Quantitative Data Visualization Tips for Beginners
There are so many ways to tell a visual story with quantitative data. We’ve all come across data visualizations that communicate information in a clear and compelling way (for example, this amazing data story in the New York Times). But, I’m sure you’ve also encountered visualizations that leave you scratching your head, wondering what you are looking at and what you are supposed to be taking away. It can feel overwhelming to know where to start with making or improving your own visualizations.
Never fear! I want to share a few simple tips to keep top of mind when you are creating your next data visualization. You don’t have to be a tech, math, or statistical genius or have access to fancy programs to make a good data visualization. I typically create my data viz using Microsoft Word or PowerPoint, since these are the programs I’m typically creating reports and presentations in anyways. I’ll use the made-up example below about favorite ice creamflavors to show you how to take a Microsoft Word bar chart with the default settings from “Huh?” to “Aha!” While this example is based on a bar chart, the underlying principles are broad and apply to many other types of data visualizations, too!
Keep the design streamlined and clear
It is helpful to remove any visual distractions that are not helping you communicate clearly about your data. Below, in Version 2, I get rid of the x-axis labels and vertical gridlines that Microsoft Word includes by default and add data labels directly at the end of each bar automatically by right-clicking on the bar and selecting “Add Data Labels.” That way, the reader's eyes don’t have to track between each bar and the axis label to try to estimate percentages. Then, I reorganize the categories from highest to lowest percentages so that it is easier to see what flavors are most popular and least popular.
Use color to tell your story
Color can be a helpful way to highlight important information by drawing the reader’s attention to where you want them to focus. In this visualization, I want to emphasize that the most popular flavors have chocolate in them. So, in Version 3 below I’ve changed the color of the first two bars in my chart to brown to make that information stand out.
While using color can be fun, it’s also easy to go overboard. Color choices should be intentional rather than distracting. Using too many different colors can muddy your message, making it hard for people to quickly understand what information is most important.
And, when thinking about adding color to your visuals, it is important to keep accessibility in mind. Selecting high contrast colors will make charts and graphs easier to read for everyone, but especially those with vision impairments. Microsoft Word and PowerPoint offer an easy way to make sure you are selecting high contrast options through a toggle button when you are changing text or background colors. When the High-contrast button is switched on, you will only see color options with high contrast to the other color selections in your visual.
Write an interpretive headline to drive home your message
Finally, the way you label your data viz is an opportunity to clearly state what you think is important for people to notice. Rather than using a chart title that is vaguely descriptive, like “Favorite Ice Cream Flavors,” I can create a headline that tells my data story—in this case, it's that many people love chocolate in their ice cream 😊.
With a few simple changes, my data viz about ice cream now tells a much clearer story!
If you are looking for more tips and tricks, there are many resources out there to guide you in creating good data visualizations and offer how-to tutorials. Two that I really like are Stephanie Evergreen’s blog and Nick Visscher’s YouTube channel!).
