Activity
Our second session is a workshop on the basics of presenting visually-pleasing data in Microsoft Excel. When asked in our session, please open the spreadsheet below to follow along and practice the skills that are introduced.
- Data Vis ExamplesExcel spreadsheet for demonstration & practice.
Resources from the Library
Excel 365 - Pivot Tables and Charts by ISBN: 1423246160Publication Date: 2020-11-01This is a little 6 page reference sheet on using Pivot Tables and Charts specifically in Microsoft 365.
Excel Insights by ISBN: 9781615471539Publication Date: 2020-04-01This links out to the first chapter focused on creating charts within a larger book on Excel tips. Relevant chapters include: "Why the Love/Hate for Pie Charts?"; "Intermediate Charting in Excel"; and "Creating Charts for Presentations."
External Resources
- Microsoft Support: Present Data in a ChartThis is information directly from Microsoft about using Excel to create and change charts. It is a good reference for basic information or troubleshooting any issues that you have while working with Excel.
- Data Visualization Cheat SheetComing from DataCamp, this cheat sheet can help you identify what forms might be best for your data visualization needs with example graphics and outlining possible use cases.
- Data Viz ChecklistA detailed checklist to be used as a guide for the development of high impact data visualizations with an emphasis on accessibility, from Stephanie Evergreen & Ann K. Emery (2016).
- Step-by-Step Visualization in ExcelFrom the creator of the data viz checklist, this page has useful points of reference for specific styles of data visualization that you can achieve through Excel.
More Tips
Thu Vu Data Analytics. (2023). DON'T DO THIS: Revealing Biggest Mistakes in Data Visualization [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GM8nrVBFdFo
- Data Visualizations Do's & Don'tsThis page from Datawrapper compiles their popular articles on producing aesthetic data visualizations.