Tableau Public and Twitter-verse can’t get enough of infographics or data art, but LinkedIn and employment recruiters dig business dashboards as much if not more. Is there room for both?
I have created business dashboards for a very long time in Tableau and have dabbled in infographic-ish design since I joined the #datafam in 2019. Both have had a huge impact on me in very different ways. Business dashboards provide insight, inspire interactivity, drive long-term business decisions that can be incredibly important. Infographics are beautiful pictures of bite-sized chunks of insight and when done incredibly well are gallery-worthy and mind-absorbing.
The case for infographics
Before joining this community, business dashboards were the only type of work in Tableau I considered as an employable application of the product. However, the community quickly changed my mind as I saw how eye-catching great infographics — especially considering journalism, marketing, and promoting the art of what’s possible in data visualization.
Many of these visualizations require anywhere from very little skill in Tableau or an insane amount of skill calculating the math to make some of the visualizations possible. This is what makes infographic design so intriguing and engaging. It’s fun to dig into a viz to determine what was made where and what had to be done to make it possible. The greatest ones don’t even look like they were made with any data visualization product; it’s a separate piece of art that happens to have data or a data-inspired story. These visualizations power the imagination and can easily jolt you to create something of your own.
As a result, it’s no secret Tableau Public promotes this work in their galleries and Viz of the Day. It’s pretty rare to see something that isn’t an infographic or heavily inspired by data art.
People who are very good at infographic design are getting hired and making an incredible impact at work and in our community.
The case for business dashboards
Business dashboards have suffered a bit of the ‘okay boomer’ sentiment in recent years. Maybe because it reminds too many people of work and when created well may look clean and eye-friendly, but are more meant to be interacted with rather than decoration.
I love business dashboards. They are complex from the point of requirement gathering, data-grabbing/coordination, meeting the needs of potentially diverse audiences, and getting the look and interactivity right to drive decision-making and usage. Also, when thinking about the time, money, and frustration it saves others due to prior failure-inducing processes, it feels as though you are making a significant impact.
Why do you need a bit of inspiration from both?
If you are seeking work and want to cast a wide net, it’s best to share examples from both disciplines. Having a combination of business dashboards and infographic designs in your portfolio will show your range in data visualization. It also has the added benefit of impacting each other.
Many of us have seen business dashboards that are eye-gouging. They could use the benefit of someone who understands the use of color, space, and creativity to make it more appealing and shareable rather than just functional. These dashboards often do not separate themselves from a host of data visualization tools, which can result in end users considering other cheaper options not knowing what’s really possible with Tableau.
Infographics or data art often suffer from being one-note. They make look pretty on a picture, but lack the interactive elements that highlight the tool and make it something a person really wants to spend time on. Adding additional data elements and some movement effectively can transform a one-note piece into a complex multidimensional adventure.
In closing…
Businesses are becoming increasingly data literate. They want as many of their decision-makers and advisors to fall in line; these people aren’t just tech people or managers only looking at the big picture. To further this revolution, we cannot get away with creating ugly duckling dashboards or superficial art pieces and evolve — we need to combine forces to develop interactive infographics and aesthetically pleasing dashboards.
