When we see images and shapes, our mind is stimulated and performs a cognitive process to give them meaning. Therefore, the process of data visualization is very natural.
However, there is a long way to go to understand how we went from simple drawings to dashboards.
In the meantime, we can reflect on why data visualization is so valuable and how it works.
By doing so, we will understand the importa saudi arabia phone number data nce of visual elements, as well as moving from static and boring communication methods to more dynamic and attractive ones.
Data visualization has become a central idea in today’s marketing practices . If you want to understand everything about this topic, keep reading!
What is data visualization?
It is a process by which we make a visual representation of data. Think of a set of statistics, such as the results of a survey.
If you choose to publish it in text form it would twitter sentiment predicts stock price require a lot of time and effort on the part of readers to assimilate all the information.
Also, having a lot of words in long paragraphs can be tiring and confusing to read. People would have a hard time figuring out what the main message is and pollsters would have trouble conveying a clear message through so many words.
People may have difficulty understanding the effects of smoking on the human body, for example. Through an infographic , however, this message is easily conveyed.
Check out this example from CVS and Huffington Post
On the other hand, if you choose a visual presentation, you will undoubtedly use images to express this information,
This is data visualization, and it works because it allows people to look at data in a different way, bringing together not just information, but also fine details and new standards.
When we talk about this, we are referring to visual literacy. The process that involves our interpretation of an image is fascinating! Therefore, we use this feature to improve our understanding of the data .
First, we start analyzing shapes and objects europe email establishing the boundaries between shapes in our minds. Then, we think about something we’ve seen before.
Later, these random shapes gain a name in our mind, which means the analysis is complete. Graph analysis requires almost the same processing.
Visual metaphor
It all works based on something called a visual metaphor. Like a common metaphor, these tools allow us to internalize the concepts of something by comparing it to some shape we have seen before.
A pizza-shaped graph, for example, alludes to the idea of a pizza to represent a relationship between a part and a whole. It is not an actual pizza, but a representation.
Our brain knows what a pizza is. Its slices are independent and can be any specific size. So we recognize a graphic instantly and understand its meaning. It tells the story effortlessly in a way that seems as natural as possible.
Businesses can use data visualization to summarize a database into dashboards.
By using this type of resource, leaders can see trends, patterns, and insights to make better decisions. Marketers also use it to study campaigns and customer data to improve their performance.
How did data visualization come about?
Data visualization as we know it has been around for a long time. In the 18th century, a statistician named William Playfair invented the forms we use so often today.
He is the creator of the line graph, the bar graph, the pizza chart and the circle graph.
During the 19th century, one of the best examples that appears is the graph of John Snow, who mapped the cholera outbreak in 1854.
Before that, in 1812, Charles Joseph Minard mapped Napoleon’s March into Russia, plotting his journey on a graph with different features, such as temperature and the number of soldiers left at each location.
Everything started to change when the Industrial Revolution happened and people also started using statistics for commercial purposes.
Later, computers came into the picture. From there, statisticians were finally able to quickly access large amounts of information. Furthermore, they discovered the power to process large data sets and create statistics based on that.
That’s what brought us here. Today we have intuitive and interactive dashboards. Charts tell stories everywhere and are undoubtedly still the most effective way to represent the huge amount of data we handle.
What are the benefits of quality data visualization?
Now, let’s look at some benefits of data visualization. Keep reading!
Allows you to pay more attention to details
You’ve probably already understood that when we use graphics, we can pay much more attention to details than in the traditional way. After all, there are images, trends, shapes, patterns and a whole universe before our eyes.
To know more about a particular point, all you need to do is zoom in on it and get more information. Thus, you can view the data from a different perspective.
Images are emotionally appealing . People are more likely to have a stronger reaction to an image than to a set of words.
Graphics and visual narratives speak to us in a unique way, after all, they make us review our memory and remember what we learned before.
It is easier to share
Another key aspect is that data graphics are very easy to share. If you look at an article full of statistics without organization, you probably won’t share it with anyone else, right?
An image makes it easier to understand, so the reader is more likely to show it to someone and get their response right away. This means it is an excellent method for improving communication.
If you search on the internet now, you will find a lot of data graphs. In this pandemic scenario that we are experiencing, we see a lot of graphs explaining how