Data Visualization 101: Tips for Choosing the Best Visual

With data analytics playing a larger role in business performance each year, the ability to visualize results has become a useful skill for anyone looking to share the results of their work or anticipate future outcomes.

Knowing which pitfalls and mistakes to avoid can make your visual reporting more impactful and helpful for your audience. That’s why we put together a Data Visualization 101 e-book—to give you a basic introduction into data visualization tips and tricks to boost your reporting efforts. Learn about the 3 most popular forms of visualizations here. Below is an excerpt offering our three tips for choosing the best visual for your data—read the rest of Data Visualization 101 here.

1. Know your target audience. Before you choose a visual, answer these questions:
   What do you want the visual to inspire them to do/believe?
   What will most motivate them to do/believe that?

2. Never lose sight of what’s important.
   What will make your audience sit up and take notice?
   What might be most surprising to them?
   What is the one thing you want them to remember most?

3. Tailor the visual to the data. Avoid using visuals out of habit—it may be easier, but it may work against your goals. Ask yourself:
   Which visual will most accurately and quickly convey the main takeaway?

A good visualization starts with basic knowledge of the tools available. We hope this data visualization primer helps you get started down the path of improving your data visualization efforts.

At Onebridge, we have experience with a wide variety of data visualization tools. We can partner with you to build your internal data visualization capabilities and augment your team’s data literacy from the inside.  We’d love to meet you and learn more about your goals—contact us now.

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