A conversation with the Big Data Insight Group
We sat down recently to talk data and insight. Here is what we talked about, plus a little video of me talking about insight at both zeebox and EMI.
New sparklines in Google Spreadsheets are AWESOME
So much data, so easily displayed in such a small but easy to understand format. I need say no more.
So much data, so easily displayed in such a small but easy to understand format. I need say no more. I'm in love with the new sparlklines just made available in Google Spreadsheets: http://support.google.com/docs/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=2371371
It's this simple:
Google Spreadsheets is rapidly becoming my go to choice for building business dashboards. Bye, bye cost. Bye, bye developers (would be VERY sad not to work with them, of course). Bye, bye Microsoft!
Posted
7th February 2012 by
David B
My hard to read report is good for you
So much for trying hard to bring data to life and make it easier to use.
Standing on the shoulders of giants
Waiting for a plane to take off on a cold, rainy heathrow runway just
now, a thought occurred to me about one reason I love data and helping
people use data.
What does one trillion dollars LOOK like?
It's amazing how difficult it is to make sense of large numbers. I think they really do need to be compared to something to make sense. I loved an approach that the New York Times took a couple of years back.
The following is another great example from an email forward that I just got.
1.4 million New Yorkers in DC for Inauguration!
... or so it might seem if you take polling results seriously.
In a recent poll, 9% of New Yorkers said they were planning to head to DC for the event. There are about 16 million adults in the New York area, suggesting 1.4 million people planned to make the trip.
Sometimes its not cool to gather data
There are some occasions where you need to keep your data gathering quiet!
From the excellent XKCD.
I also love this one.
Interest rates racing down
There was a nice little chart in the Wall Street Journal yesterday showing clearly how central banks are racing interest rates towards zero.
Florence Nightingale's eye for info clarity
I just got around to reading Science News' article on how Forence Nightingale was a pioneer in using novel and innovative charts to present data. Apparently she went to great lengths to do so in order to convince Queen Victoria of the need for social change.
Visualising the wedding data
Another quick post on the wedding.
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