SKILL DEVELOPMENT COURSE LAB

WEEK 1

Understanding Data, What is data, where to find data, Foundations for building Data
Visualizations,Creating Your First visualization?

What is Data?
Data refers to raw facts, statistics, or information collected or stored in a structured or unstructured form.
Data can take various forms, such as text, numbers, images, videos, and more. It is the foundation of all
information and knowledge and is used in various fields for analysis, decision-making, and understanding
trends and patterns.

Data can be categorized into two main types:

Structured Data: This type of data is organized into a specific format, such as tables or databases, and
is easily searchable and analyzable. Examples include spreadsheets, relational databases, and CSV files.
Unstructured Data: Unstructureddata lacks a specific format and can include text documents, social
media posts, images, audio recordings, and more. Analyzing unstructured data often requires advanced
techniques like natural language processing and image recognition.

Where to Find Data?

You can find data from various sources, depending on your specific needs:

Open Data Portals: Many governments and organizations provide free access to a wide range of data
through open data portals. Examples include Data.gov (United States) and data.gov.uk (United Kingdom).

Data Repositories: Academic institutions, research organizations, and data enthusiasts often share
datasets on platforms like Kaggle, GitHub, and the UCI Machine Learning Repository.

APIs (Application Programming Interfaces): Some websites and services offer APIs that allow you to
programmatically access and retrieve data. Examples include Twitter API, Google Maps API, and
financial market APIs.

Web Scraping: You can extract data from websites using web scraping tools and libraries like
BeautifulSoup and Scrapy. However, be mindful of the website's terms of use and legal restrictions.

Surveys and Surveys: You can conduct your own surveys or collect data through questionnaires and
interviews.
IoT Devices: Internet of Things (IoT) devices generate vast amounts of data that can be used for various
purposes.

Commercial Data Providers: Some companies specialize in selling datasets for specific industries, such
as market research, finance, and healthcare.
Foundations for Building Data Visualizations:
Creating effective data visualizations requires a strong foundation in several key areas:

Data Analysis: Before creating visualizations, you should thoroughly analyze your data to understand its
structure, relationships, and any patterns or trends. Exploratory data analysis (EDA) techniques can help
with this.

Statistical Knowledge: Understanding basic statistics is essential for making meaningful interpretations
of data. Concepts like mean, median, standard deviation, and correlation are commonly used in data
visualization.

Domain Knowledge: Having knowledge of the specific domain or subject matter related to your data is
crucial for creating contextually relevant visualizations. It helps you ask the right questions and provide
valuable insights.

Visualization Tools: Familiarize yourself with data visualization tools and libraries such as matplotlib,
Seaborn, ggplot2, D3.js, and Tableau. Each tool has its strengths and can be used for different types of
visualizations.

Design Principles: Study design principles, including color theory, typography, and visual hierarchy, to
create visually appealing and effective visualizations. Avoid common pitfalls like misleading
visualizations.

Interactivity: Learn how to add interactive elements to your visualizations to engage users and allow
them to explore the data. This can be achieved using tools like JavaScript, Python libraries, or dedicated
visualization software.

Creating Your First Visualization:

To create your first data visualization, follow these general steps:

Select Your Data: Choose a dataset that aligns with your goals and interests. Ensure that the data is clean
and well-structured.

Define Your Objective: Clearly define what you want to communicate or explore with your
visualization. Are you looking to show trends, comparisons, or distributions?
Choose the Right Visualization Type: Select a visualization type that suits your data and objectives.
Common types include bar charts, line charts, scatter plots, histograms, and pie charts.

Prepare and Transform Data: Preprocess your data as needed. This may involve aggregating, filtering,
or transforming the data to fit the chosen visualization.

Create the Visualization: Use a suitable tool or library to create your visualization. Customize it with
labels, colors, and other design elements.
 WEEK -3
Tableau calculations,overview of SUM,AVR,and Aggregate features,creating custom
calculations and fields.

Tableau is a powerful data visualization tool that allows users to create interactive visualizations and
perform various calculations on their data. In Tableau, you can create custom calculations and fields to
manipulate and analyze your data.

Overview of SUM, AVG, and Aggregate Functions:

1. SUM: The SUM function in Tableau calculates the sum of a numerical field. It adds up all the values in
the field and provides the total.
Example: SUM(Sales) will give you the total sales across all data points.

2. AVG: The AVG function calculates the average of a numerical field. It adds up all the values and
divides by the number of data points.
Example: AVG(Sales) will give you the average sales per data point.

3. Aggregate Functions: Tableau offers various aggregate functions like MIN, MAX, COUNT, etc., which
perform calculations on a set of values. They reduce multiple data points into a single value based on the
calculation logic.
Examples: MIN(Sales) will give you the minimum sales value, MAX(Profit) will give you the
maximum profit value, COUNT(Orders) will give you the count of total orders.

