Everyone has heard the old moniker garbage in – garbage out.

It is a simple way of saying that machine

learning is only as good as the data, algorithms, and human experience that goes into them. But even the best
results can be thought of as garbage if no one can see and understand the value of the output.

That’s where the importance of visualization comes in. Visualization is the means by which humans
understand complex analytics and is often the most crucial and overlooked step in the analytics process. As
you increase the complexity of your data, the complexity of your final model increases as well, making
effective communication and visualization of data even more difficult and critical to end users.

DATA VISUALIZATION IS THE KEY TO ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS

Visualization allows you to take your complex findings and present them in a way that is informative and
engaging to all stakeholders – and a strong understanding of data science is required for that visualization to be
successful.

We must all remember that in the end, the consumer of the product of all artificial intelligence or machine
learning endeavors will be people. We should ensure results are delivered as actionable, impactful insights to
act upon in business and in life. The human brain is only able to process two to three pieces of information at a
time and many different aspects of consumer behavior are influenced by more than just two or three events.
This means you have to utilize advanced analytics and statistical modeling to accurately predict consumer
behavior and KPIs for businesses.

EVERY DATA TEAM NEEDS A TALENTED COMMUNICATOR

The first thing many companies focus on when starting a department or initiative for big data is either the
actual data or the talent needed to analyze that data. Most data scientists will tell you the more data they have
the better the model, and that often becomes the main focus. A skilled data scientist can assist with this
process, but you also need someone who has domain knowledge of your business and the ability to effectively
communicate information back to end users.

The amount of data available to businesses and consumers can often be overwhelming, and it is only
continuing to increase, which makes finding accurate, granular, and relevant data through the clutter more
difficult and important.

The weather industry is a great example for effective use of big data. Weather models utilize a vast amount of
data and the final forecast a consumer receives is often the result of several models. Forecasts for weather and
businesses are becoming increasingly complex, so being able to take a model output and deliver that
information in a fashion that audiences can understand and quickly act upon is necessary for success.

However, once you have those results, how do you explain them? When you have 20 different components
going into a model with interactions, lags, and non-linear relationships, how do you explain that to a user in a
way that makes it easy for them to act upon?

THE IMPACT OF INTEGRATING MULTIPLE SOURCES OF DATA

Weather shows how one data source can be used for multiple purposes. Weather influences what beer people
drink, what music they listen to, how many steps they take, and their drive time to work – in other words,
virtually every part of their day. Quantifying and communicating how weather impacts people in their daily
lives is where visualization comes in.
Through the right graphics, a user can quickly ingest multiple pieces of complex information. For weather this
is especially important which because it is highly dependent on geography. Each climate zone has different
weather events and different reactions to weather. We know that six inches of snow in Chicago will have a
much different impact than six inches of snow in Dallas, Texas, but what happens when we’re looking at
hundreds or thousands of locations? How do you properly communicate those complex relationships? This is
where having capabilities in GIS is key. The quality and granularity of your data influences the accuracy of
model outputs and the relevancy of the end results—regardless of how compelling the visuals are.

You can create the most complex and accurate forecasts possible, but those solutions also have to be scalable
to a large audience and available through multiple delivery channels. Taking in multiple data sources across
the world and serving it up to a large global audience in a way that is responsive and accurate takes the right
skills and resources.

When you think about the impact this new age of analytics will have and what it could do for your business,
remember that it is the smart people involved at all levels of the process that will help deliver the insights you
and your customers need to make informed decisions that will impact your life and bottom line

The Importance of Data Visualization

As you may know, the Bridgeable team is highly multidisciplinary. With many
different skill sets and outlooks within the office, it’s no wonder some individuals
learn better through visuals while others gravitate towards text. Most people fall
somewhere in between the spectrum; that is, they can absorb information
through a diagram or a page from a textbook but have no preference.

I would argue that the majority of people are inclined to text-based data. Text
affords finer details and viewers can comb through every word at their own pace
to extract the maximum amount of information. However, as we progress further
into being an information society, data visualization is becoming increasingly
valuable.

Data visualization is the method of consolidating data into one collective,

illustrative graphic.

Data visualization is the method of consolidating data into one collective,

illustrative graphic. Traditionally, data visualization has been used for quantitative
work (infographics are a popular example) but ways to represent qualitative work
have shown to be equally as powerful.

A simple, graphic representation of a quantitative research point.

Everyday, our attention is being fought for. Data visualization excels in capturing
a viewer’s attention and holding it through storytelling. It addresses a complex
problem that could be easily looked over, and simplifies it using design.
Naturally, a new market for business has emerged. Companies
like Visual.ly have recognized the value in representing research data in an
innovative way and have built a platform to connect designers, data experts, and
marketing managers with businesses who want to share their research findings.
By taking their data and turning it into visual content, users are more likely to
engage with and share it.

Eight data points about cardiovascular disease visualized.

