Search icon CANCEL
Subscription
0
Cart icon
Your Cart (0 item)
Close icon
You have no products in your basket yet
Save more on your purchases now! discount-offer-chevron-icon
Savings automatically calculated. No voucher code required.
Arrow left icon
Explore Products
Best Sellers
New Releases
Books
Videos
Audiobooks
Learning Hub
Conferences
Free Learning
Arrow right icon
The Data Visualization Workshop
The Data Visualization Workshop

The Data Visualization Workshop: A self-paced, practical approach to transforming your complex data into compelling, captivating graphics

Arrow left icon
Profile Icon Mario Döbler Profile Icon Tim Großmann
Arrow right icon
€36.99
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon 4 (1 Ratings)
Paperback Jul 2020 536 pages 1st Edition
eBook
€20.98 €29.99
Paperback
€36.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at €18.99p/m
Arrow left icon
Profile Icon Mario Döbler Profile Icon Tim Großmann
Arrow right icon
€36.99
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon 4 (1 Ratings)
Paperback Jul 2020 536 pages 1st Edition
eBook
€20.98 €29.99
Paperback
€36.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at €18.99p/m
eBook
€20.98 €29.99
Paperback
€36.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at €18.99p/m

What do you get with Print?

Product feature icon Instant access to your digital eBook copy whilst your Print order is Shipped
Product feature icon Colour book shipped to your preferred address
Product feature icon Download this book in EPUB and PDF formats
Product feature icon Access this title in our online reader with advanced features
Product feature icon DRM FREE - Read whenever, wherever and however you want
Product feature icon AI Assistant (beta) to help accelerate your learning
OR
Modal Close icon
Payment Processing...
tick Completed

Shipping Address

Billing Address

Shipping Methods
Table of content icon View table of contents Preview book icon Preview Book

The Data Visualization Workshop

2. All You Need to Know about Plots

Overview

This chapter will teach you the fundamentals of the various types of plots such as line charts, bar charts, bubble plots, radar charts, and so on. For each plot type that we discuss, we will also describe best practices and use cases. The activities presented in this chapter will enable you to apply the knowledge gained. By the end of this chapter, you will be equipped with the important skill of identifying the best plot type for a given dataset and scenario.

Introduction

In the previous chapter, we learned how to work with new datasets and get familiar with their data and structure. We also got hands-on experience of how to analyze and transform them using different data wrangling techniques such as filtering, sorting, and reshaping. All of these techniques will come in handy when working with further real-world datasets in the coming activities.

In this chapter, we will focus on various visualizations and identify which visualization is best for showing certain information for a given dataset. We will describe every visualization in detail and give practical examples, such as comparing different stocks over time or comparing the ratings for different movies. Starting with comparison plots, which are great for comparing multiple variables over time, we will look at their types (such as line charts, bar charts, and radar charts).

We will then move onto relation plots, which are handy for showing relationships among variables. We will...

Comparison Plots

Comparison plots include charts that are ideal for comparing multiple variables or variables over time. Line charts are great for visualizing variables over time. For comparison among items, bar charts (also called column charts) are the best way to go. For a certain time period (say, fewer than 10-time points), vertical bar charts can be used as well. Radar charts or spider plots are great for visualizing multiple variables for multiple groups.

Line Chart

Line charts are used to display quantitative values over a continuous time period and show information as a series. A line chart is ideal for a time series that is connected by straight-line segments.

The value being measured is placed on the y-axis, while the x-axis is the timescale.

Uses

  • Line charts are great for comparing multiple variables and visualizing trends for both single as well as multiple variables, especially if your dataset has many time periods (more than 10).
  • For smaller time...

Relation Plots

Relation plots are perfectly suited to showing relationships among variables. A scatter plot visualizes the correlation between two variables for one or multiple groups. Bubble plots can be used to show relationships between three variables. The additional third variable is represented by the dot size. Heatmaps are great for revealing patterns or correlations between two qualitative variables. A correlogram is a perfect visualization for showing the correlation among multiple variables.

Scatter Plot

Scatter plots show data points for two numerical variables, displaying a variable on both axes.

