right)

Common layouts

• Quadrants
• Columns
• The Golden Ratio

Alignment