Week 5 - BALT 4361 - Data Applications

Ways Data Can Be Applied

Visualizing data is more important than anything because, without organized data, it's a mess of vague numbers. Spreadsheets are the most basic of data analysis and some of the most common such as Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. From these, graphs and charts are able to be created allowing for easier interpretation. A function of Google Sheets is that it has a lookup section where you can look up how to use functions in your dataset. 

BI Platforms

More advanced analysis requires specialized software such as business intelligence (BI) platforms. Some notable ones are Tableau and Power BI as they provide more advanced data analysis capabilities where you can perform data modeling, predictive analysis, and data mining. Some visualization tools within BI platforms allow for the creation of interactive dashboards that allow you to better understand your data. There can be multiple charts and interactive visualizations in one place on a dashboard that provides a larger and more digestible scope of the overall data. These dashboards can be filtered and allow for the analysis of data in real time.

Infographics

Infographics are another popular data visualization tool that represents data or information in a much more understandable manner. This comes in handy when presenting data to a non-technical audience as complex data can be simplified into a visual format. Canva and Piktochart are some basic tools to start, with Adobe Illustrator being more advanced for "power users." When it comes to charts, it's imperative to select the right type to represent your data correctly. Bar charts and pie charts are great for comparing data while line charts are useful for showing data trends over time. Consider taking the time to explore Canva as it's primarily free to use and easy to get the hang of quickly as it's extremely user-friendly.