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February 23, 2021

Four Methods for Creating a Seismogram

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A Seismogram is an alternative to a circle timeline. They are a great way of showing change over time, and are particularly effective when there are big variations in the dataset.

In this video, I show you how to build several version of a Seismogram:

1. Discrete Dates with horizontal lines
2. Continuous Dates with horizontal lines
3. Continuous Dates with vertical lines
4. Gantt chart Seismogram

February 22, 2021

#MakeoverMonday Week 8 - Protests Against Limiting Abortion Rights in Poland

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On 22nd of October 2020, in the middle of a pandemic, the Constitutional Tribunal of Poland ruled abortion in case of fetal malformations unconstitutional. In this week's Makeover Monday, I ask where and when were the protests that followed?

Watch Me Viz



February 16, 2021

Understanding Table Calcs vs LODs: Explained with a Slope Graph

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Table calculations and LODs, especially understanding the difference between when to use each, is one of the most difficult concepts to learn in Tableau. Through my time teaching, one of the most effective means for explaining the differences between them is with a simple slope graph.

The idea is to color each line of the slope graph by whether it represents an increase or a decrease. You'd think this would be super simple, but it's not. In this video, I show you:

1. How to write the required calculations
2. The benefits of table calcs vs. LODs
3. Why table calcs are often more flexible

My general rule of thumb: If all of the dimensions I need for the calculation I want to write are already in the view, start with a table calculation. If all of the dimensions I need are NOT in the view, then you must use a level of detail expression.

Download the sample data set here - https://data.world/vizwiz/car-sales-mock-data

February 15, 2021

#MakeoverMonday Week 7 - What is most important on Valentine's Day?

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It's Valentine's Day and what's the point? In this #WatchMeViz session, I explored lots of visualization before settling on a viz that was basically the same as the original with the exception of the colors, title and interactivity. Enjoy!


February 9, 2021

How to Assign Highlight Colors to Palette

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You can use a parameter to highlight a particular dimension in a chart. But there's a much easier and quicker method. The option is on the color legend. 

It's simple:

1. Click on a color to highlight it.
2. From the color legend drop down, choose Assign Highlight Colors to Palette.

February 8, 2021

#MakeoverMonday Week 6: Why Are Women Perceived to Be Unequal to Men?

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Wow! What a fun #WatchMeViz that was! I iterated through 16 charts and then when the idea solidified, there was some great conversation and feedback on the chat to help me get to the end. I find survey responses quite difficult to visualize, so instead of getting frustrated, I thought about all of the ways I can compare data to see if anything would work.

Most importantly, thank you to all of your on the live chat. It makes a huge difference to me and I love getting your feedback and questions along the way. You make me better. You can find the final visualization below the video.


February 4, 2021

How to Add Zeros for Missing Time Series Data

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When working with time series data, Tableau understands how to populate dates that don't exist. For example, if you have sales for Jan 3 and Jan 5, Tableau can "add" data for Jan 4.

Great! But then you want to show zero in that cell. This tip shows you how to do just that.

February 2, 2021

How to Create a Trellis Chart in Seven Steps

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Trellis charts are a version of a small multiples chart that organizes the dimensions in the view across a grid. In this tip, I show you how to create a trellis chart that will work even when you are missing data.

Trellis / Panel Chart Calculations

//Columns
(index()-1)%(round(sqrt(size())))

//Rows
int( (index()-1)/(round(sqrt(size()))))

Steps

  1. Create the column and row calcs
  2. Create a custom date
  3. Place custom date on columns, measure on rows and dimension on detail
  4. Place column on columns, row on rows, and custom date on detail
  5. Ensure dimension is above date on detail shelf
  6. Change custom date on columns to ATTR
  7. Configure table calcs
    1. Check both the Dimension and the date field date in order
    2. Ensure the dimension is above the date field in the Specific Dimensions section
    3. Set "At the level" to the dimension

Follow along in this video. Enjoy!

February 1, 2021

#MakeoverMonday Week 5 - Renewables vs Fossil Fuels in Europe

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I found this week's data set super interesting. There was so much to explore. I could probably have gone for hours trying different charts and making lots of comparisons. Here's the video from the Watch Me Viz session.



ORIGINAL CHART




WHAT WORKS WELL?

Overall, I think this is a very good chart. 

  • The colors are perfect for the topic.
  • I like the labels on the ends of the lines.
  • The tooltips are very responsive and color-coded to match the line.
  • The title and subtitle are informative and give good context.
  • The slightly lighter shading of the axes labels make the chart stand out more.


WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED?

  • Make the dashed lines solid.
  • Format the percentages in the tooltip to one decimal place.


MY VERSION

Click on the image or here for the interactive version.