Creating Custom Calculations and Fields:

Tableau provides a built-in formula editor called the Calculated Field dialog box to create custom
calculations. Here's how you can create custom calculations and fields in Tableau:

1. Open your Tableau workbook and select a worksheet.

2. Navigate to the Analysis menu and click on the "Create Calculated Field" option.
3. In the Calculated Field dialog box, give a name to your custom calculation and enter the formula using
Tableau's formula syntax.
Example: Calculated Field Name: Profit Margin, Formula: ([Profit]/[Sales])*100
4. Click OK to create the calculated field.
5. The custom field will now be available in the Field pane, and you can drag and drop it onto your
visualization to use it.

By creating custom calculations and fields, you can perform complex calculations, create ratios,
percentages, conditional calculations, or any other required analysis on your data in Tableau.
 WEEK-4
Apply new data calculations to your visualizations,formating
visualization,formatting tools and menus formatting specific part of the view.

After creating custom calculations and fields in Tableau, you can apply them to your visualizations to
analyze and present your data effectively. Additionally, you can format your visualizations to improve
their appearance and make them more intuitive for the viewers.

Applying New Data Calculations:

1. Drag and drop the desired fields from your data source into the Rows or Columns shelf to create a basic
visualization.
2. Drag and drop the calculated field onto the visualization. You can place it in the Rows or Columns
shelf, or on the Marks card based on where you want the calculation to be applied.
3. You can also apply the calculation by right-clicking on the visualization, selecting "Dimension" or
"Measure," and choosing the calculated field from the list.

Formatting Visualizations:

1. Click on the worksheet or visualization you want to format.

2. Navigate to the Format menu at the top of the Tableau interface.
3. Use the formatting tools and menus provided to make desired changes. For example, you can customize
the axis labels, adjust colors and shapes, change the font style, etc.
4. Explore different formatting options, such as the Fonts, Borders, Background, Label, Size, and
Alignment tabs, to make specific changes to the visualization's appearance.

Formatting Specific Parts of the View:

1. To format a specific part of the view, right-click on that specific part, such as an axis, label, or data
point.
2. Select the Format option from the context menu.
3. The formatting options specific to that part will be displayed. Make changes as needed, such as
modifying the font size of axis labels, changing the color of data points, or adjusting the width of lines.

Tableau offers a wide range of formatting options to help you customize your visualizations and make
them visually appealing and easy to understand. Experiment with different settings, styles, and formatting
tools to create visually stunning and informative visualizations.
 WEEK - 5

Editing and Formatting axes,manipulating data in Tableau data,pivoting tableau

data.

Editing and Formatting Axes:

1. Select the axis you want to format by clicking on it.

2. Right-click on the axis and select "Format" or navigate to the axis option in the Format menu.
3. The formatting options for the axis will appear on the left-hand side of the screen.
4. Use the options provided to make changes to the axis, such as adjusting the range, modifying tick
marks, changing labels, etc.
5. You can also format multiple axes at once by selecting them all at once or by holding down the Ctrl key
while selecting each axis.

Manipulating Data in Tableau:

1. Drag and drop the desired fields from your data source into the Rows or Columns shelf to create a basic
visualization.
2. Use the Show Me menu to select the type of visualization you want to create.
3. To filter your data, use the filter option provided in the right-hand pane.
4. You can also sort, group, and aggregate data using the options provided in the right-hand pane.
5. If you want to perform more sophisticated data manipulation tasks, such as merging data sources or
creating calculated fields, use the Data menu at the top of the Tableau interface.

Pivoting Tableau Data:

1. Open the data source you want to pivot in Tableau.

2. Select the fields you want to pivot by holding down the Shift key and selecting each field, or by
clicking the checkmark icon next to each field.
3. Right-click on any of the selected fields and select "Pivot."
4. A new dialog box will appear. Select the columns you want to keep by holding down the Ctrl key and
selecting each column. The columns not selected will be pivoted, and a new field will be created for the
values in each column.
5. Click OK to pivot the data. The pivoted data will be added to a new sheet in the workbook.
 WEEK-6
Structuring your data sorting and filtering tableau data,pivoting tableau data.

Structuring your data:

1. Ensure that your data is properly structured before importing it into Tableau. This includes organizing
your data into columns and rows, with each column representing a different variable or attribute, and each
row representing a unique record or observation.
2. Make sure that your data is in a compatible file format, such as Excel, CSV, or a database format like
SQL.
3. If your data is in a wide format (with multiple columns for each variable), consider converting it to a
long format (with a single column for each variable) using tools like Excel or data wrangling software
before importing it into Tableau. This will make it easier to analyze and visualize the data.

