This document summarizes a presentation on the power of data visualization. It discusses how visualization can help analyze data faster, simplify large datasets, reveal trends, and provide new insights. The presentation covers the advantages of visualization, such as conveying information quickly and aiding decision making, and disadvantages like interpretations depending on the viewer. An example visualization analysis examines factors influencing life expectancy. It finds that after a point, increased healthcare spending does not necessarily increase life expectancy and focuses should include reducing infant mortality.

1. THE POWER
OF
VISUALIZATION
Visualizations and presentation by: Wellington Palma
Data Source: World Bank Data provided through Tableau
By: Wellington C. Palma

2. PRESENTATION
OVERVIEW
• Part 1: Why use visualization?
• Part 2: The advantages and disadvantages of
visualization.
• Part 3: Example of a visualization analysis.

3. PART 1
• Why use visualization?
• The advantages and disadvantages of
visualization.
• Example of a visualization analysis.

4. BECAUSE IT IS EFFECTIVE!
Visualization…
• Helps analyze the data faster.
• Simplifies large data sets in a way that people can easily
interpret.
• Shows trends that may not be apparent at first glance.
• Helps you find ways to frame the hypothesis differently.
• Offers new insight to your analysis.
• Reveals a more descriptive insight than averages.

5. PART 2
• Why use visualization?
• The advantages and disadvantages of
visualization.
• Example of a visualization analysis.

6. Advantages
• Conveys a great deal of
information quickly.
• Generates new ways to
frame the Hypothesis.
• Easy to understand.
• Easy to use for decision
making.
• Reveals how the average
can be misleading.
Disadvantages
• The analysis is only as good
as the interpretation.
• Averages can be
misleading.
• Cannot be directly used for
prediction.
• Although it is deeply
insightful, it is mostly
descriptive.
YOU CAN’T HAVE GOOD
WITHOUT BAD…

7. PART 3
• Why use visualization?
• The advantages and disadvantages of
visualization.
• Example of a visualization analysis.

8. RECIPE FOR AN AFFECTIVE
VISUALIZATIONStep 1: Identify the question.
 Framing the question correctly is the most important part of conducting any analysis. If
you do not fully understand a client’s question, you may spend valuable time and
money analyzing something that is worthless in the end.
Step 2: Find the data.
 In this example, data from the World Bank was utilized. However, keep in mind that
other data can be collected and merged to this source before doing the analysis.
Step 3: Prepare or Manage the data.
• This is where “cleaning the data” comes into play. This is the part of the data process
where you “explore the data” and determine what data is missing or incorrect, and
how you will account for it during your analysis. (In this example the data is already
cleaned)
Step 4: Visualize the data.
 Different types of visualizations can help the viewer think about the information in
different ways. Visualizing is a vital part of data analysis because it may identify sub
questions that may be worth answering.
Step 5: Draw Conclusions.
 When communicating conclusions, it is best to start with your executive summary. This
saves time for executives, and gets to the point quicker. Also, it helps engage your
audience from the very beginning, and keeps them engaged throughout the
presentation.

9. EXAMPLE PRESENTATION
Step 1: Question
What economic, social, and health factors influence the duration of a regions' average life expectancy
(ALE)?
Step 2: Data Source
Data from the World Bank was uploaded into Tableau.
Dependent Variable :
 Average Life expectancy (by region)
Independent Variables:
 GDP per capita
 Legal Human rights
 Gender (the data only designates male or female)
 Healthcare Expenditure per capita
 Healthcare Expenditure as a percent of the GDP
 Infant Mortality
 Transportation

10. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
• After reaching a certain point of Average Life Expectancy
(ALE), Increased spending in healthcare is not conducive to
increasing ALE.
• A higher healthcare expenditure as a percent of GDP does
not directly increase ALE; therefore, increasing healthcare
expenditure as a percent of GDP can be detrimental to an
economy because resource are not optimally allocated.
• Infancy mortality may be the leading cause of lower ALE
averages; thus, a country’s public policy should focus on
decreasing infancy mortality rates in order to effectively
increase ALE.
• A higher GDP per capita, comprehensive human rights laws,
and increased access to transportation are major
contributing factors to increasing ALE; thus, governments
should align their public policy decisions to improve those
conditions for its citizens.

