“Data are raw facts. The word raw indicates that the facts have not yet been processed to reveal their meaning… Information is the result of processing raw data to reveal its meaning.”
– Rob P., S. Morris, and Coronel C. 2009
Creating visuals and info-graphics from data enables us to see the hidden insights in it. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words! It makes the essence of our data easy to understand and act upon. 90% of the data transmitted to the brain is visual; visuals are processed 60000 times faster in the brain than text. Interactive visuals are even better; they can be filtered and highlighted by the user. Visuals help in conveying a message about the company to managers or clients. They also help influence important business decisions. They help us answer questions about our data with ease.
Visuals can be both beautiful and functional, but not too complex to understand. First, your visuals need to project an overview – what is the take away message and what are the most significant figures? Next, you user an zoom, scroll, sort, filter, drill down, open, close, etc. to view further details.