Sorting and filtering Tableau data:

1. To sort your data, select the field you want to sort by and click on the small downward arrow next to its
name in the Rows or Columns shelf.
2. In the context menu that appears, select "Sort" and choose the desired sorting order (e.g., ascending or
descending).
3. To filter your data, use the filter options provided in the right-hand pane. You can either right-click on a
field in the Data pane and select "Filter" or drag a field onto the Filters shelf.
4. Depending on the field's data type, you can apply different types of filters, such as range filters, top N
filters, or conditional filters.
5. You can also use advanced filtering options, such as setting filter actions or creating calculated fields.

Pivoting Tableau data:

1. Open the data source you want to pivot in Tableau.

2. Select the fields you want to pivot by holding down the Shift key and selecting each field, or by
clicking the checkmark icon next to each field.
3. Right-click on any of the selected fields and select "Pivot."
4. A new dialog box will appear. Select the columns you want to keep by holding down the Ctrl key and
selecting each column. The columns not selected will be pivoted, and Tableau will create a new field for
the values in each column.
5. Click OK to pivot the data. The pivoted data will be added to a new sheet in the workbook, and you can
use it for analysis and visualization in Tableau.
 WEEK-7
Advanced visualizations tools,using filters using the detail panel using the size panels
customizing filter, using data customizing tooltips Formatting your data with colors.

Advanced Visualization Tools:

1. Using Filters: Filters allow you to narrow down your data based on specific criteria. You can apply
filters to your visualizations to focus on a particular subset of data. For example, you can filter data based
on a specific date range or on certain categories.

2. Using the Detail panel: The Detail panel provides a way to add more detail to your visualizations by
showing additional data points when interacting with the visualization. By using the Detail panel, you can
enhance the interactivity and exploration capabilities of your visualizations.

3. Using the Size panels: Size panels enable you to adjust the size of visual elements, such as bars or
circles, based on specific data values. This feature helps you highlight important data points or show the
relative importance of different elements within the visualization.

4. Customizing filters: Most visualization tools allow you to customize filters by adding conditions,
logical operators, or selecting specific data values. By customizing filters, you can create more specific
and meaningful subsets of data for your visualizations.

5. Using and customizing tooltips: Tooltips are helpful in providing additional information about data
points when interacting with a visualization. Advanced visualization tools allow you to customize tooltips
by adding specific data fields or formatting the information displayed. This enables you to provide more
context and insights to viewers of your visualizations.

6. Formatting your data with colors: Color plays a vital role in visualizations as it can help differentiate
categories, highlight trends, or indicate values. Advanced visualization tools offer options to format data
with colors, allowing you to assign specific colors to categories, create color gradients based on values, or
customize color schemes to match your branding or design preferences.

By leveraging these advanced visualization tools and techniques, you can create more interactive,
insightful, and visually appealing visualizations that effectively convey your data's message.

Viva Questions and Answers

1.What is the Visualization Tool?

A visualization tool is software designed to create graphical representations of data. These tools help
users to transform raw data into understandable and visually appealing charts, graphs, maps, or
dashboards. They often offer various features to manipulate, filter, and present data in a way that aids
analysis and decision-making. Popular visualization tools include Tableau, Power BI, QlikView, Google
Data Studio, Matplotlib (Python library), and many others.
 WEEK-8
Creating dashboards and amp,storytelling, creating, your first dashboard and story,Design for
different displays, adding interactivity to your dashboard, distributing and amp,Publishing your
visualizations.

Creating Dashboards & Storytelling:

Creating your first dashboard and story: To create a dashboard, you need to bring together multiple
visualizations into a single view. Start by selecting the visualizations you want to include and arrange
them on the dashboard canvas. You can then customize the layout, add filters and interactivity, and format
the visualizations to create a cohesive dashboard. Storytelling involves creating a narrative with your
visualizations by adding annotations, text, and transitions between different views to guide the viewer
through the story you want to convey.

Design for different displays: When designing dashboards, it's essential to consider the different devices
and screen sizes on which your visualizations will be viewed. Advanced visualization tools allow you to
design responsive dashboards that automatically adjust their layout and formatting based on the screen
size. You can also create device-specific layouts to optimize the viewing experience on mobile or tablet
devices.

Adding interactivity to your dashboard: Interactivity is key to engaging viewers and enabling them to
explore the data further. You can add filters, parameters, and actions to allow users to interact with the
visualizations and drill down into specific data points. Additionally, you can use features such as tooltips,
highlighting, and data brushing to enhance the interactivity and provide more context to the viewers.

Distributing & Publishing your Visualization: Once you have created your dashboard or story, you can
distribute and publish it to share it with others. Advanced visualization tools provide options to publish
your visualizations to online platforms or embed them in websites. You can also export them as image
files or PDFs for offline distribution. Additionally, some tools offer collaboration features, allowing you
to share your visualizations with specific individuals or teams and control their access and permissions.
WEEK-9
Tableau file types, Publishing to tableau Online, sharing your visualizations, printing and
Exporting.

