Imagine a textbook without pictures. Without charts, graphs, illustrations or flowcharts with arrows and labels, the theme will become more difficult to understand. Humans are born as visual animals, and visual effects are very important for analyzing data, conveying experimental results and even making amazing discoveries.
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At work, we may come into contact with a lot of business data, which needs to be presented in the summary report. As the saying goes, "words are not as good as tables and tables are not like pictures", so how to shorten the distance between data and users? Let users see at a glance? How about getting the boss to agree to your report plan?
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The main purpose of data visualization is to convey and exchange information clearly and effectively by means of graphics, and to convey ideas and concepts effectively. Aesthetic form and function need to go hand in hand. By conveying key aspects and features intuitively, we can realize in-depth insight into rather sparse and complex data sets. Therefore, in the design process, every choice should ultimately be based on the reader's experience, not the individual chartist.
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For excel data visualization chart making, in order to clearly and accurately express the numerical value of data, we need to pay attention to the following points.
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The baseline of the 1. bar chart must start from zero.
Y-axis does not start from zero, which will make the data look more different than it actually is. This makes visualization misleading to convey information. The principle of bar graph is to compare numerical values by comparing the length of bars. When the baseline changes, the visual effect is distorted.
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2. Use simple and easy-to-read fonts
Sometimes, typesetting can enhance the visual effect and add extra emotion and insight. But it does not include data visualization. Stick to a simple sans-serif font (usually the default font in programs such as Excel). A sans serif font is a font with no feet at the edge of the text. Font selection will affect the readability of the text and enhance or weaken the expected meaning. Therefore, it is best to avoid artistic fonts and stick to more basic common fonts.
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3. The width of the bar graph is moderate
The interval between bars should be 1/2 column width.
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Although they look cool, 3d shapes distort perception and thus data. Unless necessary, stick to two-dimensional graphics to ensure accurate data.
4. Use tabular digital fonts
Table spacing makes all numbers have the same width, so that they can be aligned with each other when arranged, which is more convenient. Most popular fonts have built-in tables. Not sure if the font is correct? Just look at whether the decimal point (or any number) is aligned.
5, pay attention to the unity of graphics.
A sense of unity makes it easier for us to accept information: colors, images, styles and sources. ...
Coherent design will be effectively integrated into the background, which is convenient for users to process information. The best visualization helps the audience to quickly draw the conclusions presented by the data.
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6. Don't be too keen on pie charts.
Displays the proportion of multiple blocks, and the sum of all blocks (arcs) is equal to 100%. But it is best to avoid using a large number of pie charts, because the naked eye is not sensitive to the size of the area.
7. Use coherent lines in line charts.
Dotted line, dotted line is easy to distract attention. On the contrary, it is easy to distinguish the difference between the two with solid lines and colors.
Respect the proportion of parts in the whole.
When people choose multiple questions, there will be overlapping proportions, and the sum of the percentages of different options is greater than 1. In order to avoid this situation, the proportion cannot be directly made into a statistical chart. Some diagrams pay more attention to the relationship between the local and the whole rather than presenting numerical values.
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8. Visualization of area and size
Distinguish the length, height or area of similar graphics (such as columns, rings, spider diagrams, etc.). ) to clearly express the comparison of index values corresponding to different indicators. When making this kind of data visualization graphics, it is necessary to use mathematical formulas to express accurate scale and proportion.
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9. Use size to visualize values
Size helps to emphasize important information and add contextual hints. Using size to represent values is suitable for maps. If you have multiple data points of the same size in your visualization, they will be mixed together, making it difficult to distinguish values.
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10, using the same details.
The more details (and numbers) you add, the longer it takes the brain to process them. Think about what you want to convey with your data and what is the most effective way.
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1 1, a suitable data visualization tool.
"If you want to do a good job, you must sharpen your tools first." Using a practical data visualization tool in your work is much faster than making a visual chart yourself, and the production is more exquisite than your own. Smartbi is a software that is convenient for beginners. Its design interface is fashionable and easy to operate. Built-in rich styles make visual charts better, while other tools may take more time to set up. Most of the Smartbi statistical charts are developed by ourselves, with all types and good results. Using guidance settings, you can develop very beautiful graphics in a short time.
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To sum up, data visualization can make it easier for people to get the value in data. In order to highlight the key points and make readers understand better, it is necessary to deal with the details and presentation forms of data visualization reasonably. In addition to using excel to make data visualization charts, which can effectively improve work efficiency, you can also use Smartbi, a data visualization tool.