This summer, Bridgeable is working with FoodShare Toronto on their social
enterprise catering service, Field to Table Catering. As part of the intern team,
many of our initial weeks were spent wrapping our heads around what ideal
catering looks like via interviews with caterers in the city. Likewise, we
interviewed Field to Table Catering’s past and current clients and conducted
follow-alongs for a comprehensive overview to see where the service currently
stands.

What resulted was a large, but rich, collection of research to inform our designs.
The tricky part was communicating this information to the client in an accessible
and digestible way. We had sorted through hundreds of data points but that
process had taken many weeks.
Our customer experience map created for Field to Table Catering.

Data visualization was our solution. We designed a customer experience map,

a walk-through of a service from a client perspective. Not only does the map
capture a collective experience, it also highlights specific moments within the
journey. The catering service was broken down into six steps to show stages of
the journey. Sections were designated to describe the ideal catering, to illustrate
the current Field to Table Catering experience and the customer’s emotion, and
finally, the supporting data and quotes.

The biggest benefit of the map was that from a big picture perspective, it
quickly illustrated exactly where Field to Table Catering was excelling and where
in the service improvements needed to be made. Zooming in, numbered points
on the graph directed the viewer to supporting data, which described the specific
moment happening at that point in the catering experience. Through the creation
of this customer experience map, the Bridgeable team was able to distill down
two months worth of research to summarize and share all the findings in one
short meeting.
Data is often meaningless without context and visually representing
information offers audiences important context for understanding the
information. It helps that data visualization and aestheticsoften come hand-in-
hand. Designed information can help viewers, especially those visual learners,
cut through unnecessary details to make sense of the world.

1. Faster Action
The human brain tends to process visual information far more easily
than written information. Use of a chart or graph to summarize complex
data ensures faster comprehension of relationships than cluttered
reports or spreadsheets.
This provides a very clear form of communication allowing business
leaders to interpret and act upon their information more rapidly. Big
data visualization tools can provide real-time information that's easier
for stakeholders to evaluate across the enterprise. Faster responses to
market changes and quick identification of new opportunities is a
competitive advantage in any industry.
2. Communicate Findings in Constructive
Ways

Many business reports submitted to senior management are formalized

documents that are often inflated with static tables and a variety of chart
types. They become so elaborate that they fail to make information
vibrant and memorable for those whose opinions matter most.
Reports coming from big data visualization tools, however, make it
possible to encapsulate complex information on operational and market
conditions in a brief series or even single graphic. Decision makers can
easily interpret wide and varying data sources through interactive
elements and new visualizations such as heat maps and fever charts.
Rich but meaningful graphics help engage and inform busy executives
and business partners on problems and pending initiatives.
3. Understand Connections Between
Operations and Results
One benefit of big data visualization is that it allows users to track
connections between operations and overall business performance.
Finding a correlation between business functions and market
performance is essential in a competitive environment.
For instance, the executive sales director of a national software company
may see immediately in a bar chart that sales of their flagship product
are down eight percent in the Southwest region. The director can then
drill down to see where the variances are occurring and start formulating
a plan. In this way, data visualization allows executives to spot problems
immediately and act on them.

4. Embrace Emerging Trends

The amount of data now being collected on consumer behavior can

expose many new opportunities for adaptable companies. However, that
requires that they are consistently collecting and analyzing this
information. By using big data visualization for monitoring key
indicators, business leaders can more easily spot market shifts and
trends in varied and large data sets.
For instance, a clothing chain may see that in the Southwest, sales of
darker suits and narrower ties are on the rise. This may allow them to
promote clothing packages including both, or a new line of narrow ties
well ahead of rivals who haven't noticed the trend yet.

5. Interact With Data

A chief benefit of data visualization is that it brings exposes changes in a
timely manner. But unlike static charts, interactive data visualizations
encourage users to explore and even manipulate the data to uncover
other factors. This creates a better attitude for use of analytics.
For instance, big data visualization tools can show a boat manufacturer
that sales of its larger craft are down. This could be due to a number of
reasons. But team members actively exploring related issues and
correlating them to actual boat sales can identify the root causes and find
ways to minimize their impact to drive more sales.

6. Create New Discussion

One advantage to big data visualization is that it provides a ready means
to tell stories from the data. Heat maps can show the development of
product performance over time in multiple geographic areas, making it
easier to see those that are performing very well or underperforming.
This allows executives to drill down into specific locations to see what's
being done well or poorly.
They may learn that targeting higher income market segments doesn't
sell higher-priced products, or that traditionally solid sales of cleaning
products are now less popular compared to environmentally-friendly
green products. These insights could be used to brainstorm marketing
strategies by region to support higher sales overall.
Big data visualization tools provide a more efficient way to use
operational data. Changes in real-time performance and market
indicators are easier for a wider audience of business leaders to recognize
and respond to.

