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Future of Data Visualization
In the last post, we focused on the current techniques and challenges of data visualization. As we discussed, there are several new and impressive toolkits and dashboards. However, we did not focus on how the nature of data visualizations are changing. This blog post will address that topic by discussing two features of data visualizations that have begun to gain traction: recommender engines and thefusion of data visualization with business intelligence tools.
Recommender Engines
It is well-known that companies such as Netflix have gained prominence in recent years through usage of recommender systems. Recommender systems are popular because they simplify decision making by helping something that there is a high probability they would like. This same model can be applied to data visualization; for example, a visualization tool may provide recommendations on color schemes based on how you set the type on an infographic (Scheidegger, 2013). Described as an exciting prospect, this sort of product unfortunately does not currently exist in the wild. Recommender systems that use collaborative filtering can predict which features of a visualization will be most impactful to an audience.
The Fusion of Data Visualization with Business Intelligence Tools
These days you will be hard pressed to find a company that does not consider Business Intelligence tools a necessity. Like data visualizations, provides the ability to leverage and explore data. Therefore several companies are fusing the two together in order to make powerful visuals easily available for consumption and manipulation. For example, SAS promotes their product Visual Analytics with the tagline “Better analytics. Faster insights. Built for everyone.” (http://www.sas.com/en_us/software/business-intelligence/visual-analytics.html#). In order to make the product even more appealing, Visual Analytics is deployable onsite, in the private cloud, and in the public cloud. Similarly, Tableau, a well-known provider of BI-driven data visualization, has launched Tableau Online in order to pursue the same market (http://www.tableausoftware.com/products/online).
Upcoming Problems with Data Visualization & Aspects in Decline
While it is certainly an exciting time to be in data visualization, there are certainly a few problems to bear in mind. For starters, several of the products available have complicated pricing schemes that inhibit mass availability. Luckily, Tableau Online has simplified their model to $500 per user per year. Complications in the field do not just end with pricing: JavaScript visualization tools still need to become simpler to use in order to reach mass availability. Finally, it is always worth repeating that visualizations can still be used to deceive audiences. For example, a recent chart featured on Business Insider has caused commotion for an inverted y-axis:
(http://www.businessinsider.com/gun-deaths-in-florida-increased-with-stand-your-ground-2014-2)
It is very difficult to interpret the above graph, and a quick glance might lead one to conclude the opposite of what is true: gun deaths in Florida have been on the rise since 2005’s ‘Stand Your Ground’ law.
Our current obsession with mobile devices has also influenced data visualizations–visualizations were previously restrictive in what mediums they could be viewed on. Luckily, this aspect is in decline; HTML5/JavaScript and design principles such as “Responsive Web Design” have increased the accessibility to visualizations on all devices. Major visualization providers such as SAS have also done their part to ensure that visuals can be accessed on the go.
In conclusion, data visualization tools have begun to make exciting advancements and seem as if they are on the cusp of simplifying the creation of powerful visualizations. While a lot of this technology is only targeted to corporate users, it does not seem unreasonable that these leaps in data visualization will eventually reach everyday consumers. Soon will be the days when anyone can create a powerful visual to present for any sort of reason. Accessibility means that these visuals will be always interpretable, regardless of device and programs available.
Works Cited
Booker, Ellis. “How Data Visualization Experts See the Future – Information Week.” Information Week. UBM Tech, 9 Sept. 2013. Web. 18 Apr. 2014.
Engel, Pamela. “This Chart Shows An Alarming Rise In Florida Gun Deaths After ‘Stand Your Ground’ Was Enacted.” Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 18 Feb. 2014. Web. 18 Apr. 2014.
Scheidegger, Carlos. “The Future of Data Visualization Tools.” Visually Blog The Future of Data Visualization Tools Comments. Visual.ly, 11 Mar. 2013. Web. 18 Apr. 2014.