The Data Visualization Workshop

Explore a modern approach to visualizing data with Python and transform large real-world datasets into expressive visual graphics using this beginner-friendly workshop Key FeaturesDiscover the essential tools and methods of data visualizationLearn to use standard Python plotting libraries such as Matplotlib and SeabornGain insights into the visualization techniques of big companiesBook Description Do you want to transform data into captivating images? Do you want to make it easy for your audience to process and understand the patterns, trends, and relationships hidden within your data? The Data Visualization Workshop will guide you through the world of data visualization and help you to unlock simple secrets for transforming data into meaningful visuals with the help of exciting exercises and activities. Starting with an introduction to data visualization, this book shows you how to first prepare raw data for visualization using NumPy and pandas operations. As you progress, you'll use plotting techniques, such as comparison and distribution, to identify relationships and similarities between datasets. You'll then work through practical exercises to simplify the process of creating visualizations using Python plotting libraries such as Matplotlib and Seaborn. If you've ever wondered how popular companies like Uber and Airbnb use geoplotlib for geographical visualizations, this book has got you covered, helping you analyze and understand the process effectively. Finally, you'll use the Bokeh library to create dynamic visualizations that can be integrated into any web page. By the end of this workshop, you'll have learned how to present engaging mission-critical insights by creating impactful visualizations with real-world data. What you will learnUnderstand the importance of data visualization in data scienceImplement NumPy and pandas operations on real-life datasetsCreate captivating data visualizations using plotting librariesUse advanced techniques to plot geospatial data on a mapIntegrate interactive visualizations to a webpageVisualize stock prices with Bokeh and analyze Airbnb data with MatplotlibWho this book is for The Data Visualization Workshop is for beginners who want to learn data visualization, as well as developers and data scientists who are looking to enrich their practical data science skills. Prior knowledge of data analytics, data science, and visualization is not mandatory. Knowledge of Python basics and high-school-level math will help you grasp the concepts covered in this data visualization book more quickly and effectively.

Don't simply show your data—tell a story with it! Storytelling with Data teaches you the fundamentals of data visualization and how to communicate effectively with data. You'll discover the power of storytelling and the way to make data a pivotal point in your story. The lessons in this illuminative text are grounded in theory, but made accessible through numerous real-world examples—ready for immediate application to your next graph or presentation. Storytelling is not an inherent skill, especially when it comes to data visualization, and the tools at our disposal don't make it any easier. This book demonstrates how to go beyond conventional tools to reach the root of your data, and how to use your data to create an engaging, informative, compelling story. Specifically, you'll learn how to: Understand the importance of context and audience Determine the appropriate type of graph for your situation Recognize and eliminate the clutter clouding your information Direct your audience's attention to the most important parts of your data Think like a designer and utilize concepts of design in data visualization Leverage the power of storytelling to help your message resonate with your audience Together, the lessons in this book will help you turn your data into high impact visual stories that stick with your audience. Rid your world of ineffective graphs, one exploding 3D pie chart at a time. There is a story in your data—Storytelling with Data will give you the skills and power to tell it!

Miscellaneous facts and ideas are interconnected and represented in a visual format, a "visual miscellaneum," which represents "a series of experiments in making information approachable and beautiful" -- from p.007

The definitive reference book with real-world solutions you won't find anywhere else The Big Book of Dashboards presents a comprehensive reference for those tasked with building or overseeing the development of business dashboards. Comprising dozens of examples that address different industries and departments (healthcare, transportation, finance, human resources, marketing, customer service, sports, etc.) and different platforms (print, desktop, tablet, smartphone, and conference room display) The Big Book of Dashboards is the only book that matches great dashboards with real-world business scenarios. By organizing the book based on these scenarios and offering practical and effective visualization examples, The Big Book of Dashboards will be the trusted resource that you open when you need to build an effective business dashboard. In addition to the scenarios there's an entire section of the book that is devoted to addressing many practical and psychological factors you will encounter in your work. It's great to have theory and evidenced-based research at your disposal, but what will you do when somebody asks you to make your dashboard 'cooler' by adding packed bubbles and donut charts? The expert authors have a combined 30-plus years of hands-on experience helping people in hundreds of organizations build effective visualizations. They have fought many 'best practices' battles and having endured bring an uncommon empathy to help you, the reader of this book, survive and thrive in the data visualization world. A well-designed dashboard can point out risks, opportunities, and more; but common challenges and misconceptions can make your dashboard useless at best, and misleading at worst. The Big Book of Dashboards gives you the tools, guidance, and models you need to produce great dashboards that inform, enlighten, and engage.