11. THE INDEPENDENT VARIABLE:
LIFE EXPECTANCY
Further Insights:
• The dark green
regions
indicate life
expectancy.
• ALE is the
highest in The
Americas,
Australia, and
Western
Europe.

12. LIFE EXPECTANCY BY REGION
Further Insights:
• Europe has the
highest Average
Life Expectancy
(ALE), which
may be
expected.
• ALE in The
Middle East is
equal to ALE in
the Americas.
• ALE in Asia and
Oceania is not
far behind
compared to
the U.S.

13. AVERAGE GDP PER CAPITA
Further Insights:
• Europeans have a
higher GDP per
capita than
individuals in The
Americas.
• The Middle East
has a higher GDP
per Capita than
the Americas( If
this seems
questionable,
keep in mind that
this graph is based
on Averages, and
The Americas
Include North and
South)

14. LEGAL HUMAN
RIGHTS
Further Insights:
• When compared to Average
GDP per capita(the previous
graph), Legal Human rights
seems to have more impact
on ALE.
• In this regard, The Middle East
and Asia are outliers and do
not follow the trend as well as
the other regions.
• The outliers may suggest that
other factors, combined with
human rights may be the
actual catalyst to increasing
ALE.

15. GENDER
Females
Males
Further Insights:
• On Average,
Females and Males
tend to have equal
life Expectancies.
• Eastern Europe is
slightly an outlier with
females outliving
males.
• In Africa, Males tend
to outlive females.
• Given the mostly
equal shading
between males and
females, gender may
not be relevant to
ALE.
Reading the Map: Darker shade indicates higher ALE.

16. HEALTHCARE EXPENDITURE
PER CAPITA
Further Insights:
• If you closely examine the
first graph, there appears
to be a tipping point where
an increase in healthcare
expenditure per capita
may actually decrease
ALE. (Compare USA with
UK).
• After a certain point,
Increased spending in
healthcare is not
conducive to increasing
ALE.
• The second graph
highlights how averages
can be misleading. (The US
spends much more than
the UK, but the Americas
spend less than Europe)

17. HEALTHCARE EXPENDITURE
AS A PERCENT OF GDP
Further Insights:
• A higher healthcare expenditure
as a percent of GDP does not
directly increase ALE.
• An increase in healthcare
expenditure as a percent of GDP
has to be substantial to make a
difference. (Compare top three
“grouping” with middle three
“grouping”)
• This may suggest that if a
government is going to “throw
money at a problem”… it has to
be a substantial amount, to be
truly effective.

18. INFANT
MORTALITY
For Every 1k births Further Insights:
• Note that word
clouds are a very
effective tool to
identify problem
areas.
• The trend is clear: the
more developed a
region, the less infant
mortality is prevalent.
• Infant mortality may
be what is bringing
the Average down
for many of the low
ALE regions.

19. TRANSPORTATION:
PASSENGER CARS PER 1K
Further Insights:
• Transportation seems to be
a somewhat important
factor in increasing ALE.
• Since the data is based on
the Average of regions, the
Americas seem to have
less passenger cars than
The Middle East. (Always
ask yourself “What’s behind
that average?”)

20. THE POWER OF
VISUALIZATION…ARE YOU
CONVINCED?
• Visualization is impactful.
• It makes information easier to remember.
• The call to action is very easy to understand.
Pop Quiz….
If you are still on the edge of being convinced, try this little test. See if you
can recall more than three facts from the presentation. If you can,
congratulations! You have defeated the power of three. Which is a
powerful force that Marketers, Managers, Public Policy leaders, and other
leaders should understand, and in my opinion overcome.
If power of three link above does not work please check out the article
here:
http://www.businessinsider.com/using-the-power-of-three-to-your-
marketing-advantage-2013-5

21. CONTACT THE ME
If you found the presentation insightful or useful, please
let me know. Also, if you just like what you see here and
want to network with me, please feel free to contact me.
My contact information is as follows:
Name: Wellington Palma
E-mail: wpalma1@babson.edu
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/wellingtonpalma/en