What is Data Visualization and Why is it Important?

What is Data Visualization and Why is it Important?
Masooma Memon

Written by:
Masooma Memon

Mar 11, 2021

You’ve probably heard the term data visualization thrown around a lot.

It’s why you are here, aren’t you?

So let’s make this clear for you: data visualization is a fancy term for making graphs and charts to showcase your data and help make it easy (and visually appealing) to interpret that data.

After all, going through boatloads of raw data can feel like rowing through a sea of ants looking for a small, black gem. Tiring for the eye. And, difficult to find that gem too, which is where data visualization comes in handy.

In this guide, we’ll answer what is data visualization in-depth for you. We’ll also share what it helps with, the different types of charts and graphs to use and how you can make them (hint: it takes a few minutes with Visme.)

In the end, we’re sure you’ll leave feeling a whole lot smarter and ready to visualize data.

Ready to master data visualization?

Let’s get on with it.

 

Jump to the Section You Want

What is Data Visualization?

Why is Data Visualization Important?

How is Data Visualization Used?

Types of Data Visualization

Data Visualization Best Practices

 

What is Data Visualization?

By way of a formal definition, data visualization is the graphical representation of data so that it’s easy to comprehend, analyze and present.

Between you and I though, data visualization is a lot more fun than the overwhelming vibes that the technical-sounding term gives off.

Yes, there are a few caveats to plotting and designing data accurately.

But that can’t stop you from having fun, especially if you end up using pre-baked charts and infographic templates that take the boredom of the data visualization job away.

Circling back to the basics now, data visualization isn’t for data wizards only.

Marketers, scientists, teachers, and everyone in between uses them. In fact, even healthcare professionals have come to rely on data visualizations like infographics to make complicated topics easy to digest.

This infographic on COVID-19 is a prime example.

Customize this template and make it your own!Edit and Download

So what do people use different visualizations for? We’ll get to that in just a bit. For now, let’s address something equally crucial.

 

Why is Data Visualization Important?

We’ve already touched on how you’ve to row through a sea of data if you don’t organize it into a properly planned visual. In essence, this is what sets the base for how important data visualization is.

Let’s look at individual reasons now.

 

1. Data visualization makes data easy to digest.

This, in turn, makes data engaging.

Think of it, really.

Would anyone believe if you told them about a trend you identified from all the data you’ve gathered? A handful of people might believe you.

But your finding won’t find a wider audience unless you put it into an easy-to-understand visualization as Hootsuite did with all the data they gathered over the year.

 

2. It helps identify patterns within a given set.

Data has stories to tell as patterns, correlations, and trends emerge from it.

You might sniff a vital pattern or two in a data pile. But you can only make complete sense of it if you plot it into a graph or chart.

On top of that, data visualization helps you prove your point. Identified a trend? Great. Let the visualization like the one below do the talking for you.

Customize this template and make it your own!Edit and Download

 

3. It helps narrate a wider story.

This could be a story that you find within piles of data over time. Or, it could be complex information that’s not easy to explain with only text.

Either way, data visualization can help as it brings illustrations, widgets, and text together into visually appealing and easy-to-digest charts, graphs and infographics.

For a new freelancer, for instance, this infographic on how to take the perfect headshot is a useful way to deliver important information in a digestible and engaging format.

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4. It makes data more memorable.

In addition to all the analysis and storytelling, capturing important data points in visuals is an effective way to teach it. After all, the visual nature makes it easy for people to understand.

By extension, this makes it easy to recall all the data — giving it an extended life.

This visualization, Where The Wild Things Grow, is a good example of what I’m getting at. It’s an attractive chart showing where bioluminescence is present on Australia’s southeastern coast.

Here are more data visualization examples to inspire you.

 

How is Data Visualization Used?

By now, you know that data visualization supports storytelling and data analysis. And that anyone can leverage it in their line of work.

But how?

Here are five ways they can do so.

 

1. Plan schedules.

This is a common use case of data visualization in the business world and teams such as engineering groups.

The goal? Lay out a timeline for a complex project.

For example, a company that’s planning to launch a new app can plot a Gantt chart that sketches how long each stage will take.

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This way, you’ll get an instant bird’s eye view of the next, say, 12 months of project planning with what’s to happen each month.

