The Science of Data Visualisation

Learn the language of data visualisation and how to apply it to your everyday methods and analysis.

Description

  • Understand how visual analysis improves speed and accuracy of decision making. 
  • Learn the science of visual perception and how it is essential for creating accurate visual representations. 
  • Expand your visualisation techniques and your skill portfolio. 

Learning objectives

  • How visuals are hardwired into our biology
  • Why some charts elucidate and some obfuscate
  • Learn the six simple steps in the visualisation cycle. 
  • How to transform interactions with decision-makers for the better. 
  • Why action must flow from every successful visualisation.

Topics

One day course, with four key parts:

Part I - Visualisation: What's the Problem?

  • Why is it hard to create good visuals?
  • Conversation and language
  • Visual perception and cognition
  • Truth
  • Dataviz Exercises: Basic design

Part II - Essential Tools for the Solution

  • Components and attributes
  • Scales of measure
  • Visual variables
  • Chart analysis
  • Dataviz Exercises: Meeting objectives

Part III - The Visualisation Process

  • Visualisation cycle Mission and quest
  • Storytelling and interactivity
  • Deconstruction - Olympics Explorer
  • Dataviz Exercises: Finding the story

Part IV - Putting it into Practice

  • Dataviz Exercises: Innovation
  • Whiteboard: Opportunities and challenges 

Audience

OR practitioners and analysts who want to understand the fundamental science that lies behind the ‘how' to create great data visualisations, why this matters and how they can use these scientific and visualisation techniques to present their results in more compelling ways and influence the audience more effectively.

Course format

  • PowerPoint presentation to introduce the topics including illustrative examples from different sectors
  • Case studies based on ‘real world’ problems
  • Practical sessions using Microsoft Excel MS PowerPoint
  • Group discussion/work to explore the topics in more detail
  • Bring questions from your own work to embed your learning

Related courses

Art of Data Visualisation

Want to run this course in-house? Enquire about running this course in-house

Meet the tutor

Ian Taylor

Ian co-founded FlyingBinary in 2009 to deliver state of the art data management and visualisation tools and techniques. FlyingBinary is a web science company that changes the world with deep tech, and is one of the original 250 companies in Tech City, the world’s #1 Digital Hub.

Collaborating with a leading journalist, Ian co-founded the datajournalism industry that connects 34 million citizens across the web, and delivers accessible data insights using Tableau, Plotly and D3 Javascript tools. Ian architects data pipeline tools using Python, and has also created the Teccarto range of products that deliver advanced geospatial data capabilities for the leading data visualisation tool, Tableau.

Ian speaks internationally and teaches on Python, data wrangling, management and visualisation and using these tools for creating clear, impactful and influencing insights for users at all levels.