in the data for decisions and actions that provide business value.

Fig. 18.1.1 Using visualizations for data to insights.

Data can take opinions and turn them into facts. Fact-based decision-making requires not
only good data but also the ability to turn the data into useful information and knowledge
through analysis. Many decision-makers are not in the role of analyzing or working with
data; they require data to be presented in a format for them to make decisions.
Visualizations allow data to be explored easily or to be presented in a way where they
can be better understood for decisions to be made. When visualizations are created
correctly, good decisions can be made that provide business value.

Purpose and Context

A good visualization is one that is understood by the audience and meets the purpose for
creating the visualization. The purpose may be to show analytic results to executive
management, to show social media trends to educate the public, or to show findings in the
data to improve business performance. If the purpose is to improve business
performance, a dashboard can be created through the use of visualizations. The outcome
of a good visualization will be improved collaboration, decisions, and actionable insights.

Visualizations can be used to explore the data or to tell a story. They can be simple or
more complex depending on the story to be told and the data available. Selecting the

Chapter 18.1: An Introduction to Data Visualizations