data-architecture-a

• E-mails


• Customer call centers


• Surveys


• Internet

Data Organization

The data must be organized to create a visualization. This means data must be put into a
workable format. Most tools for creating a visualization provide detailed information how
to manage data in the application or how to connect different data sources. Best practice
will require the data to be organized into a rows and column or table format. Each value
in the table should be the same unit of measure. For example, Table 18.1.2 shows airline
flight data in a row and column format and having the same unit of measure. When
dealing with time data, the time format must also be consistent. For example, dates
should be in a consistent format such as MMDDYYYY to be visualized correctly.

Table 18.1.2

Airline Flight Data Organized in a Row and Column Format

Year Airline Domestic FlightsInternational FlightsTotal Flights

2017 Southwest 1,313,573 34,308 1,347,881

2017 American Airlines886,803 193,145 1,079,948

2017 Delta 917,231 144,295 1,061,526

2017 United 580,293 167,578 747,871

2017 JetBlue 291,995 62,369 354,364

Depending on the story to tell, skills and knowledge in statistics may be needed. More
complicated visualizations can use calculations to show the results of the analysis.
Although visualizations can tell a story using good data, they can also be used to distort

Chapter 18.1: An Introduction to Data Visualizations