Practical Tableau

Chapter 96. Tip #11: Allow Discovery

Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.

Benjamin Franklin

I’ve always loved this quote from Benjamin Franklin, and especially in the context of data visualization, because I think it applies to the practice in a couple of ways. First, simply telling a stakeholder your results is the least effective way to get your data-driven story to stick. By its nature, visualizing data provides additional context beyond verbally sharing findings, so practitioners are already a step ahead in communicating actionable insights. Second, tools like Tableau allow data designers/artists/developers to build in interactivity that lets end users find stories in the data on their own. When end users are involved, whether it be in the iterative process of a dashboard design or in interacting with a dashboard, the shared sense of ownership goes a long way toward making your data visualization a success. When end users find an insight on their own, they are more likely to remember it, and what’s better, do something about it.

Allowing discovery is a tip I take personally because, as a huge sports fan in a relatively small market (Kansas City), my teams do not get as much coverage as some of the teams in larger cities on the coasts. With tools like Tableau, there is no longer an excuse to not include relevant information for every fan. This is something I keep in mind every time I create a new data visualization. This same principle applies ...