Uses

  • You can detect whether a correlation (relationship) exists between two variables.
  • They allow you to plot the relationship between multiple groups or categories using different colors.
  • A bubble plot, which is a variation of the scatter plot, is an excellent tool for visualizing the correlation of a third variable.

Examples

The following diagram...

Composition Plots

Composition plots are ideal if you think about something as a part of a whole. For static data, you can use pie charts, stacked bar charts, or Venn diagrams. Pie charts or donut charts help show proportions and percentages for groups. If you need an additional dimension, stacked bar charts are great. Venn diagrams are the best way to visualize overlapping groups, where each group is represented by a circle. For data that changes over time, you can use either stacked bar charts or stacked area charts.

Pie Chart

Pie charts illustrate numerical proportions by dividing a circle into slices. Each arc length represents a proportion of a category. The full circle equates to 100%. For humans, it is easier to compare bars than arc lengths; therefore, it is recommended to use bar charts or stacked bar charts the majority of the time.

Use

To compare items that are part of a whole.

Examples

The following diagram shows household water usage around the world:

...

Distribution Plots

Distribution plots give a deep insight into how your data is distributed. For a single variable, a histogram is effective. For multiple variables, you can either use a box plot or a violin plot. The violin plot visualizes the densities of your variables, whereas the box plot just visualizes the median, the interquartile range, and the range for each variable.

Histogram

A histogram visualizes the distribution of a single numerical variable. Each bar represents the frequency for a certain interval. Histograms help get an estimate of statistical measures. You see where values are concentrated, and you can easily detect outliers. You can either plot a histogram with absolute frequency values or, alternatively, normalize your histogram. If you want to compare distributions of multiple variables, you can use different colors for the bars.

Use

Get insights into the underlying distribution for a dataset.

Example

The following diagram shows the distribution...

Geoplots

Geological plots are a great way to visualize geospatial data. Choropleth maps can be used to compare quantitative values for different countries, states, and so on. If you want to show connections between different locations, connection maps are the way to go.

Dot Map

In a dot map, each dot represents a certain number of observations. Each dot has the same size and value (the number of observations each dot represents). The dots are not meant to be counted; they are only intended to give an impression of magnitude. The size and value are important factors for the effectiveness and impression of the visualization. You can use different colors or symbols for the dots to show multiple categories or groups.

Use

To visualize geospatial data.

Example

The following diagram shows a dot map where each dot represents a certain amount of bus stops throughout the world:

Figure 2.39: Dot map showing bus stops worldwide

Design Practices

    ...

What Makes a Good Visualization?

There are multiple aspects to what makes a good visualization:

  • Most importantly, the visualization should be self-explanatory and visually appealing. To make it self-explanatory, use a legend, descriptive labels for your x-axis and y-axis, and titles.
  • A visualization should tell a story and be designed for your audience. Before creating your visualization, think about your target audience; create simple visualizations for a non-specialist audience and more technical detailed visualizations for a specialist audience. Think about a story to tell with your visualization so that your visualization leaves an impression on the audience.

Common Design Practices

  • Use colors to differentiate variables/subjects rather than symbols, as colors are more perceptible.
  • To show additional variables on a 2D plot, use color, shape, and size.
  • Keep it simple and don’t overload the visualization with too much information.

Activity...

Summary

This chapter covered the most important visualizations, categorized into comparison, relation, composition, distribution, and geological plots. For each plot, a description, practical examples, and design practices were given. Comparison plots, such as line charts, bar charts, and radar charts, are well suited to comparing multiple variables or variables over time. Relation plots are perfectly suited to show relationships between variables. Scatter plots, bubble plots, which are an extension of scatter plots, correlograms, and heatmaps were considered.

Composition plots are ideal if you need to think about something as part of a whole. We first covered pie charts and continued with stacked bar charts, stacked area charts, and Venn diagrams. For distribution plots that give a deep insight into how your data is distributed, histograms, density plots, box plots, and violin plots were considered. Regarding geospatial data, we discussed dot maps, connection maps, and choropleth...

