Soham Mitra presents guidelines for effectively displaying data. The presentation outlines picking the right tool to showcase the important stories in the data, such as pie charts for proportions and bar graphs for larger datasets. It emphasizes highlighting the key message and conclusions, keeping visuals simple without distractions, and ensuring the data display truthfully represents the information. The overall message is that data visualizations should focus on communicating the meaning and insights from the data.
2. Outlines
Soham Mitra - Displaying data29.03.2016
4. Tell the truth.
1. Get to the point
2. Pick the right tool.
3. Highlight what’s important.
5. Keep it Simple.
6. Conclusion.
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7. References
3. 1. Get to the point
In any set of data there are lots of stories, so choose which
story you want to highlight
Soham Mitra - Displaying data29.03.2016
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Fig 1.1
4. 1. Get to the point – contd.
By highlighting
the “Americas”
row, you help
the audience
focus on the
data that is most
important.
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Fig 1.2
5. 2. Pick the right tool
Choose the most appropriate tool for displaying your data
The most frequently used graphs are pie, bar and line graph.
Pie charts work only for –
1. Showing large differences.
2. Used for proportions and
percentages.
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Fig – 2.1
6. 2. Pick the right tool – contd.
Bar graphs are more
precise than pie charts
Accommodates larger
data sets
Line graph tracks
changes over short
and long periods
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Fig 2.2
Fig 2.3
7. 2. Pick the right tool – contd.
Sometimes best chart is no chart at all if -
You have one big message.
The main message is just a number.
Example -
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8. 3. Highlight what’s important
Keep in mind that -
Its important communicate conclusions and insights
Think of a data chart in three layers -
1. Background – It contains tick marks, scales and
grid lines.
2. Data – The data sets pulled from table.
3. Emphasis – Highlights Key message from data.
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10. 4. Tell the truth
Remember nothing commands like credibility.
Make sure the audience understands your point.
Let us take an example ...
The size of your graph should match the dimensions.
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11. 4. Tell the truth – contd.
Here a 3D chart is used now,
It is very difficult to
understand the actual
difference between
the sectors and
charts.
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Fig 4.1
12. 4. Tell the truth – contd.
Here we can now easily differentiate between the sectors.
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Fig 4.2
13. 5. Keep it Simple.
Messages with distractions are the hardest ones to understand.
Here there
are two many
distractions.
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14. 5. Keep it Simple – contd.
Avoid unnecessary visual distractions.
The message should come through much clearly.
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15. 15
6. Conclusion.
Emphasis on the important point.
Pick the appropriate tool to represent.
Highlight the important ones separately.
It is ok if it is dull, but tell the truth.
Keep it as simple it can get.
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“Data slides are not about the data,
They are about the meaning of the data” – Nancy Duarte
Soham Mitra - Displaying data29.03.2016