Big Data is all the rage in the world right now. Huge amounts of data are generated every second. All of this data can be leveraged by businesses to understand customer behaviour better, make policy decisions, predict future trends and see the impact of current business decisions on the future. As such, it has become extremely crucial to know how to present all this information in an easy to understand manner. This is where Tableau comes into the picture. It is one of the best tools available right now to do data visualisation and every business can only benefit from using it. It has become very popular recently and there has been an increase in the demand for employees who have data visualisation with Tableau training. If you are just starting to learn Tableau, then here are a few tips that can help you along the way.
Learn practically
Learning Tableau is a hands-on process. This is not something you can learn from books. You need to practice and try things out to fully understand how to utilise the software. Whatever you learn from your data visualisation with Tableau course needs to be implemented. When you try to implement something, you may face an error or an issue or a doubt. You can clear these with the help of the internet or by asking your instructor. Either way, it is all about learning by trial and error.
Don’t hope for clean source data
The source data you get may not be perfect. There can be missing fields, errors or outdated entries. These cause the data to be dirty. Data scientists usually spend a lot of time cleaning the source data before performing any kind of computations on them. But Tableau is well-equipped to weed out the dirty data on its own. This can save you an immense amount of time. So when you are working with Tableau, you don’t have to spend time cleaning the data.
Re-use your workÂ
One of the great features of Tableau is that it lets you reuse your work. If you have made certain data connections previously, you can just copy them to the new workbook. You can even copy the whole workbook to another dashboard. This prevents duplication of effort. So learn how to do this in the very beginning. It can save you a lot of time and effort while visualising data.
Design from the viewer’s perspective
Tableau lets you visualise data in many forms. While you may choose one particular form since it makes sense to you, if the end result is not for your consumption, then you need to think from the perspective of the viewer. Would that particular visualisation make it easier for others to understand the data? Is there a simpler way to present the data? Make it a point to ask yourself these questions every time you use the software.
Simple dashboards
Dashboards are great for viewing multiple data visuals. However, beginners often get carried away and try to present too much information on one board. This can make the board look crowded and unpleasant and more importantly, the message you are trying to convey will get lost or won’t be understood clearly. There is no limit to how many dashboards you can create in Tableau. So don’t stuff one board with too much information.
Keep up the speed
Tableau lets you see intricate details about the data and this is what allows it to offer valuable insights. However, this can also turn out to be a bane. Many beginners focus too much on the intricacies and lose sight of the bigger picture. Moreover, putting too many details in your analysis can cause you to deviate from the message you are trying to deliver. It also slows down your dashboard. When you are sharing your dashboard with multiple users, speed is as important as the information you want to share. Pay attention to both and try to include just enough details without slowing down the boards.
Do not over-customise
You want to make your dashboard look as good as possible. Tableau offers many ways to do that. However, you also need to learn when to draw the line. Most of the time, the default themes and fonts work just fine. It is fine if you need to make a few changes. But there really is nothing to be achieved by customising too much and spending hours on it.
Learn Tableau more efficiently
Tableau is a valuable skill set to possess in today’s world and a data visualisation using Tableau course is the best way to gain these skills. However, keep these tips in mind while doing your course and while using Tableau in real life. You can avoid some of the most common pitfalls the beginners fall into and make the most out of your Tableau course.
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