Tableau file types: Tableau, for example, uses different file types to save and store your visualizations.
The main file types include Workbook (.twb) files, which contain worksheets, dashboards, and
connections, and Data Source (.tds or .tdsx) files, which store the connection and metadata information
for your data sources.

Publishing to Tableau Online: With Tableau, you can publish your visualizations to Tableau Online, a
cloud-based platform for sharing and collaborating on Tableau content. Publishing your visualization to
Tableau Online allows you to access and view it from anywhere with an internet connection and share it
with others.
Sharing your visualizations: Beyond publishing to Tableau Online, you can also share your
visualizations with others by generating a URL link or embedding the visualization in a website or blog.
Some tools also provide options to share visualizations directly to social media platforms or within a
collaborative workspace.

Printing and Exporting: Advanced visualization tools often allow you to print visualizations directly
from the tool, either in their original format or customized layouts optimized for printing. You can also
export visualizations as image files (PNG, JPEG, etc.), PDFs, or other file formats for offline use or to
incorporate them into reports or presentations.
WEEK-10
Creating custom Charts,cyclical data and circular area charts,dual axis charts.

Creating custom charts: In addition to standard charts and graph types, advanced visualization tools
offer the flexibility to create custom charts. You can combine different chart elements or design entirely
new chart types to visualize your data uniquely. This opens up possibilities for creative and innovative
representations of data that can better align with your specific analytical or storytelling goals.

Cyclical data and circular area charts: Cyclical data, such as temporal data or data that repeats in a
cyclical pattern, can be effectively visualized using circular area charts. Circular area charts allow you to
represent the cyclical nature of the data by mapping values to angles or areas within a circle. This can
help highlight patterns, trends, or seasonality in the data.

Dual Axis charts: Dual Axis charts enable you to combine two different chart types on a single axis,
allowing for the simultaneous representation of two measures. For example, you can combine a line chart
and a bar chart to show both a trend line and individual data points. Dual Axis charts are useful when you
want to compare two related measures with different scales or units of measurement within the same
visualization.
WEEK -2
Aim:
Getting started with Tableau Software using Data file formats, connecting your Data to
Tableau,creating basic charts(line, bar charts, Tree maps),Using the Show me panel.
Solution :
Getting started with Tableau software is a great way to create data visualizations quickly and efficiently.
Here are the steps to get started, including connecting your data to Tableau, creating basic charts like line
charts, bar charts, and treemaps, and using the Show Me panel:

1. Download and Install Tableau:

First, you'll need to download and install Tableau Desktop or Tableau Public (a free version). Follow the
installation instructions provided on the Tableau website for your specific operating system.

2. Prepare Your Data:

Before connecting your data to Tableau, ensure that your data is in a suitable format. Common data file
formats that Tableau supports include Excel (.xlsx), CSV (.csv), and text files (.txt). Make sure your data is
organized with headers for each column.
3. Connect Your Data to Tableau:
3.1 Launch Tableau Desktop.

3.2 Go to "File" Menu and then click on "Open".

3.3 Choose the data source type (e.g., Excel, CSV, text file) and
Select the data file(P6-SuperStoreUS-2015.xls) and click "Open".

3.4 Drag any table(e.g. Orders) into working area.

3.5 Click on Worksheet(Sheet1).

4. Data Source Pane:

Once your data is connected, the Data Source Pane will appear on the left-hand side of the Tableau interface.
Here, you can see a preview of your data and perform data transformations or join multiple data sources if
necessary.
5. Creating Basic Charts:
Now, let's create some basic charts using Tableau:

a. Line Chart:
1. From the "Data Source pane", drag and drop the date field to the Columns shelf and a
numeric field (e.g., sales, revenue) to the Rows shelf.

2. Then Tableau will automatically create a line chart. You can customize it by adding labels, titles,
and formatting.

b. Bar Chart:
1. Drag and drop a categorical field (e.g., product category, region) to the Columns shelf and a numeric
field to the Rows shelf.

2. Then Tableau will create a bar chart. You can adjust the orientation and formatting as needed. To
display Labels on the bars click on Lables and select "Show mark lables"

c. Treemap:
1. Drag and drop a categorical field to the Columns shelf.

2. Drag and drop a numeric field to the Size shelf.

3. Tableau will create a treemap visualization. You can further customize it by adjusting colors and labels.

6. Using the Show Me Panel:

The Show Me panel in Tableau helps you explore various chart types based on your data and the fields you
select. Here's how to use it:

1. After adding fields to the Rows and Columns shelves, click on the "Show Me" panel located on the left
side of the Tableau interface.

2. In the Show Me panel, you'll see a variety of chart options that Tableau recommends based on your data.
Click on a chart type to create it.