Overview

Visually and clearly present data and the message it represents.Who Should Attend:Those with a foundational understanding of Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint, who work regularly with data and wish to design basic and more advanced charts, graphs, and tablesOverviewCommunicating data and the story of what that data means has become increasingly important in recent years. As attention spans decrease and the amounts of quantitative information increase, it is crucial to be able to visualize your data for your audiences in the most clear and effective ways possible. A chart that takes 10 seconds to understand, compared to one that takes only 2 seconds, could mean the difference between a sale and no sale.Your data is only as powerful as your visual presentation of it.In this course, you will learn the fundamentals and best practices of data visualization techniques, as well as hands-on approaches to using Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint to present your data in a variety of formats.You will complete multiple exercises and create various types of visualizations and charts throughout the course. You will also work individually and in groups to analyze, redesign, and improve poorly designed charts that are provided.How You Will Benefit:Understand basic graphic design principles and how audiences process information visuallyLearn how to make use of emphasis, color, layout, and typography to maximize the clarity of your messagesBecome familiar with available tools/techniques for data visualizationUnderstand the differences between “Glanceable” and “Referenceable” visualizations and how to harness the power of eachIncrease the impact and strength of your messages by choosing the most effective chart for a given data set and story in various circumstancesLearn the one color that you should make use of in every visualization, the one default element that should be removed from every chart, how legends can confuse your audience, why a bar is nearly always better than a pie, and common design mistakes that distort your data and damage your credibility What You Will Cover:The history and current landscape of information and data design Basic principles of graphic, information, and layout design “Chart Junk” and how to remove it to improve clarityBasic charts such as pies, columns, bars, lines, and variations of these Advanced charts such as scatters, bubbles, histograms, bullet graphs, combos, and ParetosSpecialty charts including units, tree maps, and proportional shapesHow to make use of trend lines, reference bands, annotations, and direct labelingWhen to use Excel and PowerPoint to create tables, how to properly design them, and how to apply conditional formatting to create heat maps and table lensesTricks, tips, and techniques for overcoming Excel and PowerPoint limitations and creating proper workflowsSpecial FeatureCourse Requirements: MS Windows-based laptop with working browser to connect to the Internet via WiFi network; as well as a minimum of Microsoft Office 2019 or 365 for PC installed. Those with Mac computers may attend and will be able to follow and perform all exercises, but may not receive as detailed technical attention from the instructor.Course Outline:Learning ObjectiveApply Best Practices for Optimizing Data Visualization and information Design to Determine the Most Effective Way to Present the Story of Your Quantitative Information and DataThe World of Data VisualizationDiscuss the Importance of Information Design and Data VisualizationIdentify General Options for Telling the Story of Your DataApply Best Practices for Graphic Design When Presenting Your DataChart TypesIdentify and Eliminate Chart JunkApply Best Practices for Labeling and Titling When Presenting Your DataCompare and Contrast Three Different Groups of Chart TypesSelect a Chart Type That Best Communicates and Presents the Data Story You Wish to Tell