5th Semester, C2 Batch

Date: 25/09/2024, Wednesday

Objective for the first Data Visualization Lab Session:
Investigate and compare the features, functionalities, and suitability of different data
visualization tools for diverse analytical tasks and datasets.

STEP-1
Students are expected to work in group of 4 or 5.
Each group should pick one of the following tools to explore:
Tableau (Download from: https://www.tableau.com)
Power BI (Download from: https://powerbi.microsoft.com)
Google Data Studio (Web-based: https://datastudio.google.com)
Plotly (Python-based: https://plotly.com/python/)
Matplotlib & Seaborn (Python-based: Requires Python installation)
D3.js (JavaScript-based: https://d3js.org)

STEP-2
Get Familiar with the Tool
Watch a tutorial / go through the publicly available information about each tool.

STEP-3
Highlight how different tools are suitable for different types of data (e.g., time-series,
categorical, geographical) and purposes (e.g., business intelligence, statistical analysis,
storytelling).

STEP-4
Sample Comparison Criteria (not limited to)
1. Ease of Use: Does the tool have an intuitive interface? Is it user-friendly for beginners?
2. Data Handling Capacity: How well does the tool handle large datasets or different data
types?
3. Customization & Flexibility: Can users customize charts, layouts, and visuals? Does it
support custom scripting (e.g., Python, R)?
4. Interactivity: How interactive are the visualizations? Are there options for real-time data
updates?
5. Integration with Other Tools: Can it easily integrate with databases, cloud services, or
other analytics platforms?
6. Cost & Licensing: Is the tool free, open-source, or subscription-based?
STEP-5
Group Discussion & Presentation
Each group should present your findings on the tool explored, emphasizing its strengths and
weaknesses for various analytical tasks.
Discuss as a class which tools seemed most suited for specific scenarios (e.g., interactive
dashboards, research papers, enterprise reporting).

STEP-6
Summarize the findings and generate a report, like which tool is best suited for which use-
case.. example

• For business intelligence: Tableau, Power BI

• For statistical research: Matplotlib, Seaborn, Plotly
• For web-based interactive visualizations: D3.js

Present a PPT in the coming lab session for evaluation.

Some Hints to proceed...

1. Bar Chart
• Represents categorical data with rectangular bars. The length of each bar is
proportional to the value it represents.
• Useful For:
o Comparing quantities across categories (e.g., sales by region, number of
products sold by category).
o Highlighting differences between groups.
• Best Tool: Tableau, Power BI, Google Data Studio, Plotly.
2. Line Chart
• Displays information as a series of data points connected by straight lines. Typically
used for time-series data.
• Useful For:
o Tracking changes or trends over time (e.g., stock prices, sales growth).
o Identifying trends and patterns in continuous data.
• Best Tool: Tableau, Power BI, Plotly, Matplotlib.
3. Pie Chart
• Circular chart divided into sectors, each representing a proportion of the whole.
• Useful For:
o Showing percentages or proportional data (e.g., market share, budget
breakdown).
o Visualizing parts of a whole in a simple, easy-to-read format.
• Best Tool: Google Data Studio, Power BI, Tableau.
4. Heatmap
• Uses color to represent data values, with intensity indicating the value's magnitude.
 • Useful For:
o Identifying patterns, correlations, or anomalies in large datasets (e.g., customer
engagement levels, temperature variations).
o Visualizing frequency, density, or intensity of data (e.g., website heatmaps,
performance metrics).
• Best Tool: Plotly, Seaborn, Tableau, D3.js.
5. Scatter Plot
• Plots points on a Cartesian plane to show the relationship between two variables.
• Useful For:
o Showing correlation or distribution between two variables (e.g., income vs.
spending, height vs. weight).
o Identifying trends, outliers, or clustering of data.
• Best Tool: Matplotlib, Seaborn, Plotly, Tableau.
6. Histogram
• A graphical display of data using bars of different heights. Unlike bar charts,
histograms group numbers into ranges.
• Useful For:
o Visualizing the distribution of a continuous variable (e.g., income distribution,
age distribution).
o Understanding the spread, central tendency, and variability of data.
• Best Tool: Matplotlib, Seaborn, Power BI.
7. Bubble Chart
• A variation of a scatter plot where each point is represented by a bubble, with the size
of the bubble indicating the third dimension (e.g., population size, sales volume).
• Useful For:
o Showing relationships between three variables (e.g., product sales, revenue,
and profit).
o Displaying hierarchical data and magnitude comparison.
• Best Tool: Tableau, Power BI, Plotly.
8. Treemap
• A nested rectangle visualization that displays hierarchical data as a set of nested
shapes.
• Useful For:
o Visualizing large hierarchical datasets (e.g., sales by category, website traffic
sources).
o Showing part-to-whole relationships in a compact form.
• Best Tool: Tableau, Power BI.
9. Choropleth Map
• A map in which areas are shaded or patterned in proportion to the statistical variable
being displayed (e.g., population density, election results).
• Useful For:
o Showing geographical distribution of data (e.g., disease spread, sales by
region).
o Visualizing spatial patterns and regional variations.
• Best Tool: Tableau, Plotly, Google Data Studio, D3.js.
10. Gauge Chart
 • A circular chart that displays data as a portion of a range, often used to show progress
toward a goal.
• Useful For:
o Displaying key performance indicators (KPIs) like progress toward targets
(e.g., sales goals, performance metrics).
• Best Tool: Power BI, Google Data Studio.
11. Box Plot (Box-and-Whisker Plot)
• Summarizes data by showing the distribution's minimum, first quartile, median, third
quartile, and maximum.
• Useful For:
o Highlighting the spread and skewness of data, along with potential outliers.
o Useful in statistical analysis to understand the distribution of a dataset.
• Best Tool: Seaborn, Matplotlib, Tableau.
12. Word Cloud
• Visualizes text data by displaying words in varying sizes, where larger words
represent more frequent occurrences.
• Useful For:
o Analyzing the frequency of words in textual datasets (e.g., customer feedback,
social media posts).
• Best Tool: Google Data Studio, Plotly.
13. Waterfall Chart
• A series of vertical bars showing the cumulative effect of sequentially introduced
positive or negative values.
• Useful For:
o Visualizing incremental changes in value (e.g., profit breakdown, revenue
composition).
• Best Tool: Power BI, Tableau.

General Guidelines for Choosing the Right Visualization:

• Bar/Line Charts: Great for comparisons or showing trends over time.
• Pie Charts/Treemap: Best for showing proportions and part-to-whole relationships.
• Scatter Plot/Bubble Chart: Ideal for analyzing correlations or relationships between
variables.
• Heatmap/Choropleth Maps: Useful for visualizing large datasets or geographical
patterns.
• Box Plot/Histogram: Effective in statistical analysis and data distribution exploration.