Left arrow icon Right arrow icon
Download code icon Download Code

Key benefits

  • Discover the essential tools and methods of data visualization
  • Learn to use standard Python plotting libraries such as Matplotlib and Seaborn
  • Gain insights into the visualization techniques of big companies

Description

Do you want to transform data into captivating images? Do you want to make it easy for your audience to process and understand the patterns, trends, and relationships hidden within your data? The Data Visualization Workshop will guide you through the world of data visualization and help you to unlock simple secrets for transforming data into meaningful visuals with the help of exciting exercises and activities. Starting with an introduction to data visualization, this book shows you how to first prepare raw data for visualization using NumPy and pandas operations. As you progress, you’ll use plotting techniques, such as comparison and distribution, to identify relationships and similarities between datasets. You’ll then work through practical exercises to simplify the process of creating visualizations using Python plotting libraries such as Matplotlib and Seaborn. If you’ve ever wondered how popular companies like Uber and Airbnb use geoplotlib for geographical visualizations, this book has got you covered, helping you analyze and understand the process effectively. Finally, you’ll use the Bokeh library to create dynamic visualizations that can be integrated into any web page. By the end of this workshop, you’ll have learned how to present engaging mission-critical insights by creating impactful visualizations with real-world data.

Who is this book for?

The Data Visualization Workshop is for beginners who want to learn data visualization, as well as developers and data scientists who are looking to enrich their practical data science skills. Prior knowledge of data analytics, data science, and visualization is not mandatory. Knowledge of Python basics and high-school-level math will help you grasp the concepts covered in this data visualization book more quickly and effectively.

What you will learn

  • Understand the importance of data visualization in data science
  • Implement NumPy and pandas operations on real-life datasets
  • Create captivating data visualizations using plotting libraries
  • Use advanced techniques to plot geospatial data on a map
  • Integrate interactive visualizations to a webpage
  • Visualize stock prices with Bokeh and analyze Airbnb data with Matplotlib
Estimated delivery fee Deliver to Italy

Premium delivery 7 - 10 business days

€17.95
(Includes tracking information)

Product Details

Country selected
Publication date, Length, Edition, Language, ISBN-13
Publication date : Jul 28, 2020
Length: 536 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781800568846
Category :
Languages :
Tools :

What do you get with Print?

Product feature icon Instant access to your digital eBook copy whilst your Print order is Shipped
Product feature icon Colour book shipped to your preferred address
Product feature icon Download this book in EPUB and PDF formats
Product feature icon Access this title in our online reader with advanced features
Product feature icon DRM FREE - Read whenever, wherever and however you want
Product feature icon AI Assistant (beta) to help accelerate your learning
OR
Modal Close icon
Payment Processing...
tick Completed

Shipping Address

Billing Address

Shipping Methods
Estimated delivery fee Deliver to Italy

Premium delivery 7 - 10 business days

€17.95
(Includes tracking information)

Product Details

Publication date : Jul 28, 2020
Length: 536 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781800568846
Category :
Languages :
Tools :

Packt Subscriptions

See our plans and pricing
Modal Close icon
€18.99 billed monthly
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Simple pricing, no contract
€189.99 billed annually
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Choose a DRM-free eBook or Video every month to keep
Feature tick icon PLUS own as many other DRM-free eBooks or Videos as you like for just €5 each
Feature tick icon Exclusive print discounts
€264.99 billed in 18 months
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Choose a DRM-free eBook or Video every month to keep
Feature tick icon PLUS own as many other DRM-free eBooks or Videos as you like for just €5 each
Feature tick icon Exclusive print discounts

Frequently bought together


Stars icon
Total 96.97
The Data Wrangling Workshop
€29.99
The Data Analysis Workshop
€29.99
The Data Visualization Workshop
€36.99
Total 96.97 Stars icon

Table of Contents

7 Chapters
1. The Importance of Data Visualization and Data Exploration Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
2. All You Need to Know about Plots Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
3. A Deep Dive into Matplotlib Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
4. Simplifying Visualizations Using Seaborn Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
5. Plotting Geospatial Data Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
6. Making Things Interactive with Bokeh Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
7. Combining What We Have Learned Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customer reviews

