This is an Eval Central archive copy, find the original at depictdatastudio.com. That beautiful chart is one of the last steps in the analytical process. For most projects, it goes something like this: Planning. Figure out what data you need. You might get data requests from your boss. You might hold a months-long strategic planning […]
24 Conditional Formatting Visuals in Microsoft Excel that Should Be Retired
This is an Eval Central archive copy, find the original at depictdatastudio.com. “You should go work at Microsoft and fix Excel’s terrible formatting.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this from workshop participants. Bill Gates, are you reading this?? Microsoft Excel is lonnnnng overdue for some updates. Don’t get me wrong—it’s still […]
How Drawing Makes Us Better at Data Visualization
This is an Eval Central archive copy, find the original at depictdatastudio.com. “Which software program is best for data visualization???” This is one of the most common questions about getting started with graphs, charts, and diagrams. There are plenty of great software programs, like Excel and Tableau—and even PowerPoint! There’s also a lesser-known secret to […]
The Data Strategy Show with Samir Sharma
This is an Eval Central archive copy, find the original at depictdatastudio.com. How can we design the best possible dashboards for business leaders? I addressed this question on the Data Strategy Show with Samir Sharma. Samir Sharma is a data strategy and analytics leader, CEO and Founder of datazuum. He has a history of helping […]
Getting Started with Sketchnoting: A Conversation with Emily Mills
This is an Eval Central archive copy, find the original at depictdatastudio.com. I recently had the chance to talk with Emily Mills, who is a professional illustrator and expert in sketchnoting. She is also the founder of the Sketchnote Academy and author of The Art of Visual Notetaking. Emily was a guest speaker in our […]
Getting Started with Google Sheets: Conversation with Ben L. Collins
This is an Eval Central archive copy, find the original at depictdatastudio.com. I recently had the chance to talk with my longtime friend, Ben L. Collins, who is THE Google Sheets instructor. Ben joined as a special guest at Office Hours (special live sessions for full course students where we share ideas and give feedback […]
Women in Data
This is an Eval Central archive copy, find the original at depictdatastudio.com. In September, I was invited to speak at a Women in Data panel alongside Rebeca Pop. Thanks to Kanchan Malhotra for inviting me and for organizing the event! Women in Data is an international non-profit organization started in 2015 whose mission is to bring women […]
Designing Visual Appendices for Your Next Report—In Under an Hour
This is an Eval Central archive copy, find the original at depictdatastudio.com. A couple years ago, I worked on this report: This report summarized survey responses from both universities and their students. Even with hundreds of survey responses and dozens of survey questions, we kept the report’s body to just six pages! How’d we choose […]
Listening to What Data Users *Say* They Need… but Giving Them What They *Actually* Need
This is an Eval Central archive copy, find the original at depictdatastudio.com. I recently had the chance to talk with Zach Bowders on his podcast, Data + Love. Zach is a data analyst, a Tableau Public Ambassador, and passionate about data visualization and data storytelling. We sat down at night after our kids were in […]
Re-envisioning a University’s Monthly Report: Two Reports with Two Different Purposes
This is an Eval Central archive copy, find the original at depictdatastudio.com. A million years ago, I was invited to be the keynote speaker for the Southeastern Library Assessment Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. As part of that process, we redesigned several of their existing reports and dashboards. Before When asked to submit their existing visualizations […]