What is data visualisation?

The benefits of data visualisation

Hidden within your data lie important insights that can help drive business forward. But the challenge is that you can’t always connect the dots by looking at raw numbers alone. When you look at your data presented in a visual format, patterns, connections, and other “a-ha” insights emerge that would otherwise remain out of sight.

Data visualisation brings data to life, making you the master storyteller of the insights hidden within your numbers. Through live data dashboards, interactive reports, charts, graphs, and other visual representations, data visualisation helps users develop powerful business insight quickly and effectively.

How to make the most of data visualisation

Being able to see the story within the numbers makes data visualisation a powerful tool for sharing and communicating information. Data visualisation can be used for demonstrating performance, communicating trends, understanding the impact of new strategies, showing relationships, and beyond. These representations can be powerful tools for communication and collaboration, bringing greater value to reports, journalism, apps, or any context where sharing information is required.

Drive better decision making with data visualisation

While stunning, rich visuals can be great tools for communicating ideas, the end benefit of data visualisation is its ability to drive better decision making. Here are a few ways data visualisation helps with strategic decision making:

• See the big picture. There’s a clear picture of performance buried within the transaction, interaction, process, and behavioural data stored in your systems. Data visualisation allows you to recognise the broader context and higher-level scenario within it. As a result, you’ll notice trends and spot patterns you wouldn't be able to see if you were looking at numbers on their own.
• Identify the significance. Bringing visual clarity to the story told within your data helps you identify insights that lead to better decision making, planning, strategies, and actions. How is your business performing, what needs to be modified, and where should you focus your resources? The ability to understand the significance of your data drives more effective operations and decisions.
• Make informed decisions. With concrete numbers and tangible insights, you can be confident your decisions are backed by data. Having clear insight into performance metrics empowers you with the knowledge and arms you with the tools to make the right decisions at the right time.
• Track trends over time. Once you've established a baseline, trends will begin to emerge. Track progress, spot trends, and begin using your insights to drive informed, strategic decisions. As you build your trends, shifts in patterns indicate if things drift off track, allowing you to immediately address any sign of lowered performance.

Evaluating data visualisation tools

Today’s data visualisation tools run the gamut from free versions you can access with a browser to feature-rich platforms that integrate with a wide variety of mainstream business applications.

But with so many data visualisation tools, how do you choose the right solution for your specific needs? In the end, you want a tool that gives you the insights you need to help you focus on what matters most.

Here are some key questions you’ll want to keep in mind as you look for a data visualisation solution with the right balance of power, flexibility, and ease-of-use for your needs:

What are your goals and needs?

Take a moment to list out what types of data you have and what kinds of information and insights you want to gather.

What features do you require?

Top data visualisation solutions include features like business intelligence, analytics, enterprise reporting capabilities, giving you flexibility to meet your needs both today and tomorrow.

Where will your data come from?

Consider how you’ll connect or import your data and determine if the tool offers a seamless fit with your systems.

Where will you need to see your data?

Find a tool that allows you to take your data and dashboards with you on any device, for quick insight and collaboration anywhere you are.

Where would you like to publish your visualisation?

Think about where your final presentation will be published. On a website, in a blog post, or in an online news article? Find a tool that allows flexibility to post and share your data visualisation wherever your story should be told—one that lets you create data stories with amazing interactive visualisations and easily publish them to your blog or website.