About this course: In this project-based course, you will follow your own interests to create a portfolio worthy single-frame viz or multi-frame data story that will be shared on Tableau Public. You will use all the skills taught in this Specialization to complete this project step-by-step, with guidance from your instructors along the way. You will first create a project proposal to identify your goals for the project, including the question you wish to answer or explore with data. You will then find data that will provide the information you are seeking. You will then import that data into Tableau and prepare it for analysis. Next you will create a dashboard that will allow you to explore the data in depth and identify meaningful insights. You will then give structure to your data story by writing the story arc in narrative form. Finally, you will consult your design checklist to craft the final viz or data story in Tableau. This is your opportunity to show the world what you’re capable of - so think big, and have confidence in your skills!
Who is this class for: This course is primarily aimed at individuals with some fundamental data visualization knowledge, are familiar with Tableau, and want to increase their knowledge in explanatory analysis. This course is intended for the beginner data visualization person, but who is comfortable working with data and datasets.
Created by: University of California, Davis
Taught by: Suk S. Brar, M.B.A., Lead Business Consultant
Blue Shield of California
Taught by: Hunter Whitney, Sr. Consultant, Author, Instructor
Design Strategy and Data Visualization
| Basic Info | Course 5 of 5 in the Data Visualization with Tableau Specialization |
| Level | Intermediate |
| Commitment | 6 weeks of study, 3-8 hours/week, the week will vary. |
| Language | English |
| Hardware Req | You will need to have a current license of Tableau Desktop. |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Getting Started and Milestone 1: Develop a Project Proposal
In this first milestone, you will write a project proposal that will capture the “who, what, why and how” of your project plus any challenges that you foresee along the way. Your proposal will include: a specific business case or personal objective, any intended outcomes, a description of the needs of the intended audience, a description of the dataset to be used, and any foreseeable challenges.
2 videos, 7 readings
- Video: Project Welcome
- Reading: Save Workbooks to Tableau Public
- LTI Item: Need Another Tableau License?
- Discussion Prompt: Your Learning Goals
- Video: Milestone 1 Assignment Overview
- Discussion Prompt: Questions For Your Peers
- Reading: Design Checklist Template
- Reading: Sample Design Checklist
- Reading: Resources on the Who, What, Why, and How
- Reading: Resources on Audience
- Reading: Examples of Single Frame Visualizations
- Reading: Examples of Multi-Frame Data Stories
Graded: Developing a Project Proposal
WEEK 2
Milestone 2: Importing and Prepping the Data
In milestone two, you will acquire the dataset that supports your project proposal, import it into Tableau, and prepare the data for analysis.
1 video, 3 readings
- Video: Milestone 2 Assignment Overview
- Discussion Prompt: Questions For Your Peers
- Reading: Preparing Your Data for Import
- Reading: Primary Types of Connections
- Reading: Connecting and Merging Multiple Data Sources
Graded: Data Import and Preparation
WEEK 3
Milestone 3: Exploratory Analysis
In this milestone, you will use the skills that you have learned in the specialization to perform exploratory analysis of your data. You will identify key metrics in the data and create KPIs, and you will use those KPIs to create dashboards that allow for comparative views and “brushing and linking.” This will allow us to begin to think about the proper context of developing an explanatory analysis that will form the basis for the remaining milestones. Be sure your visualizations demonstrate the visual and cognitive design principles learned throughout the Specialization, and make use of advanced features like hierarchies, actions, filters and parameters.
1 video, 6 readings
- Video: Milestone 3 Assignment Overview
- Discussion Prompt: Questions For Your Peers
- Reading: What is Exploratory and Explanatory Analysis?
- Reading: Case Study: Anscombe’s Quartet
- Reading: Identifying Outliers
- Reading: Constructing a Control Chart
- Reading: Tableau Whitepaper
- Reading: Conducting Visual Analytics
WEEK 4
Milestone 3: Exploratory Analysis and Dashboard Submission
In this module, you will continue to work through Milestone 3, your exploratory analysis and dashboard creation as outlined in the third week. You will then submit your deliverables for peer review.
2 readings
- Discussion Prompt: Questions For Your Peers
- Reading: Key Metrics, Indicators, Decision Triggers
- Reading: Dashboard and Storytelling with Data
Graded: Exploratory Analysis and Dashboards
WEEK 5
Milestone 4: Storytelling and Storyboarding
In this milestone, you will take a short but essential break from the data visualization software and begin to give structure to your data stories. You will define the basic story arc of your data story, or draft a narrative description of what your data visualization communicates. You have started that process in the previous milestones, but now we will start assembling our story using Story Points.
1 video, 3 readings
- Video: Milestone 4 Assignment Overview
- Discussion Prompt: Questions For Your Peers
- Reading: Finding the Story
- Reading: Prioritizing, Optimizing and Designing the Data Story
- Reading: Tell the Story of Your Data
Graded: Storyboarding and Storytelling
WEEK 6
Milestone 5: Final Presentation
In this final milestone, you will apply design elements from our design checklist. You have met the goals of the stakeholder’s and will complete your design to meet the needs of the audience. You will apply the cognitive and visual design concepts learned throughout this Specialization and create a visualization or data story that leaves a lasting impression with your audience.
2 videos
- Video: Milestone 5 Assignment Overview
- Discussion Prompt: Questions For Your Peers
- Video: Project Summary
- Discussion Prompt: Reflections
Graded: Final Presentation
FAQs
How It Works
Coursework
Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.
Help from Your Peers
Connect with thousands of other learners and debate ideas, discuss course material, and get help mastering concepts.
Certificates
Earn official recognition for your work, and share your success with friends, colleagues, and employers.
Creators
University of California, Davis
UC Davis, one of the nation’s top-ranked research universities, is a global leader in agriculture, veterinary medicine, sustainability, environmental and biological sciences, and technology. With four colleges and six professional schools, UC Davis and its students and alumni are known for their academic excellence, meaningful public service and profound international impact.
Pricing
| Purchase Course | |
|---|---|
| Access to course materials | Available |
| Access to graded materials | Available |
| Receive a final grade | Available |
| Earn a shareable Course Certificate | Available |
Ratings and Reviews
Good round up for the Specialisation
I expected the Capstone Project to be very different. In particular, I expected to have less freedom in choosing the project.
After successfully completing the course, I confirm that it would be much better to have some more guidance/limitations/constraints when choosing the project. I spent so much time looking for data and thinking about a project that I almost dropped out from the course at milestone 1.
If you choose a good project, it’s a very good way to make some practice.
Project Base Course
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Great course on data visualization fundamentals. That we got to apply them in Tableau is even better. Would love to see this team do a similar course for an open source viz software like RShiny or Pentaho.