Rating distribution
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon 4
(1 Ratings)
5 star 0%
4 star 100%
3 star 0%
2 star 0%
1 star 0%
Aishwarya Srinivasan Oct 28, 2020
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon 4
I am a Data Scientist, and as much as modeling is important, data visualization is very crucial too. It is very important to communicate a story through the data. I have been working with various open source visualization tools, and mostly find myself looking at the documentation to understand the use. After giving a read to "The Data Visualization Workshop by Mario and Tim, I have got a sense of instantaneously knowing which plot with be the best to choose for a particular type of data. This book is an excellent resource to have if you are a Data Scientist and want to leverage the power of data visualization at work.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Get free access to Packt library with over 7500+ books and video courses for 7 days!
Start Free Trial

FAQs

What is the delivery time and cost of print book? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Shipping Details

USA:

'

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the US within 10-15 business days

Premium: Trackable Delivery to most addresses in the US within 3-8 business days

UK:

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 7-9 business days.
Shipments are not trackable

Premium: Trackable delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 3-4 business days!
Add one extra business day for deliveries to Northern Ireland and Scottish Highlands and islands

EU:

Premium: Trackable delivery to most EU destinations within 4-9 business days.

Australia:

Economy: Can deliver to P. O. Boxes and private residences.
Trackable service with delivery to addresses in Australia only.
Delivery time ranges from 7-9 business days for VIC and 8-10 business days for Interstate metro
Delivery time is up to 15 business days for remote areas of WA, NT & QLD.

Premium: Delivery to addresses in Australia only
Trackable delivery to most P. O. Boxes and private residences in Australia within 4-5 days based on the distance to a destination following dispatch.

India:

Premium: Delivery to most Indian addresses within 5-6 business days

Rest of the World:

Premium: Countries in the American continent: Trackable delivery to most countries within 4-7 business days

Asia:

Premium: Delivery to most Asian addresses within 5-9 business days

Disclaimer:
All orders received before 5 PM U.K time would start printing from the next business day. So the estimated delivery times start from the next day as well. Orders received after 5 PM U.K time (in our internal systems) on a business day or anytime on the weekend will begin printing the second to next business day. For example, an order placed at 11 AM today will begin printing tomorrow, whereas an order placed at 9 PM tonight will begin printing the day after tomorrow.


Unfortunately, due to several restrictions, we are unable to ship to the following countries:

  1. Afghanistan
  2. American Samoa
  3. Belarus
  4. Brunei Darussalam
  5. Central African Republic
  6. The Democratic Republic of Congo
  7. Eritrea
  8. Guinea-bissau
  9. Iran
  10. Lebanon
  11. Libiya Arab Jamahriya
  12. Somalia
  13. Sudan
  14. Russian Federation
  15. Syrian Arab Republic
  16. Ukraine
  17. Venezuela
What is custom duty/charge? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customs duty are charges levied on goods when they cross international borders. It is a tax that is imposed on imported goods. These duties are charged by special authorities and bodies created by local governments and are meant to protect local industries, economies, and businesses.

Do I have to pay customs charges for the print book order? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

The orders shipped to the countries that are listed under EU27 will not bear custom charges. They are paid by Packt as part of the order.

List of EU27 countries: www.gov.uk/eu-eea:

A custom duty or localized taxes may be applicable on the shipment and would be charged by the recipient country outside of the EU27 which should be paid by the customer and these duties are not included in the shipping charges been charged on the order.

How do I know my custom duty charges? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

The amount of duty payable varies greatly depending on the imported goods, the country of origin and several other factors like the total invoice amount or dimensions like weight, and other such criteria applicable in your country.

For example:

  • If you live in Mexico, and the declared value of your ordered items is over $ 50, for you to receive a package, you will have to pay additional import tax of 19% which will be $ 9.50 to the courier service.
  • Whereas if you live in Turkey, and the declared value of your ordered items is over € 22, for you to receive a package, you will have to pay additional import tax of 18% which will be € 3.96 to the courier service.
How can I cancel my order? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Cancellation Policy for Published Printed Books:

You can cancel any order within 1 hour of placing the order. Simply contact customercare@packt.com with your order details or payment transaction id. If your order has already started the shipment process, we will do our best to stop it. However, if it is already on the way to you then when you receive it, you can contact us at customercare@packt.com using the returns and refund process.

