Types of data visualization tools used

Types of data visualization

Visualizing data can be as simple as a bar graph or scatter plot but becomes powerful when analyzing, for example, the median age of the United States Congress vis-a-vis the median age of Americans. Here are some common types of data visualizations:

• Table: A table is data displayed in rows and columns, which can be easily created in a Word document or Excel spreadsheet.
• Chart or graph: Information is presented in tabular form with data displayed along an x and y axis, usually with bars, points, or lines, to represent data in comparison. An infographic is a special type of chart that combines visuals and words to illustrate the data.
• Gantt chart: A Gantt chart is a bar chart that portrays a timeline and tasks specifically used in project management.
• Pie chart: A pie chart divides data into percentages featured in “slices” of a pie, all adding up to 100%.
• Geospatial visualization: Data is depicted in map form with shapes and colors that illustrate the relationship between specific locations, such as a choropleth or heat map.
• Dashboard: Data and visualizations are displayed, usually for business purposes, to help analysts understand and present data.

Tools for visualizing data

There are plenty of data visualization tools out there to suit your needs. Before committing to one, consider researching whether you need an open-source site or could simply create a graph using Excel or Google Charts. The following are common data visualization tools that could suit your needs.

• Tableau
• Google Charts
• Dundas BI
• Power BI
• JupyteR
• Infogram
• ChartBlocks
• D3.js
• FusionCharts
• Grafana