To Make the Most of Big Data…Visualize it!

Where there is data, there is a need for visual aids that can help us readily make sense of it. Consider the following examples:

• Transportation officials use dashboards, live mapping, or data-based simulations to identify hazards to pedestrians and cyclists, accident-heavy intersections, or areas prone to rush hour congestion.
• With the help of Google Analytics and social media metrics, business owners gain at-a-glance information about how many potential customers visit the company website – and how many of those visits result in a purchase.
• In 2016, the Office of Management and Budget unveils an interactive tool that allows citizens to make clearer sense of the federal budget. Visitors can use the tool to “explore where your tax dollars would go and what portion of the federal budget is dedicated to different program areas.”
• For sports enthusiasts, a tool created by Column Five Media assesses the longevity and success of top franchises across multiple sports. Viewers can instantly gauge franchise value (indicated by circle size), the number of championships won, and the number of years the team has competed.
• An animated .gif created by the Pew Research Center shows the aging of the US population – with the traditional “pyramid” (more younger people, fewer older ones) becoming a rectangle (growing numbers of elderly).

In all these cases, a graphic or animation provides a way to quickly and effectively convey the significance of gathered data. While data visualization tools have always been important to business analysts, they are arguably becoming even more so in the era of high-volume, high-velocity information, sometimes referred to as Big Data.

Business analytics at Capitol is expressly focused on preparing students to thrive in data-driven environments. Through the university’s programs, students have access to visual analytics software developed by industry leader SAS.

With the help of these data visualization tools and resources, students can become experts not only at accurately interpreting large volumes of data, but also at presenting it – in ways that will convey key information to executives and decision-makers.

“Visualization tools give us the power to quickly pull out the relevant data points and identify the trends we are most interested in,” notes Dr. Helen G. Barker, chief academic officer at Capitol Technology University and one of the architects of the school’s business analytics programs. “It might even help us identify and grasp more difficult concepts or identify new patterns we may not have otherwise been able to identify as relevant.”

“With visualization we create more opportunities to turn data insights into action.”

Interested in learning to use data visualization tools to create compelling, data-based narratives? As a business analytics student at Capitol Technology University, you’ll gain hands-on experience with state-of-the-art software and resources for visualizing Big Data. For more information, contact admissions@CapTechU.edu.