Heads up! To view this whole video, sign in with your Courses account or enroll in your free 7-day trial. Sign In Enroll
Preview
Start a free Courses trial
to watch this video
Learn why data visualization is important and some factors that are driving its demand.
This video doesn't have any notes.
Related Discussions
Have questions about this video? Start a discussion with the community and Treehouse staff.
Sign upRelated Discussions
Have questions about this video? Start a discussion with the community and Treehouse staff.
Sign up
[SOUND]
>> Hi, I'm Mike Watson.
0:00
I'm the COO of Treehouse, and
0:06
I'm super excited to teach you
about data visualization in Excel.
0:07
We've structured this course so it'll be
informative for experienced professionals,
0:11
but also approachable for
absolute beginners.
0:16
Let's get started.
0:19
Collecting and analyzing data has
long been important and useful.
0:20
For example,
think of the scientific method
0:24
where researchers systematically observe,
measure, and experiment.
0:27
They then use that collected data
in the formulation, testing, and
0:32
modification of hypotheses.
0:36
Or what about ancient armies gathering
intelligence on their adversaries and
0:38
then drawing charts in the sand.
0:43
As the digital age advances,
our ability to collect and
0:45
analyze data has skyrocketed.
0:49
With technological advances in databases,
cognitive computing power, and
0:51
machine learning.
0:56
Indeed, we are now living in a world
where we can dynamically leverage data
0:58
through algorithms to inform
all sorts of decision making.
1:02
As a result, data has become one of
the most valuable resources in the world.
1:07
And corporations are spending
billions to harness it.
1:12
In some cases,
they're spending billions to acquire it.
1:15
Think of Google's acquisition
of the route planning app, Waze.
1:20
And all the data on drivers
that accompanied that.
1:23
The tremendous amount of data ride sharing
apps have on global transportation
1:27
networks is a huge factor in their
multi-billion dollar valuations.
1:31
All that data can be overwhelming, though.
1:36
Simply putting a bunch of numbers
in front of people won't cut it.
1:38
Oftentimes, visualization is what
makes the message in the mountains of
1:42
data tangible.
1:46
Take this example from the World Bank,
1:49
it shows how extreme poverty has
declined in the developing world.
1:52
We can see over time how things
have progressed, it tells a story.
1:57
Even Bill Gates appreciates it.
2:02
Analysts and engineers need to take the
vast amount of data they're collecting and
2:05
be able to tell a story with it.
2:09
Data visualization is a crucial
component of story telling.
2:12
There is the age old saying,
a picture is worth a thousand words.
2:15
And the nerd in me, might say,
a chart is worth a thousand numbers.
2:19
In this course we're gonna learn how
to leverage tools that come with Excel
2:24
to visualize data in your spreadsheets.
2:29
You should also be aware that there
are other ways to visualize data
2:31
beyond spreadsheets.
2:35
There are lots of software providers
that allow you to visualize data
2:37
through a web application
connected to a database.
2:41
For example, Tableau or Mode.
2:44
There are programming languages and
libraries like R or D3 that
2:47
provides similar functionality directly
within your application or console.
2:52
Designers create infographics
to visualize data.
2:57
Open any newspaper or magazine and you're
very likely to see some charts or graphs.
3:01
In this course, we'll be covering all
sorts of graphs and charts like column
3:07
charts, pie charts, line charts,
area charts, and many more.
3:11
Regardless of what tools
you use to visualize data,
3:18
this course will be valuable as we cover
the fundamentals of what types of charts
3:21
to use in different situations.
3:25
With data visualization,
3:28
the key question you have to ask is,
what picture tells the story most clearly?
3:30
We'll use some real world examples to tell
a story with data later on in this course.
3:36
But for now, in the next video, we'll
jump right in with a simple example and
3:40
create a chart comparing production costs
for different minds around the world.
3:45
You need to sign up for Treehouse in order to download course files.
Sign upYou need to sign up for Treehouse in order to set up Workspace
Sign up