How to Turn Data Into Compelling Visual Presentations

Master the art of presenting data visually and communicating its underlying messages effectively.

Who Should Attend:

Professionals with foundational skills in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint who work with data regularly and want to develop and refine their abilities in designing charts, graphs, tables, and other visual representations for maximum impact.

Overview:

In today's information-rich environment, the ability to communicate data and its meaning through compelling visual presentations has become essential for professional success. With decreasing attention spans and increasing volumes of quantitative information, the capacity to transform raw data into clear, effective visualizations can be the difference between persuading your audience and losing their attention. A visualization that conveys its message in just two seconds, rather than ten, can significantly impact business outcomes and decision-making.

The power of your data is directly proportional to the clarity and effectiveness of how you present it visually.

This comprehensive course teaches you the fundamentals and best practices of data visualization techniques, combined with practical, hands-on instruction in using Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint to create visualizations in a wide range of formats and styles. You will complete multiple practical exercises throughout the course and develop various types of visualizations and charts. Additionally, you will work independently and collaboratively to analyze, critique, and improve poorly designed charts, gaining insight into what works and what does not.

How You Will Benefit:

• Understand fundamental graphic design principles and how audiences process visual information
• Learn techniques for using emphasis, color, layout, and typography to enhance message clarity and impact
• Explore available tools and techniques for effective data visualization across different contexts
• Distinguish between "Glanceable" visualizations that communicate quickly and "Referenceable" visualizations that support detailed analysis, and apply both strategically
• Strengthen your message impact by selecting the most effective chart type for your specific data set, story, and situation
• Discover key visualization principles, such as which color should appear in every visualization, which default element to remove from every chart, why legends can confuse audiences, when and why bar charts typically outperform pie charts, and common design mistakes that distort data and undermine credibility

What You Will Cover:

• History and current landscape of information and data design
• Foundational principles of graphic design, information design, and layout design
• Identifying and removing "Chart Junk" to improve clarity and professionalism
• Basic chart types, including pie charts, column charts, bar charts, line charts, and their variations
• Advanced chart types such as scatter plots, bubble charts, histograms, bullet graphs, combo charts, and Pareto charts
• Specialty chart options, including unit charts, tree maps, and proportional area charts
• Techniques for incorporating trend lines, reference bands, annotations, and direct labeling into your visualizations
• Best practices for creating tables in Excel and PowerPoint, proper table design principles, and using conditional formatting to create heat maps and table lenses
• Advanced tips, tricks, and techniques for overcoming software limitations and establishing efficient workflows

Special Feature:

Course Requirements: A Windows-based laptop with internet connectivity via WiFi and a minimum installation of Microsoft Office 2019 or 365 for PC. Mac users are welcome to attend and participate in all exercises, though technical support from the instructor may be more limited.

Course Outline:

Learning Objective

• Apply best practices for data visualization and information design to determine the most effective methods for presenting quantitative information and communicating the story embedded in your data

The World of Data Visualization

• Discuss the importance of information design and data visualization in modern business
• Identify general options for communicating your data story
• Apply best practices from graphic design when presenting data

Chart Types

• Identify and eliminate chart junk from visualizations
• Apply best practices for labeling and titling to enhance clarity
• Compare and contrast three different categories of chart types
• Select the most appropriate chart type for communicating your specific data story