Visual Analytics Fundamentals: Creating Compelling Data Narratives with Tableau
Learn to create visually stunning data analytics with Tableau to communicate insights that drive decisions and inspire action.
(VA-TABLEAU.AP1) / ISBN : 978-1-64459-458-2About This Course
In our Visual Analytics fundamentals course, you’ll learn how to master the art of data visualization and storytelling. This course is designed to give you skills to turn raw data into clear, visually engaging narratives that drive decision-making. You’ll cover key concepts such as data preparations, visualization best practices, dashboard creation, and interactive data exploration. Through hands-on labs, you’ll use Tableau’s powerful tools to create impactful visual analytics that not only organize data but also tell stories.
Skills You’ll Get
- Install and use Tableau Desktop
- Connect to and work with data sources
- Perform basic data preparation using Tableau's Data Interpreter tool
- Understand the difference between dimensions and measures
- Create various fundamental visualizations including bar charts, scatter plots, tree maps, heat maps, and more.
- Structure data and visual analytics stories using storyboarding techniques
- Create dashboards for data storytelling
- Determine the contrast between exploratory and explanatory data analysis.
- Identify the target audience for data stories.
Interactive Lessons
14+ Interactive Lessons | 116+ Exercises | 52+ Flashcards | 52+ Glossary of terms
Gamified TestPrep
50+ Pre Assessment Questions | 50+ Post Assessment Questions |
Hands-On Labs
20+ LiveLab | 20+ Video tutorials | 00+ Minutes
Preface
- Three Core Takeaways
- What You’ll Learn in This Book
- Who This Course Is For
- Assumptions
- Why Tableau?
- Installing Tableau Desktop
- How to Use This Text
- Supporting Materials
- Contents of This Course
Acknowledgment
About the Author
Welcome to Visual Analytics
- A Visual Revolution
- The Evolution from Data Visualization to Visual Data Storytelling
- A Brief Look at the State of the Industry
- From Visual to Story: Bridging the Gap
- Summary
The Power of Visual Analytics
- The Science of Storytelling
- The Power of Stories
- Summary
Getting Started with Tableau
- Using Tableau
- Why Tableau?
- The Tableau Product Portfolio
- Getting Started
- Installing Tableau Desktop
- Connecting to Data
- Adding and Replacing Data Sources
- Basic Data Prep with Data Interpreter
- Navigating the Tableau Interface
- Understanding Dimensions and Measures
- Summary
Keeping Visual Analytics in Context
- Context in Action
- Exploratory Versus Explanatory Analysis
- Structuring Visual Analytic Stories
- Audience Analysis for Storytelling
- Summary
Fundamental Data Visualizations
- The Bar Chart
- The Line Chart
- Pie and Doughnut Charts
- The Scatter Plot
- The Packed Bubble Chart
- The Tree Map
- The Heat Map
- Summary
Fundamental Maps
- Types of Maps
- Summary
Design Tips for Curating Visual Analytics
- Visual Design Building Blocks
- Color
- Color Effects
- Pre-attentive Colors
- Important Color Considerations
- The Truth About Red and Green
- Lines
- Formatting, Shading, and Banding
- Shapes
- Summary
Structuring Analytics for Storytelling: Prep, Dashboards, and Stories
- Basic Data Prep in Tableau: Data Interpreter
- Storyboarding Your Visual Analytics
- Summary
Beyond Fundamentals: Advanced Visualizations
- Timelines
- Bar-in-Bar Charts
- Likert-Scale Visualizations
- Lollipop Charts
- Word Clouds
- Summary
Closing Thoughts
- Five Steps to Visual Data Storytelling
- The Important Role of Feedback
- Ongoing Learning
Appendix A. Tableau Services
- eLearning
- Instructor-Led Training
- Tableau Help
- Tableau Community
- Tableau Knowledge Base
The Power of Visual Analytics
- Creating a Story
Getting Started with Tableau
- Creating a Connection in a New Workbook
- Using the Show Me Card
Fundamental Data Visualizations
- Creating a Bar Chart
- Creating a Line Chart
- Creating a Doughnut Chart
- Creating a Pie Chart
- Creating a Scatter Plot
- Creating a Bubble Chart
- Creating a Tree Map
- Creating a Heat Map
Fundamental Maps
- Creating a Choropleth Map
- Creating a Hierarchy
Design Tips for Curating Visual Analytics
- Using the PROPER() Function
- Creating a Calculated Field
- Using the Shape Marks Card
Beyond Fundamentals: Advanced Visualizations
- Creating a Bar-in-Bar Chart
- Creating a Divergent Stacked Bar Chart
- Creating a Stacked Bar Chart
- Creating a Lollipop Chart
Any questions?Check out the FAQs
Still have unanswered questions and need to get in touch?
Contact Us NowTableau fundamentals are the building blocks for using Tableau software for data visualization. This includes connecting to data, creating basic charts (bar, line, pie, etc.), understanding data types (dimensions & measures), and cleaning data with tools like Tableau's Data Interpreter.
Tableau is a powerful data visualization tool that lets you create interactive charts, graphs, and dashboards. You can connect to various data sources, explore trends and patterns, and communicate insights effectively. Tableau's drag-and-drop interface makes it user-friendly for beginners while offering advanced features for experienced users.
The four main visualization types are:
- Bar charts: Great for comparing categories or showing changes over time.
- Line charts: Ideal for showing trends and how data points connect over time.
- Pie charts: Useful for displaying proportions of a whole, but limited to a few categories.
- Scatter plots: Reveal relationships between two measures, highlighting correlations or clusters.
The benefits of this course includes high marketability, higher earning potential, improved problem-solving and data analytical skills.