What Is Data Visualisation?
Data Visualisation is a bit of a mouthful, but it’s really just the art of making data comprehensible.
When you’re dealing with thousands (or even billions) of data points, things like graphs, charts and maps can make the information easier to understand. Companies can then analyse trends or spot opportunities, which increases the efficiency of the overall business.
So what is data visualisation? It’s really the balance between information and presentation: too much info and it’s hard to draw meaningful conclusions. Too much style, and the message can easily get lost. Data visualisation experts have to present complex information in simple, eye-catching ways. They’re a crucial part of the $37 billion global Data Science machine.
What Is Data Visualisation Used For?
Data visualisation is basically storytelling with purpose. Every single day, we produce more than 2.5 quintillion bytes of data. Companies now collect more information than ever before – customer transactions, phone numbers, bank details, app messages, browser patterns – but all that data is meaningless unless it can be sifted, analysed and communicated effectively. That’s where data visualisation comes in.
Data visualisation techniques are now used across almost every industry. STEM research, government bodies, marketing firms, e-commerce websites, universities, sporting clubs – they’re all using data to make better decisions. It’s this reliance on Big Data that has given rise to the ‘Citizen Data Scientist’: sooner or later, no matter our job description, we’re all going to need to visualise complex information.
Here are just a few fields where Data Visualisation might come in handy:
- Marketing
- Business Development
- Brand Strategy
- UX Design
- Customer Experience Management
- User Research
- Machine Learning
Why learn Data Visualisation?
If you’re looking for any career in Data Science, you’ll probably need to learn data visualisation. There are plenty of data visualisation for Beginners courses out there, and they don’t require much technical experience to get started. It’s a great way to pivot your career, or simply upskill and improve your CV.
Data visualisation is also a very lucrative field. According to Indeed, the average salary for Data Analysts is AU $94,000, while Data Scientists can earn around AU $107,000. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that data-related jobs will grow 11% by 2024, so there’s plenty of demand out there. The real value of Data Visualisation, though, is flexibility: it’s a discipline that can take you almost anywhere.
Here are just a few careers that benefit from Data Visualisation:
- Business Intelligence Analyst
- Data Scientist
- UX Designer
- Chief Data Officer
- Data Visualisation Lead
- Data Security Specialist
- Customer Experience Manager
When you’re dealing with thousands (or even billions) of data points, things like graphs, charts and maps can make the information easier to understand.
5 Reasons Why You Should Learn Data Visualisation
It drives business growth
Data Visualisation helps a business track the relationship between operations and performance. It allows senior stakeholders to spot opportunities, correct mistakes and optimise their business model. Data Visualisation also helps generate business-wide data engagement, which is always a good thing.
It’s in demand
According to Payscale, Data Visualisation skills can attract around AU $72,000 per annum, with specialised roles earning significantly more. Data Science jobs are also highly sought-after. In 2012, the Harvard Business Review called Data Science “the sexiest job of the 21st century”.
It rewards creativity
Data Visualisation is really the area where analytics and design principles begin to overlap. Anyone can generate a simple bar chart, but creating eye-catching infographics, dashboards and interactive maps requires creativity, curiosity and a flare for visual design.
It’s used everywhere
If there’s one data skill that everyone should learn, regardless of their role, it’s Data Visualisation. It’s an incredibly versatile professional aptitude: the better you can communicate your points visually, the more you can leverage that information, the more engagement you can generate.
It’s future-proof
The modern world really values two things: technical analysis and creative storytelling. Data Visualisation combines the best of both. As ‘Citizen Data Scientists’ become more and more common, businesses will need experts who can bridge the gap between numbers and narrative.
It’s hard to think of an industry that wouldn’t benefit from making data more understandable
Data Visualisation Careers
So why learn Data Visualisation? It’s a good question. As data careers become more automated, businesses will need professionals with a broad, holistic skillset. It’s hard to think of an industry that wouldn’t benefit from making data more understandable. So there will always be demand for skilled visualisation experts. More importantly, Data Visualisation gives you options. There are dozens of different roles and fields that benefit from this expertise.
Here are just a few Data Visualisation careers you might consider:
How to learn Data Visualisation for beginners
Learning Data Visualisation doesn’t have to be hard, or even time-consuming. There are plenty of online data visualisation courses available. RMIT Online’s Business Analytics and Visualisation shortcourse can be completed in just six weeks. All you need is some creativity, a head for numbers, and the willingness to learn.
Our learning content is purpose built for online study and our curriculum is divided into easy-to-follow units. Each unit combines interactive webinars, 1-on-1 tutorials, group work and practical visualisation tasks. The ultimate goal is to prepare you for a long and successful career in Data Visualisation.
Here’s a taste of what you’ll need.
- Commitment. Our course content is divided into bite sized chunks, and designed to fit in around your schedule. We recommend studying a few hours every day to stay committed and on track.
- Notes. Your RMIT Online mentors will encourage you to take lots of notes. It’s a good way to flag any potential problems or questions.
- Collaboration. As part of your course, you’ll be working with experienced Data Visualisation professionals. You’ll also have access to an online peer community.
- Knowledge. Data Visualisation best-practice is always changing. We’ll help you stay up-to-date with the latest industry knowledge.
- Resources. RMIT Online will provide cutting-edge Data Visualisation resources. These tools and platforms can be used during the course, or even after completion.
Learn about Data Visualisation
Want to learn Data Visualisation? This is the best place to start. Read as much as you can. Ask questions. Contact one of our RMIT Online course counsellors. You can find all our Data Visualisation news and coverage below.
Data Visualisation blogs
Want to stay up to date with the latest Data Visualisation news? Then check out our blog articles below.
What is data visualisation and why is it important
Is Australia facing a data skills gap
RMIT Online Data Visualisation courses
Want to learn Data Visualisation? You’ve come to the right place. RMIT Online offers a range of data courses and analytics certifications, depending on your career goals and experience. You can learn Data Visualisation online, at your own pace, and get support from expert industry mentors.
Topics and courses similar to Data Visualisation
Visualisation is just one tool in the data expert’s arsenal. There are plenty of related fields, if you’d like to broaden your knowledge base. RMIT Online offers courses in User Interface Design, Digital Marketing, Marketing Analytics or Data Science, to name a few. You can browse our related programs below.
