Come learn about the best ways to present data to your Business Intelligence data consumers, and see how to apply these principles in Power View, Microsoft's data visualization tool. Using demos, we will investigate Power View based on current cognitive research around data visualization principles from such experts as Stephen Few, Edware Tufte, and others. We will then examine how data can be analyzed with Power View and look at where Power View is supplemented by other parts of the Microsoft BI stack.

2. Analysing your Data with Power View

3. Data Visualisation and Power View
We have the tools. All we’ve got to
do is imagine what could be.
We can reinvent the present;
we can transform the world around us.
Jason Silva

4. Computers have
promised us a fountain
of wisdom but delivered
a flood of data
(Frawley, 1992)

5. • Almost 50% of your brain is
dedicated to visual
processing.
•
David van Essen
Researchers found that colour visuals
increase the willingness to read by
80%
About 70% of your
sensory receptors are in your
eyes.

6. Data Visualisation and Power View
• 3D
• Pie Charts
• Colours

7. Data Visualisation and Power View
• Power View does not contain 3D functionality – why?
• People can overestimate the vertical dimension (Wansink, 2003)
• 3D space makes it too difficult to compare
– Values
– Volumes
– Areas
• Distorts

8. Pie Charts and Power View
–
–
–
–
We find it difficult to read angles
We find it difficult to judge areas
We can’t easily read over 5 slices very well
Each part must be mutually exclusive

9. Pie Charts – the Verdict!
• You can compare combinations of adjacent wedges
• The parts should make a sensible whole
• You’re just expecting the image to answer one ‘business
question’ only
• You do not need trendlines

10. Pie Charts

11. Pie Charts

12. Pie Charts

13. Pie Charts

14. Pie Charts

15. Trellis Charts

16. Trellis Charts

18. Self-Service
Insights
Actions

19. Different Tools for Different Jobs
Power View
•
Highly Visual Design Experience
•
Power View is an interactive, ad hoc, query and
visualization experience.
It is for business question ‘mystery’ solving
•
Power Map
•
Power Map is a new 3D visualization add-in for
Excel helping you to analyse geographical and
temporal data
– Mapping
– Exploring
– Interacting

20. Data where you want it

21. Data where you want it

22. Data where you want it

23. Data where you want it

24. Motion Charts
•
•
•
•
•
This makes even more of the limited space
We can pack more information in
Data / Ink Ratio
Motion is a pre-attentive attribute
Dependent on other items e.g. chartjunk

25. THANK YOU!
• For attending this session and
PASS SQLRally Nordic 2013, Stockholm