#Meta_Data: The Future of Data Visualization
Let's get visual, visual...
A Brief History of #DataViz
From cave walls to the age of computer processing, humankind's desire to convey complexities into easily identifiable trends is nothing new.
Our primordial brains are more instantly gratified by colors, graphs, and pie charts than the exact same information delivered via a boring, old spreadsheet. Data Visualization is not only easy on the eyes, but — when done well — allows for considering multiple indicators on a single chart, determining causation vs. correlation, and so much more.
So, What Does 'Doing It Well' Even Mean?
Consider the Source - is your data primary source (data you personally collected) or secondary source (data you did not collect, but happen to have access to)?
Get clean - how well organized & structured is your data? (check out some pro tips here for standardizing data or reach out to the Standard Data team if you need help!)
Accessibility — is your data in a database that can be easily accessed? Is it automated or do you have to pull it manually?
Keep it Simple — too often, data visualizations are trying to cram too much information into a single visual. Be sure to understand the needs of your users and convey pertinent information as quickly, and as streamlined, as possible.
The Future of Data Visualization
Automated Data Visualizations — right now 99% of good useful dashboards are manually constructed. This is why Standard Data comes standard with Auto-Dashboard to automate the creation of a friendlier, more useful dashboard at the click of a button.
Prescriptive Visualizations — most data visualization occurring now is backward-looking, with a focus on trends that have already occurred. The data management experts at Standard Co see Data Visualization becoming more prescriptive — not sacrificing the visualization of what’s already occurred, but more importantly, what trends, patterns, and outcomes can be automatically predicted (and thus, visualized).
We’ve compiled the stories below for your perusal, intelligence-building, and overall enjoyment.
Tales from the “DataViz” Crypt
Jorge Camões dishes on some of his worst #DataViz fails in his piece for Nightingale — the Data Visualization Society’s flagship publication.
DataViz for the Visually Impaired
Alt Text — not just another box to check when uploading visuals. This MIT study proves that the devil is in the details, particularly when describing a dashboard that cannot be seen.
Behind Every Dataset, There’s a Story to Tell
Data visualizations & data storytelling — not the same thing. Make sure your organization is making better decisions, faster with concise, clear data storytelling.
Child Care, Interrupted
From cutting back working hours to losing jobs completely, here’s the true story of how 6.6M+ parents are dealing with pandemic-related childcare woes.
Not All Dashboards Paint a “Pretty” Picture
Speaking of childcare woes…this interactive dashboard sheds light on childcare labor shortages — factors include long hours, low pay, poor work environments, and more.
Here’s a #dataviz pro that caught our GoldenEye recently. We’re thinking Arshad deserves a crisp vodka martini for his efforts here — shaken, not stirred, of course…
We love Metabase. A lot. Take a peek at some of our Metabase tutorials to push your dashboards to the absolute limit. *note: Metabase isn’t Metabase without clean, structured datasets — and that’s where Standard Data comes in…
Let’s talk.
We’re Setting the Standard for Dad-a-bases. #datajokes