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Infographics provide a unique capability to filter information and display it in a way that empowers users to interact with dynamics. Tableau is a tool that helps in the development of a smarter TABLEAU dashboard with insights that enable the generation of knowledge and decisions. This tutorial will provide step-by-step instructions on how to use Tableau to create engaging interactive dashboards, including data preprocessing and deployment of the final asset.
Tableau is a BI tool in frequent use among business organizations that allows transforming complex data into a comprehensible format. Since data professionals, analysts, and business users influence Tableau to produce compelling stories with data, they inform data consumers’ decision-making. Finally, Tableau features filter options that enable users to manipulate data on the active dashboard, highlights that provide easy differentiation of marks, and drill-down options for ease of data exploration.
To build a T dashboard, a selection must be made on the data source that must link Tableau with it first. Tableau connects with a large number of data sources such as Excel, SQL Server, Google Sheets, and the list goes on.
1. Open Tableau: Go ahead and open Tableau Desktop from your system.
2. Connect to Data Source: On the start page hover over the data source you wish to extend to. For example, if you suggest a student has a Microsoft Excel file, you click on “Microsoft Excel.”
3. Load Data: Go to the data file and double click the file to open it
Steps to open it in Tableau: Click on the data file and open- it will load the data and show the preview.
Data cleaning and transformation is vital for making your data suitable for analysis by removing any inconsistencies in the data collected. Tableau also offers several methods to prepare your data before you can input it into the analysis tool.
1. Review Data Types: Make sure that in the data set that has been loaded into Tableau the data types for the different columns are correctly captured, for example, strings, integers, dates among others.
2. Clean Data: Use the data interpreter of Tableau and work on it to remove your data issues. To that end, it is possible to alter field names, switch between field types, and set up the calculated field on your own as well.
3. Join or Union Data: If you have a number of data sets or have selected more than one information source, you may need to combine them through the join or union of data sets.
Building Your First Dashboard
Worksheets in Tableau are single sheets that create certain kinds of graphic representations. The brilliant thing about these worksheets is that you can integrate them into a single panel.
1. Create a New Worksheet: Go to the lower part of Tableau and press the “New Worksheet” button highlighted in blue below.
2. Drag and Drop Fields: To build your graphic, DOM elements in the Data pane and draw these to the Rows and Columns shelves. When using Tableau as the data analysis tool, it will select an appropriate chart type for the given data series.
3. Customize Your Visualization: Use the Marks card for type, colors, labels and many other options for your chart. Explore various forms of visualization and it is apparent which is suitable for the data.
When you have made several worksheets, it is possible to merge them to form a dashboard like in the case of the recommendation as shown below.
1. Create a New Dashboard: In the Tableau screen, hover the pointer over the bottom of the screen to find and click on the “New Dashboard” icon.
2. Add Worksheets to Dashboard: When you are working with the canvas type, drag your worksheets from the Dashboard pane directly to the canvas. Pile them in a manner, which will suit your analysis and the subsequent presentation of the research results.
3. Adjust Sizing and Layout: You can select necessary options to adjust the size of the widgets layout the current dashboard. You can set the size at which the dashboard will be fixed or it can size depending on the size of the screen size.
Enhancing Interactivity
Anyone can work with a dashboard by applying filters as tools for choosing portions of the available data.
1. Add Filters to Worksheets: Return to your individual worksheets and click on the fields that you will be using as filters for moving their labels to the Filters shelf. Tab 2 Configure the filters according to your requirements.
2. Show Filters on Dashboard: To add the filter control in dashboard view, go to the visualization which you want to filter by choosing the filter from the visualization ‘select’ button and then pulsing on ‘Filters.
Dashboard operations allow users to perform actions that are coordinated between the various components of the dashboard, for instance, one can select data from a certain chart or table and the data will automatically filter the other.
1. Create a Filter Action: In the Dashboard menu, click on the “Actions” option then click on the “Add Action” button on the right and in the drop down choose “Filter.”
2. Configure Filter Action: Define the source sheet – this is the sheet that has been updated and will cause the action to be executed and the target sheet – this is the sheet that will change as a result of the action. It is also possible to define the action that will be performed when the mouse cursor is over the element (for example, hovering, selecting).
