Data is often presented in the form of lines of text or code. In some cases, presenting data in such formats would suffice in providing the information and the context to it that the audience to the data being presented can comprehend.
But there are also cases where these are insufficient to provide clearer, more comprehensive context to the information the data attempts to convey.
This is where data visualization comes in.
Data Visualization Defined
Data visualization is defined as the presentation of data in a graphical format that helps the audience, especially decision-makers, better understand the information being presented.
As many humans absorb information better through the means of visual cues, data visualization helps facilitate this understanding, interpreting data that is not only visually appealing but also stimulates learning and understanding.
Data visualization encompasses all manners of presenting data in rich visual media, whether it is through dashboards, reports, statistical graphs, heat maps, plots, or infographics, among many others.
Benefits of Visualizing Data
As was noted earlier, data visualization helps improve one’s understanding of the data, which leads to greater insights that are gained and more informed data-driven decisions being made especially by the decision-makers.
This visual approach also allows for a better representation of the data’s variables, particularly on how these variables relate to one another in the overall picture being presented by the data. This also helps understand trends and the frequency of events, and track connections between operations and performance.
Visualization also helps identify possible trends easily based on familiar variables. Thus any errors and inaccuracies in the data can be caught early on and be easily rectified.
It also helps unlock the actual value of the data with the insights provided, which can contribute to the creation of new products or services that can add value to the business, if not the data itself being monetized as the organization sees fit.
