Project activity 4: Data Visualization Tools

Project activity 4: Data Visualization Tools

Exploring Sales Data with Interactive Visualizations

Objective: The objective of this project activity is to explore sales data using interactive visualizations. You will utilize Tableau, a data visualization tool, to import and connect sales data from a provided CSV file, build basic visualizations, and add interactivity and filtering options to facilitate data exploration.

Instructions:

1. Obtain Sales Data:

   – Visit the following link to download the sample sales data CSV file: Sample Sales Data CSV   

   – Save the downloaded file to a location on your computer for easy access during the project.

2. Launch Tableau and Create a New Project:

   – Launch Tableau on your computer.

   – Create a new project in Tableau and give it a suitable name.

3. Import and Connect Data:

   – In Tableau, select the option to connect to data sources.

   – Choose the “Text File” option as your data source.

   – Browse for the downloaded sample sales data CSV file and select it.

   – Configure the import settings, ensuring the appropriate delimiters and data types are selected.

   – Preview the data to confirm it is correctly interpreted by Tableau.

   – Complete the data import process.

4. Building Basic Visualizations:

   – Once the data is imported, start building basic visualizations using Tableau:

1. a) Create a bar chart to visualize the total revenue by product category.
2. b) Create a line graph to visualize the trend of revenue over time.
3. c) Create a scatter plot to visualize the relationship between quantity and revenue.

5. Add Interactivity and Filtering:

   – Enhance the visualizations with interactivity and filtering options:

1. a) Add a filter based on the product category to allow users to focus on specific categories of interest.
2. b) Enable drill-down functionality in the line graph to explore revenue trends at different levels of granularity (e.g., year, month, day).
3. c) Implement interactive tooltips to provide additional information about data points in the scatter plot.

6. Customize Visualizations:

   – Customize the visualizations in Tableau to improve their aesthetics and readability:

1. a) Adjust colors, fonts, and styles to align with your preferences or branding.
2. b) Add appropriate titles, legends, and labels to provide context and clarity.

7. Test and Iterate:

   – Review and test your visualizations in Tableau to ensure they accurately represent the sales data and convey meaningful insights.

   – Make adjustments and iterate based on feedback or observations to improve the effectiveness of your visualizations.

8. Document and Present:

   – Document your findings and insights derived from the visualizations.

   – Prepare a presentation or report that highlights the key observations and recommendations based on the sales data exploration.

Note: If you encounter any difficulties during the project, refer to Tableau’s documentation and resources for detailed instructions and examples specific to the tool.

Enjoy the process of exploring the sales data and uncovering insights through interactive visualizations!