Whether you are a university professor, researcher at a think tank, graduate student, or analyst at a private firm, chances are that at some point you have presented your work in front of an audience. Most of us approach this task by converting a written document into slides, but the result is often a text-heavy presentation saddled with bullet points, stock images, and graphs too complex for an audience to decipher—much less understand. Presenting is fundamentally different from writing, and with only a little more time, a little more effort, and a little more planning, you can communicate your work with force and clarity. Designed for presenters of scholarly or data-intensive content, Better Presentations details essential strategies for developing clear, sophisticated, and visually captivating presentations. Following three core principles—visualize, unify, and focus—Better Presentations describes how to visualize data effectively, find and use images appropriately, choose sensible fonts and colors, edit text for powerful delivery, and restructure a written argument for maximum engagement and persuasion. With a range of clear examples for what to do (and what not to do), the practical package offered in Better Presentations shares the best techniques to display work and the best tactics for winning over audiences. It pushes presenters past the frustration and intimidation of the process to more effective, memorable, and persuasive presentations.

Equal parts mail art, data visualization, and affectionate correspondence, Dear Data celebrates "the infinitesimal, incomplete, imperfect, yet exquisitely human details of life," in the words of Maria Popova (Brain Pickings), who introduces this charming and graphically powerful book. For one year, Giorgia Lupi, an Italian living in New York, and Stefanie Posavec, an American in London, mapped the particulars of their daily lives as a series of hand-drawn postcards they exchanged via mail weekly—small portraits as full of emotion as they are data, both mundane and magical. Dear Data reproduces in pinpoint detail the full year's set of cards, front and back, providing a remarkable portrait of two artists connected by their attention to the details of their lives—including complaints, distractions, phone addictions, physical contact, and desires. These details illuminate the lives of two remarkable young women and also inspire us to map our own lives, including specific suggestions on what data to draw and how. A captivating and unique book for designers, artists, correspondents, friends, and lovers everywhere.

Learn how to bring your data to life with this hands-on guide to visual analytics with Tableau Key FeaturesMaster the fundamentals of Tableau Desktop and Tableau PrepLearn how to explore, analyze, and present data to provide business insightsBuild your experience and confidence with hands-on exercises and activitiesBook Description Learning Tableau has never been easier, thanks to this practical introduction to storytelling with data. The Tableau Workshop breaks down the analytical process into five steps: data preparation, data exploration, data analysis, interactivity, and distribution of dashboards. Each stage is addressed with a clear walkthrough of the key tools and techniques you'll need, as well as engaging real-world examples, meaningful data, and practical exercises to give you valuable hands-on experience. As you work through the book, you'll learn Tableau step by step, studying how to clean, shape, and combine data, as well as how to choose the most suitable charts for any given scenario. You'll load data from various sources and formats, perform data engineering to create new data that delivers deeper insights, and create interactive dashboards that engage end-users. All concepts are introduced with clear, simple explanations and demonstrated through realistic example scenarios. You'll simulate real-world data science projects with use cases such as traffic violations, urban populations, coffee store sales, and air travel delays. By the end of this Tableau book, you'll have the skills and knowledge to confidently present analytical results and make data-driven decisions. What you will learnBecome an effective user of Tableau Prep and Tableau DesktopLoad, combine, and process data for analysis and visualizationUnderstand different types of charts and when to use themPerform calculations to engineer new data and unlock hidden insightsAdd interactivity to your visualizations to make them more engagingCreate holistic dashboards that are detailed and user-friendlyWho this book is for This book is for anyone who wants to get started on visual analytics with Tableau. If you're new to Tableau, this Workshop will get you up and running. If you already have some experience in Tableau, this book will help fill in any gaps, consolidate your understanding, and give you extra practice of key tools.