Data visualization is the method of using analytics to consolidate data into one collective, illustrative graphic. Having the ability to visually represent a data-set allows for greater exploration of patterns in the data and the ability to communicate important aspects of the data in a concise, easy to understand format.
From Visually.
Data-sets are very diverse, each requiring a specific type of visualization to make sense of its data. The different types of visualizations can be categorized into:
- Time-series
- Statistical Distributions
- Maps
- Hierarchies
- Networks
"A Tour Through the Visualization Zoo" provides a synopis of the multiple visualization types the fit within each of these categories.
David McCandless is a data journalist and information designer and the creator of the blog Information is Beautiful. Below is his TED talk on data visualization.