One look at the chart and you can tell how far along the team should be in each quarter.

 

2. Pinpoint relationships.

Only when you have a visual view of all the data can you identify how two or more factors are correlated.

For example, the data visualization below of obesity and diabetes rates over time can show you how the two conditions are linked.

Customize this template and make it your own!Edit and Download

 

3. Share changes over time.

In essence, the example above covers this use case too. When data from over the years is gathered, you can easily identify patterns and changes over time.

There’s an added benefit to this too.

When you look at such a big picture of all the data, you can also easily predict patterns. Thus, in a sense, data visualization can turn you into a forecast wizard.

The Bureau Oberhaeuser Calendar 2020 is a living testament to that. Based on data previously available it made predictions of notable space activity that would happen in 2020.

See for yourself.

 

4. Identify frequency.

Like two best friends that can’t have enough of each other’s company, time and frequency hang out together. This means when you plot data across a time range, you’ll start noticing how frequently something repeats itself.

For instance, a supernova explodes once every hundred years on average.

How do you think space scientists know this stuff? They’ve derived it from the massive data they’ve worked so hard to collect.

 

5. Interpret value and risk.

Again, a simple spreadsheet can’t help you evaluate risk and value since these are multiple variables that you need to factor in before coming to conclusions, especially if you’re tracking collectible digital assets like NFTs.

What can help you, however, is a decent visual of all the data. This way, your brain can pick on variables and measure risk and value instead of sorting through data piles.

turn boring numbers into beautiful data with visme

 

Types of Data Visualization

Now, on to the meaty part.

Here, you’ll learn the different types of charts and graphs you’ve at your disposal. Broadly, I’ve divided these into three types and addressed more of their types under them.

On we go.

 

1. Graphs

Altogether, you can choose from 44 different types of charts. Of these, here are some of the popular ones to get you started:

Pie Charts

Also known as circle graphs, these charts make data easy to understand at a glance.

Case in point: you can easily tell which search engines are popular with this pie chart.

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It’s best to use a pie chart to visualize up to 7 data entries. Any more and you risk cluttering the chart and, with it, make it tough to understand.

What’s more, if the values are similar, say 25%, 26% and 28%, you’ll want to use another chart since slices of the circle graph won’t be able to represent them well.

Bar Graphs

A bar chart uses bars to represent data.

Like a pie chart, it’s also easy to read. And, it comes in various shapes and sizes (horizontal, vertical, stacked and grouped.)

Customize this template and make it your own!Edit and Download

Here’s how to make a bar graph in Visme.

Line Graphs

A line graph, also known as a line chart, plots a variable on one side and a fixed value on another.

The plan? To compare the change in the variable value with the fixed value.

Owing to this, you can use line graphs to display trends over a time span. Want to display multiple trends over time? Use different colored plotting lines to do so as shown below.

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2. Charts

You can explore 16 types of charts to visualize the data however you like. Three prominent ones are:

Pyramid Charts

Pyramid charts show levels and stages best. Hence, these are handy charts to create if you’re showcasing levels of income, importance, and so on.

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Stacked Area Charts

These charts use area to visualize changes over different values over time.

Customize this template and make it your own!Edit and Download

Radar Charts

These also go with the name of spider charts and their aim is to show comparison by creating an identifiable shape from several data points.

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Since there’s a comparison at the heart of it all, a single radar chart won’t make sense. However, if you’ve multiple data sets, you can create a shape using the spider chart.

 

3. Infographics

Infographics are graphical representations of data and information with the goal of presenting knowledge quickly.

Mostly, the infographic's visual design does the talking, and text is kept to a minimum. The reason? Making all the info easy to understand at a glance.

Like charts and graphs, infographics also come in various shapes, sizes and types — 13 in total. Three prominent types include:

Timeline Infographics

If you want to represent something over time — capturing how it’s changed — a timeline infographic is an excellent pick since it’s very easy to understand.

Customize this template and make it your own!Edit and Download

Informational Infographics

Have a lot of information to deliver on a specific idea? Use an informational infographic to present it in a digestible format.

Of course, you can always use an attractive color scheme to make information easy to understand.

