Data Visualization Can Save the World
Who knew when I wrote these opening words for this lesson that we would be in the midst of one of the great global challenges of a lifetime as I released it? Well, here we are. And data visualization has already played a key role in informing and persuading literally billions of people around the […]
What do maps and fish have in common? Both have scales.
Ouch. Sorry about that…but not really. You see, the first lesson in maps is to know that 100% of all map people are suckers for map jokes. Seriously, I’ve done the research. This is legit science. Trust me. What am I doing here? Well, I’m just making stuff up. But the point is sort of, […]
Going Beyond the Word Cloud with Text Analytics and Visualization
Word clouds are perfectly fine. If you want to show your audience a vague depiction of word frequencies in a document, go for it. But text analytics and visualization doesn’t begin and end there. There is a wealth of opportunity to analyze themes and connections and measurable variables in any text. And there are a […]
How to Become a Unicorn (in DataViz)
No, I don’t mean how to have a billion-dollar valuation. I mean how can you be that most-rare person who shines in all four key skills in this practice? How can you be an excellent communicator, with real data analysis chops, creative talent, and the technical skills to put it all together? And do you […]
How Much Does the Sahara Desert Weigh? And How Would You Visualize That?
How much does all the sand in the Sahara Desert weigh? One way to answer that question is to estimate it. You take a small sample of sand from a few locations, then measure and weigh it. Next measure the entire desert volume (again an estimate based on average dune depth and desert length and […]
What History Can Teach Us About Data Visualization (TLDR: EVERYTHING)
What does Winston Churchill have to do with data visualization? Nothing (that I know of) but his quote above is a perfect reason to bring him into the conversation. History mostly teaches us is what NOT to do. But of course, that’s not all. Studying the history of data visualization will provide lessons for growth […]
The Truth, The Whole Truth, and Nothing But the Truth…in Data Storytelling and Visualization
The “truth” and “facts” may be in debate in today’s crazy upside down world. But assuming you care about such things, which you should, then you want to be sure that when you’re sharing data with an audience, that you’re being as respectful as you can to objective truth. This means that you are, above […]
Creative and Unique Visualizations
There is a certain “je ne sais quois” about beautiful, creative, unique, elegant things. It’s very hard to define what makes something really special, but we all know it when we see it. And numerous studies have proven that aesthetics matter in visualization. When a visualization is pretty, people are more likely to spend time […]
Data Storytelling for Regular Folks
Before I jump into data storytelling for regular folks, let me introduce this newsletter to you! I’ve been doing online courses here on LinkedIn Learning (previously Lynda.com) for about six years now. And I was thrilled when LinkedIn approached me to do a recurring series in addition to my one-off courses. I decided to title […]