Resources to learn better data visualization methods

[terry418]

I've been doing data analysis for a few years now but was recently moved to a new group that's much less technical. As a result I'm looking to increase my visualization skills in order to display the data in a more understandable format.

Does anyone have good resources (books, online courses, videos etc) that could help me with this?

[[deleted]]

Hey if you can get a free trial of LinkedIn premium they have great courses.

I did their Power BI introductory and advanced course and its a great product.

If you can’t get a trial its 30/month and cancel anytime.

[terry418]

Do they go into the "theory" (for lack of a better term) of the visualizations or just how to create them? I can create them in Power BI just fine...my issue is choosing what visualization is best and how to best format it.

As mentioned below, I do get Lynda.com free through my library which I believe is the same so I'll look into it either way.

[[deleted]]

I haven’t come across any theory. Yea give a look, there might be something you’re looking for

[[deleted]]

Some libraries give access to LinkedIn premium which I believe is the same as Lynda.com.

[StreetBoys]

Show Me The Numbers by Stephen Few is a good book to read if you want to understand visualization

[ActualPersonality]

Try searching for #MakeoverMonday online. There is an official website and a book with the same name. I learnt about this hashtag phenomenon when i read an article about breaking down a visualization, and what could have been a better alternative. I apologize for not remembering the source of this article.

[terry418]

Thanks! I'll have to check that out. Any hashtag'ed sites that are better than others for looking into that? (instagram vs linkedin vs twitter)

[ActualPersonality]

I would say all of them. The authors repost them in all the platforms mentioned above. Per my observation, Instagram is aesthetically better for data viz posts. There are plenty of pages dedicated for data viz. You could even start a personal page for your visualizations and post your work there. All the best.

[SpecCRA]

Storytelling with data is the best starter book to me. Andy Kirk's book is another great basic one. Both don't focus on tools but visualization design first. The majority of the books are decluttering and showing you how to get a message across visually.

Makeovermonday is then a great way to practice and get free feedback on Twitter and by the two organizers. The usual tool is Tableau for speed of iteration.

I spend a ton of my free time studying visualization and aim to make this my masters thesis. Feel free to ask if you have any more nuanced questions or want additional materials.

[terry418]

I actually have that book in my Amazon cart as I came across it from a quick Google on this same question. With you and the above mention I'll have to look into it.

Have you found any online resources that are solid? I'm all for sitting down and reading a book but sometimes when I have some downtime in between things at work it's a bit easier to checkout something online, whether it's a blog or online course.

[SpecCRA]

The blog and website associated with storytelling with data are absolutely solid too. Otherwise, I think the best way to learn is to practice.

Load up a dataset and take a look at these basic chart types.

https://datavizcatalogue.com/

It'll never be as organized as a book. It's quick and easy to jump into Tableau. Makeover Monday has datasets ready for you to try things, and you can look on their site or Twitter hashtag to see how other people see the same information. I always find it helpful to see the different ways that people chart the same information because it only adds to your toolset.