Alternatively, use icons, bars and charts to your advantage as in this infographic on infographic types.

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Comparison Infographics

This one’s another popular infographic that’s used for, you guessed it, comparing data.

You can always draw a side-by-side comparison table. Or, you can write comparison pointers on the left side of the infographic and use the rest of the space to compare over two concepts.

Customize this template and make it your own!Edit and Download

If you’re comparing a lot of data and don’t want to make it boring for your audience, putting it in an infographic can make it more engaging.

Take a look at how GILI Sports shared all of this information and made a total of 9 comparisons in just one single infographic:

A comparison infographic showcasing how many calories different activities burn.

 

Data Visualization Best Practices

Now that you have a grip on what is data visualization, what it’s used for, and the types of charts, infographics and graphs you can make, let's arm you with important best practices.

These will help make sure your data visualization is on point and error-free.

Let’s get on with it.

Create your own infographic in minutes!Edit and Download

 

1. Begin with knowing your audience.

The key to creating engaging and helpful data visualization is knowing your audience. You’ll want to know their data reading expertise to select the right data visualization for them.

For instance, a student in a business school can better understand line graphs than a high schooler.

Similarly, not everyone understands spider charts. But if you put one in front of a human resource department, the team would read them just right.

 

2. Choose the right data visualization.

Each data visualization comes with its pros and cons, which makes it suitable for certain cases.

For example, a pie chart is great only for data points that aren’t closely related. But a bar chart can help represent data entries that are close together.

Similarly, a comparison infographic is great for drawing comparisons between 2-3 concepts.

If you want to compare parts of a whole against other points, you’ll find that a stacked bar chart does this job well with its segmented bars representing parts of a whole.

The bars themselves? They represent different “wholes.”

Visualize any kind of data with Visme.

  • Choose from a variety of charts, graphs and data widgets
  • Match your data visualization to your company branding
  • Paste data, import spreadsheets or connect live Google Sheets

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3. Always plan for making your data visualization accessible.

This is so that your audience can understand your visualization.

Some ways you can make designs understandable are:

  • Use an easy-to-read font and size it to make it readable. Sans serif fonts and Helvetica are some understandable font types. As for the size, keep it to 8-20 points. And, make sure lettering for each section of the visualization is consistent.
  • Select colors that are easy on the eye. Use a tool like Coolors to create color palettes based on colors that go with each other.
  • Make your visualization accessible for color blind people. Some ways to do so include using patterns to show contrast and using clearly contrasting colors in your charts. Blue and purple, green and brown, blue and grey and green and grey are some color combinations that color blind folks can’t make out.

 

4. Always add a legend to your visualization.

Whether it’s a chart or a graph that you’re using, you’ll need to add a legend to the side. A legend is an area, often present on the side, that describes each part of the chart.

But what does it help with? A legend is chiefly responsible for explaining to viewers how to read a chart.

Suppose you’ve used different colors in the visualization. To tell which color represents what, use the legend to explain which color stands for what.

Look at the legend in this design to get a better idea.

Customize this template and make it your own!Edit and Download

 

5. Use the right data visualization tools.

It’s also helpful to use a tool that meets your needs and is easy to use as well.

If you’re looking to make visually appealing infographics in PowerPoint, for example, you’ll have a hard time since it can help you with simple charts and graphs only.

Our personal favorite is, of course, Visme. It makes it easy to visualize data in engaging ways for designers and non-designers alike.

For instance, you can animate charts, add audio files to them, and play around with tons of data widgets. You can find these widgets on the left-hand side of your dashboard.

The best part? You can save your time as well as brainpower by using customizable infographic and chart templates.

Here’s a quick look at how to make charts and graphs in Visme:

 

Ready to Visualize Your Data Today?

With the entire rundown on data visualization, we’re sure you’re feeling hyped ( and smarter, as promised!) to create compelling and useful visualization.

Fancy a head start? Find out which data visualization tool meets your needs best.

Or, create a free Visme account to start creating your first data visualization today.

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    About the Author

    Masooma Memon is a pizza-loving freelance writer by day and a novel nerd by night. She crafts research-backed, actionable blog posts for SaaS and marketing brands who aim to employ quality content to educate and engage with their audience.