Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 1. Communicating Data
“As the cathedral is to its foundation so is an effective presentation of facts to the data.”
—Willard Cope Brinton
There's something breathtaking about witnessing data communicated well—it's a lot like en-
countering an architectural wonder. Think of the first time you saw the video of Hans
Rosling interacting with global development data on stage, or when you first viewed a well-
designed
New York Times
visualization online. When data is communicated well, it's easy to
appreciate both the data itself and the delivery of that data at the same time. Those two ele-
ments can be fashioned together into an overall experience that makes you feel that you un-
derstand the world better, and that you want to do something with your newfound under-
standing.
On the other hand, think of a time when you suffered through a presentation at work that in-
cluded poorly designed charts and graphs containing extraneous information, or all those in-
fographics you wish you never laid eyes on that skewed the figures horribly and left you
feeling dumber. Either the foundation was hopelessly cracked or the building itself was inex-
cusably shabby, or both. Not every building is a cathedral.
What's the difference between these two types of experiences? It's a question of whether
those who designed and delivered the message were adept at communicating data.
This is a topic about just that. Communicating data is simply a special case of communicat-
ing in general (more about that in a minute)—one that incorporates quantitative statements
about the universe. In this context, we aren't using the word “data” in the general sense of
factual information, but in the more specific sense of
“information in numerical form that can
be digitally transmitted or processed”
—ones and zeros in databases, spreadsheets, and tables.
This is also a topic about using Tableau. This topic will show you how to use Tableau to
communicate data well, though you can apply the principles and methods covered in this
topic to using other tools. It's not intended to be an exhaustive Tableau manual, nor is it in-
tended to guide you in the actual acquiring and storing of your data. While those are neces-
sary steps, the goal of this topic is to help you take all that data you have and convey its mes-
sage with efficiency and impact.