3. Test Your Action: When done, click on the “OK” button to save the already recorded action. You should test it by running some requests in the terminal and then accessing the website in the browser by interacting with the dashboard on the left side.
It is used as a tool-tip which shows extra details about data location when the user moves mouse cursor over the visualization.
1. Edit Tooltips: navigate to a worksheet, click on the Tooltip button positioned at the card for Marks.
2. Customize Tooltip Content: Expand the tooltip and use it as a field, text, and even the visualization of the analyzed data. Make the tooltip as much informative as possible and also, the font of tooltip must be so that we can easily read it.
3. Preview Tooltips: Check that tooltips for the selected chart type contain the values you want to include in the chart: hover over the data points to see the tooltips.
Of the approaches proposed, parameters are beneficial because users can customize a part of the analysis.
1. Create a Parameter: In the Data pane, create a parameter by doing the following:
Right click and then select the option, create parameter.
2. Configure the Parameter: Specify the attributes of the new data type, the admissible values for this type and the value of the type by default. They can be employed to switch between the values, constrain calculations, or extract subsets of data.
3. Use the Parameter in Calculations: Calculate fields that contain the parameter such that there is real time adaptability with the input of the client.
4. Add Parameter Controls to Dashboard: The last step is dragging the parameter to the dashboard so users can interact with it if it’s an input parameter.
Advanced Dashboard Techniques
Layout containers assist you in how your content is displayed on Dashboards and that they look any given specific way.
1. Add Layout Containers: In the Objects pane of Google API, right-click and then choose a horizontal or vertical layout container and place it on the dashboard.
2. Nest Visualizations: Position your visualizations in the layout region of your Main Window. This enables you to drag and drop objects in a group formation across the application interface as well as to resize all the objects in a specific group at once.
3. Adjust Spacing: From the available options, you have to format the padding and spacing in further details to enhance the view of the dashboard.
Values that are set in story points allow you to assemble several dashboards into a story to add context to your numbers.
1. Create a New Story: Being creative with the content let alone new stories, click the New Story button at the lower end of Tableau dashboard.
2. Add Story Points:While creating the story point, one can drag the dashboards or the worksheets on to the story points. Include titles to Each highlight to explain every step of the narrative.
3. Navigate Through the Story: Employ the navigation buttons to lead the users through different scenes with brief background information or interesting facts in each scene.
Sharing Your Dashboard
Notably, it is possible to view the dashboard and share it with other counterparts for productivity and decision-making processes.
1. Publish Dashboard: Click on the Server option from the menu bar on top of excel and find the option of “Publish Workbook. ”
2. Select Destination: Decide to work with Tableau Server delivering the completed visualizations or Tableau Online.
3. Configure Access: Choose components to stick on your dashboard and decide on access rights for other users.
You can also set up table-level security for filtering individuals’ data views when granting dashboard access or exporting a dashboard into PDF, Word, or PowerPoint format.
1. Export as Image or PDF: From the top of Pro keep the cursor on the document and click at the top of the screen on File and then click Export As… Here, choose the format to export the Pro into (for example image, PDF).
2. Share via Tableau Public: In the case of non-sensitive data, you can launch your worksheet to Tableau Public, which allows you to share your dashboard with a wider audience that does not have access to the Tableau Server.
Focus on User Experience
Simplify Navigation: Ensure the design and layout allow the user to easily and effortlessly locate what they are looking for.
Consistent Design: Do not use much of a variety of colors, font types and formats with the layouts so that there is flow.
Provide Context: Both visual and HTML features can be additionally used- include titles, labels, and descriptions to make the user understand data.
Ensure Data Accuracy
Validate Data: Regularly check your data for accuracy and completeness.
Update Data Sources: Keep your data sources updated to ensure users are working with the most current information.
Optimize Performance
Limit Data Volume: Use filters and extracts to limit the amount of data loaded into Tableau.
Optimize Calculations: Simplify calculations and use Tableau’s performance recorder to identify and resolve performance issues.
Test Your Dashboard
User Testing: Test your dashboard with a few users to get feedback and identify any usability issues.
Iterate and Improve: Based on feedback, make necessary adjustments to improve the dashboard’s functionality and user experience.
