Better Data Visualization in Excel
PolicyViz Newsletter #34
Hi all,
My latest book is locked in and heading off to the printers! Data Visualization in ExcelA Guide for Beginners, Intermediates, and Wonks is a true step-by-step book and guides readers through the process of creating better, more effective, and “non-standard” graphs in Microsoft Excel.
The Excel graphs in this book are more complex than those in the standard drop-down menus, and can help you show your data in better and more engaging ways. Data Visualization in Excel focuses on how to extend and combine the basic graphs in the Excel charting engine; how to use Excel formulas to make your graphs and data more responsive and flexible; and how you can be more productive and efficient when working with the tool.
With more than 750 million users worldwide, Excel continues to be the standard for desktop data analysis. It is relatively cheap to purchase, requires no computer programming skills, and can be used by even the most novice user. In addition to step-by-step tutorials in creating more advanced Excel graphs, this book introduces the novice user to the Excel environment, key formulas, and how to export graphs from the tool.
There are a lot of data analysis and visualization tools you can use to work with and display your data. But whatever tool you use, it’s important to keep in mind that it’s just that: a tool. As much as I am a fan of Excel and its capabilities, it clearly can’t do everything. I wouldn’t use Excel to create an interactive data visualization for the Washington Post website, and I wouldn’t use it for a large dataset with millions of observations. But if I need to create a basic bar chart or line chart—or even some more complex charts like those found later in the book—Excel might be the perfect tool for the job.
With all of the data visualization tools now available, why focus on Excel? Why not explore programming languages like JavaScript, Python, and R that enable more data dense analysis and interactive data visualizations? Or dashboarding tools like PowerBI, Qlick, and Tableau that can be used to provide at-a-glance view across multiple indicators? For one, it requires time and dedication to become proficient in these other tools and languages. But more importantly, everyone has Excel and everyone can easily get started in it.
Think about a small nonprofit organization staffed by six, seven, or eight people. Maybe that organization has one person who is the data person—they are responsible for collecting and assembling the data, cleaning it, and making the graphs, slides, and reports.
Maybe that person showed an interest in data visualization or maybe they were thrust into the role because, well, there wasn’t really anyone else who could (or wanted to) do it. That person may not have the interest—nor the time—to learn another tool. That person’s organization might not be able to afford other tools or might not house a huge amount of data. Or maybe that person’s needs are relatively simple—a good bar chart or line chart can go a long way—so creating interactive dashboards or websites is not what their organization needs.
Consider even a large organization home to a large team of data scientists and large amounts of data. How are they getting their analyses to their clients and stakeholders? Perhaps they do not need to build bespoke websites and mobile apps, but instead, all they need to do is simply communicate their analyses through quarterly reports, PowerPoint presentations, and memos. Excel may be their best solution to their data communication needs.
While Excels’ data visualization library has significantly expanded since it was introduced in 1985, at its core, it is still a drag-and-drop tool. On the one hand, that simple functionality makes it more accessible because anyone can open it up, type in some data, and start making something. On the other hand, the tool is limited by what is in the drop-down menus and what is in the library of options. This book's tutorials and the accompanying Excel files show you how to incorporate key formulas into your datasets to set up, create, and style effective data visualizations that are more reproducible, scalable, and reliable.
Excel, with its relatively low price point and low barrier to entry, makes it a prime tool for creating useful and effective data visualizations for organizations in every sector and of every size. The approach to Excel demonstrated in this book will show you and your team that you can create great, effective visualizations without having to lean on an entire suite of data visualization tools.
Pre-orders are about to open up! You can buy the book on Amazon or, if you go to the CRC Press site, you can get 20% off the list price with the coupon code “SMA34.” You can also check out the new webpage I’ve published at PolicyViz, which will eventually include some videos, more resources, and, I’m sure, an errata with typos and corrections.
Take care and thanks,
Jon
PolicyViz at Home 🏡
Spring Break. My kids were off from school last week, so we took a little trip up to Philadelphia (where I saw the below Stroop test IRL) to see my in-laws and then for a quick trip (seriously, like 36 hours) to the Poconos to an Airbnb to spend some time with my brother and his family.
DataViz DC Meetup. On Wednesday, April 12, several of the contributors of the Do No Harm Guide: Centering Accessibility in Data Visualization will appear with me for a panel discussion on current best practices as well as future trends in making more accessible data viz at the DataViz DC Meetup. This is a virtual event, some come join us!
PolicyViz Podcast with Gabrielle Ione Hickmon
Gabrielle Ione Hickmon (b. 1994) is a Black woman from a middle place—Ypsilanti, MI. Her lab is a place where clay and words meet. She is interested in body memory, waiting rooms, layovers, circles, Black imaginaries, and ocular proof.
Her work includes essays, ethnographic research, and coil-built ceramics. She won Bronze in the Leisure, Games, & Sport category of the 2022 Information is Beautiful Awards and First Honorable Mention in the 2022 NYU American Journalism Online Awards for her ethnographic research project, How You Play Spades is How You Play Life: Spades in the African American Community. Her writing has appeared in Condé Nast Traveler, The Baffler, The Pudding, Literary Hub, and elsewhere. She attended Cornell University and the University of Pennsylvania. She has been in residence at Pocoapoco, Mas Palou, and will soon be in residence at Dairy Hollow, Mudhouse, and Haystack. Gabrielle is currently at work on The Boyne City Project, a series of vessels chronicling her family history in Michigan which dates back to before the Great Migration, an essay collection, and a memoir. She works out of a studio in Ann Arbor, MI.
Things I’m Reading and Watching
Books
Joyful Infographics by Nigel Holmes
Poverty, By America by Matthew Desmond
Articles
Do No Harm Guide: Applying Equity Awareness In Data Privacy Methods from Claire Bowen and Joshua Snoke
Why the federal government needs to change how it collects data on Native Americans by Robert Maxim, Gabriel R. Sanchez, and Kimberly R. Huyser
Blog Posts & Twitter Threads
XLOOKUP vs. VLOOKUP by ExcelJet
Jed Legum Twitter thread on Tennessee House Speaker basically breaking all sorts of laws.
How to Improve Evidence to Drive Rural Policy and Investments by Corianna Payton Scally and Anne N. Junod (Urban Institute)
Data Visualizations
How Big Tech Camouflaged Wall Street’s Crisis from the New York Times (good treemap)
Deeply, truly, very sorry: How tech CEOs talk when they lay off workers from the Washington Post (rare use of a good word cloud)
Creating Jitter Bar Charts in Tableau from Toan Hoang (I haven’t made this yet, but this site looks great)
TV, Movies, and Miscellaneous
Succession, HBOMax
Ted Lasso, AppleTV
Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.