7. Machine Learning: Come One, Come All

The hype around machine learning is all to real. Not are only the big
companies like Amazon, Google using machine learning to eliminate oh
let’s say spam email, companies like Pinterest uses machine learning to
show you relevant content, Yelp uses machine learning to sort through
user-uploaded photos. Even Disqus uses machine learning to weed out
spammy comments. Get ready to start using ML for your own businesses
or user generated content.
Home Depot uses machine learning to help users find products faster
and even smaller startups like Lyst use machine learning to help
customers find relevant information for any query.
Customer service is being transformed by machine learning's ability to
interpret customer emails and sort them to correct departments or areas
within a company. Say goodbye to “Hello, operator.”
The future of machine learning is limitless.

Data-Visualization is not just a word. Let me tell you why.

A huge amount of data is being generated every single moment, even while you’re
reading these words, at unbelievably rapid speeds across the globe. According to an
estimate, the global annual rate of data production in the year 2015 was 5.6 Zettabytes.
That was almost double the rate of growth just three years back in the year 2012.

But for all the data that’s being created by people, machines, Internet-enabled devices,
and other sources, data doesn’t provide executives and other decision makers with
valuable insights on its own. The data must be gathered, organized, made interpretable,
and then analyzed and acted on to provide any meaningful value. This is where data-
visualization steps in, and allows the organizational leaders to access and interpret data
in real-time so that they can make highly informed decisions quickly.
Data-Visualization tools and techniques offer executives and other knowledge workers
new approaches to dramatically improve their ability to grasp information hiding in their
data. The primary ten advantages offered by data-visualization to decision makers and
their organizations are as follows:

1. Enhanced Assimilation of Business Information

Human eyes are able to absorb and grasp information more easily through visuals and
images than texts and numerical figures. Still, most business intelligence reports that
are compiled for senior management are typically populated with static tables and
charts that fail to make information vivid for those who view it. In contrast, data
visualization enables users to receive vast amounts of information regarding operational
and business conditions. Data visualization allows decision makers to see connections
between multi-dimensional data sets and provides new ways to interpret data through
the use of heat maps, fever charts, and other rich graphical representations.

2. Quick Access to Relevant Business Insights

Adopting visual data discovery, business organizations improve their ability to find the
information they need when they need it and do so more productively than other
companies. According to a study conducted recently, business managers in
organizations that use visual data discovery tools are 28 percent more likely to find
timely information than those who rely solely on managed reporting and dashboards.
Moreover, 48 percent of business intelligence users at companies that use visual data
discovery are able to find the information they need without the help of IT staff all or
most of the time.

3. Better Understanding of Operational & Business Activities

An important advantage of data visualization is how it enables users to more effectively
see connections as they are occurring between operating conditions and business
performance. In today’s highly competitive business environment, finding these
correlations among the data has never been more important. For example, by providing
a multi-faceted view of business and operating dynamics, data visualization permits the
senior leadership teams to see how the first-contact resolution rates in remotely located
customer call center have performed recently, dramatically impacting customer
satisfaction.

4. Rapid Identification of Latest Trends

In this age, the volume of data that companies are able to gather about customers and
market conditions can provide business leaders with insights into new revenue and
business opportunities, presuming they can spot the opportunities in the mountain of
data. Using data visualization, decision makers are able to grasp shifts in customer
behaviors and market conditions across multiple data sets much more quickly.

5. Accurate Customer Sentiment Analysis

Using data visualization, companies can attain a deeper dive into customer sentiment
and other data, which reveals emerging opportunities for them to launch new services to
their customers. These useful insights enable the enterprises to act on new business
opportunities for staying ahead of their rivals.

6. Direct Interaction with Data

Data Visualization also helps the companies to manipulate and interact with their data in
a direct manner. One of the greatest strengths of data visualization is how it brings
actionable insights to the surface. Unlike one-dimensional tables and charts that can
only be viewed, data visualization tools enable users to interact with data.

7. Predictive Sales Analysis

With the help of real-time data-visualization, sales executives can carry out advanced
predictive analytics for their sales figures, viewing up-to-date sales figures and see why
certain products are underperforming and the reasons that sales are lagging. For
example, discounts offered by competitors may be one of those reasons.

8. Drill-Down Sales Analysis

Using heat map data-visualization, business executives can illustrate which product
groups are performing well or underperforming, and drill down into the data to determine
the factors that are shaping sales. The data might reveal that pet-care products are
underperforming, but that higher-income customers represent the majority of sales.
These insights could be used to target promotions to this customer segment to increase
conversion rates and revenue growth for this category.

9. Easy Comprehension of Data

Utilizing data-visualization, companies may approach huge data and makes it easily
comprehensible, be it the field of entertainment, current affairs, financial issues or
political affairs. It also builds in them a deep insight, prompting them to take a good
decision and an immediate business action if needed.

10. Customized Data-Visualization

A yet another vital advantage of Data-visualization is that it not only provides graphical
representation of data but also allows changing the form, omitting what is not required,
and browsing deeper to get further details. This is a great eye catcher and attracts
business executives’ attention better and provides better communication. Additionally, it
provides a great advantage over traditional methods of presenting data.