Practical Tableau

Chapter 76. Introducing the INSIGHT Framework for Data Visualization

To this point in Practical Tableau, we’ve introduced the basics, provided how-to tutorials for dozens of chart types, and covered some of my favorite tips and tricks. All of this will help you on your journey to becoming a Tableau expert, but it is not enough. It doesn’t matter how good you are at the technical aspects of Tableau if you don’t consider some intangibles that will help tie it all together. The information in Part IV is the missing link to help bring your data visualization from good to great.

Over the past eight years, I have personally designed and constructed hundreds of data visualizations. To this day, I have yet to build a dashboard that every viewer thought was perfect. Data visualization is an art, and its value is in the eye of the beholder. There are limitless possibilities and variables involved in creating a data visualization, too; no wonder that many people, when confronted with a data visualization issue, stick to an inoffensive template that does … OK. But you can do better! With a structured approach to the task of data visualization, you can maximize the chances that your work will be well received—and communicate the valuable information inside the data.

The strategic framework I’ve developed—the INSIGHT framework—has saved me hundreds if not thousands of hours of iteration, increased value for stakeholders, and led to countless business insights—and now I’m sharing it with you! ...