Best Practices for Engaging Your Audience Using Data Visualization

Data visualization has become the new normal of doing things, especially when presenting information to a specific audience. The internet has over 4.66 billion users who consume data that is presented using different data visualization tools.

Due to a high number of internet users, you need to be creative and make your work stand out from the crowded platform. Keep in mind that all internet users are always searching for reliable information from the internet, especially when it comes to business.

Data visualization aids in telling a story to the target audience through the use of visuals. However, not all the visuals you incorporate in your business data will attract the attention of prospects on the internet.

It is valuable to learn various hacks that can help you present easy-to-read data and grab the attention of prospects within the shortest time possible. As a website owner, you need to understand the hacks of presenting data visualization to engage your audience.

This article discusses some of the basic parts that you need to accentuate to enhance engagement when presenting different types of visuals to your audience. Let’s get into details!

Use Clear Color Cues When Telling a Data Story

When dealing with data visualization, color is an important aspect. The color you apply to the visuals conveys a significant message compared to the written text. The reality is that there is a delicate balance when it comes to balancing colors.

Make your visualizations simple by highlighting the message you intend to pass to your audience. When you apply numerous colors to your data visualization, you create a feature popularly known as cacophony.

When you use a single color or numerous shades of one color, you create a blend. This is likely to send away potential clients who could promote the progress of your business. The color association is also another point of consideration.

Apply initiative colors that are sensible and align with the message you intend to pass. Also, the colors should make more sense to the target audience to enhance ease of data processing when reading through the displayed visuals.

When dealing with things such as temperature, you can use the red color to indicate heat or blue to represent cold. The way you use colors affects the message you intend to convey to the target audience. Ensure that you maintain consistency across all the figures.

Choose the Right Type of Data Visualization

When presenting visuals, one size might not fit all your visuals. You need to choose the right format that will suit all the visualizations. Sometimes, you might be forced to combine charts to bring out the deeper meaning of the presented data.

Remember that the visualization needs to answer the primary questions generated from the presented data whether it is a Sankey diagram, bar chart or dot plot maker. All the business insights need to be covered within the outlined visuals to ensure that nothing has been left out and the audience has received the intended information.

Bar charts are good choices when comparing different categories within one measure. This is an awesome choice, especially when you are dealing with data that can be easily split into different categories and analyzed independently.

A line graph is used when you want to connect different unique points and present them as a single entity. This option is mainly used to create a relationship between different data points and visualize any form of possible changes.

On the other hand, pie charts can be used when adding details to other types of data visualization. Note that this option is not effective when it works on its own since it aids in comparing different related aspects.

Use Text Carefully and Apply It Intentionally

The type of text you choose can either improve the visualization or destroy the entire thing. Note that using a lot of text on visualization is likely to destroy the general picture of the data visualization. You need to be very keen with the amount of text you apply.

However, when you rely on visuals so much, you are likely to miss out on the intended point. The text should only be used when pointing to specific and important details regarding the visuals. Focus much on applying text where it matters a lot.

The human brain can easily translate patterns and images faster than words. To be safer, ensure that you position the important view either at the top or left corner on the upper side. This is because the eyes are easily drawn to this part immediately.

If you are using different filters, ensure that they are grouped together to eliminate confusion. You can apply a light border around the filters to give it a more compelling appearance. It also indicates that the user has shared various features on the visualization.

Enhancing interactivity in the visualization eliminates confusing elements within the visualization, presenting the desired goal in a more precise manner. Remember that you need to offer guidance when telling a story through data visualization.

Apply Predictable Patters and Layout

Humans are considered visual creatures due to their nature of data processing. The eyes are indicators that play an integral role in delivering lots of information at first glance. Besides, humans tend to seek random patterns within the given data sets.

When the patterns displayed in the data are not random, it becomes challenging to understand the information delivered. To make your target audience understand the information, consider applying predictable patterns and a layout they can easily comprehend.

You can use a sequential method that your target audience understands. This will help you ensure that the audience has received the intended message. Also, you need to incorporate the same criteria in your business website to enhance the clarity of the information in the visuals.

When using different graphs in your visualization, ensure that they are in a consistent order and offer a clear connection between different data points. Always ensure that the viewers do not get lost while following up on the details presented in the outlined graphs.

Final Words

While using data visualizations in your business activities, remember that individuals who follow visual illustrations perform 323% better than those who use text. This means that data visualization is a useful feature when used appropriately.