Please understand that Packt Publishing cannot provide refunds or cancel any order except for the cases described in our Return Policy (i.e. Packt Publishing agrees to replace your printed book because it arrives damaged or material defect in book), Packt Publishing will not accept returns.

What is your returns and refunds policy? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Return Policy:

We want you to be happy with your purchase from Packtpub.com. We will not hassle you with returning print books to us. If the print book you receive from us is incorrect, damaged, doesn't work or is unacceptably late, please contact Customer Relations Team on customercare@packt.com with the order number and issue details as explained below:

  1. If you ordered (eBook, Video or Print Book) incorrectly or accidentally, please contact Customer Relations Team on customercare@packt.com within one hour of placing the order and we will replace/refund you the item cost.
  2. Sadly, if your eBook or Video file is faulty or a fault occurs during the eBook or Video being made available to you, i.e. during download then you should contact Customer Relations Team within 14 days of purchase on customercare@packt.com who will be able to resolve this issue for you.
  3. You will have a choice of replacement or refund of the problem items.(damaged, defective or incorrect)
  4. Once Customer Care Team confirms that you will be refunded, you should receive the refund within 10 to 12 working days.
  5. If you are only requesting a refund of one book from a multiple order, then we will refund you the appropriate single item.
  6. Where the items were shipped under a free shipping offer, there will be no shipping costs to refund.

On the off chance your printed book arrives damaged, with book material defect, contact our Customer Relation Team on customercare@packt.com within 14 days of receipt of the book with appropriate evidence of damage and we will work with you to secure a replacement copy, if necessary. Please note that each printed book you order from us is individually made by Packt's professional book-printing partner which is on a print-on-demand basis.

What tax is charged? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Currently, no tax is charged on the purchase of any print book (subject to change based on the laws and regulations). A localized VAT fee is charged only to our European and UK customers on eBooks, Video and subscriptions that they buy. GST is charged to Indian customers for eBooks and video purchases.

What payment methods can I use? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

You can pay with the following card types:

  1. Visa Debit
  2. Visa Credit
  3. MasterCard
  4. PayPal
What is the delivery time and cost of print books? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Shipping Details

USA:

'

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the US within 10-15 business days

Premium: Trackable Delivery to most addresses in the US within 3-8 business days

UK:

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 7-9 business days.
Shipments are not trackable

Premium: Trackable delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 3-4 business days!
Add one extra business day for deliveries to Northern Ireland and Scottish Highlands and islands

EU:

Premium: Trackable delivery to most EU destinations within 4-9 business days.

Australia:

Economy: Can deliver to P. O. Boxes and private residences.
Trackable service with delivery to addresses in Australia only.
Delivery time ranges from 7-9 business days for VIC and 8-10 business days for Interstate metro
Delivery time is up to 15 business days for remote areas of WA, NT & QLD.

Premium: Delivery to addresses in Australia only
Trackable delivery to most P. O. Boxes and private residences in Australia within 4-5 days based on the distance to a destination following dispatch.

India:

Premium: Delivery to most Indian addresses within 5-6 business days

Rest of the World:

Premium: Countries in the American continent: Trackable delivery to most countries within 4-7 business days

Asia:

Premium: Delivery to most Asian addresses within 5-9 business days

Disclaimer:
All orders received before 5 PM U.K time would start printing from the next business day. So the estimated delivery times start from the next day as well. Orders received after 5 PM U.K time (in our internal systems) on a business day or anytime on the weekend will begin printing the second to next business day. For example, an order placed at 11 AM today will begin printing tomorrow, whereas an order placed at 9 PM tonight will begin printing the day after tomorrow.


Unfortunately, due to several restrictions, we are unable to ship to the following countries:

  1. Afghanistan
  2. American Samoa
  3. Belarus
  4. Brunei Darussalam
  5. Central African Republic
  6. The Democratic Republic of Congo
  7. Eritrea
  8. Guinea-bissau
  9. Iran
  10. Lebanon
  11. Libiya Arab Jamahriya
  12. Somalia
  13. Sudan
  14. Russian Federation
  15. Syrian Arab Republic
  16. Ukraine
  17. Venezuela