Tableau for Beginners: A Step-by-Step Guide to Your First Visualization
Introduction
The art of visualizing data is known as data visualization. Effective data understanding is essential for businesses and individuals in our data-driven society. This article introduces readers to the power of data visualization and acts as a primer for Tableau newcomers. You’ll understand how Tableau enables you to transform unstructured data into perceptive graphics by the end of this journey.
Using Tableau: Getting Started
Tableau provides a range of tools, each created for a particular purpose. Visualizations are made using Tableau Desktop or Tableau Public. You must install and configure your selected Tableau software before we can start creating spectacular graphics. Tableau Desktop is available for free trial, so you can get started right away. Tableau Public is available for free. You can also download it here. We will be using Tableau Public in this article.
Obtaining Data Source Connections
The capacity of Tableau to connect to numerous data sources is one of its strongest points. You may connect to databases, import data from Excel, or even use web data connectors to access internet datasets. Tableau is a flexible solution for all your visualization needs because it can connect to various data sources. Effective management of your data sources is essential. You can download the Superstore dataset used in this article here.
Click on any of the data sources to load your data into your Tableau Public environment. Browse to the location of your saved or downloaded dataset. Then drag your data into the canvas. Here, you will be presented with the properties of your data. You can perform basic data analysis like changing the data type of your column, renaming your column, deleting of irrelevant columns, and so forth.
Making Your First Visualization
It’s time to construct your first visualization now that everything is set and you have data in Tableau. We’ll get started with a straightforward bar chart. You’ll be able to see just how simple it is to drag and drop data into your chart. We’ll also go over formatting and customization options so your visualization is both aesthetically pleasing and educational. Keep your work saved, and learn how to share it with others.
You begin your visualization journey by clicking the ‘Sheet 1' button at the bottom left of your screen. This will give you access to the canvas as shown below:
In order to visualize the top ten countries' performance in sales. You will drag and drop the ‘Country’ column from the left-hand side to the ‘Rows’ space in the canvas. Also, drag and drop the ‘Sales’ column from the left-hand side to the ‘Columns’ space in the canvas. Then click the sorted descending button to sort sales in descending order. This will rearrange the sales by country in descending order. The sorted descending button is highlighted in yellow in the image below.
For you to display only the top ten countries, you will hover over the longest bar, hold the left click of your mouse, and highlight the first ten countries. You will then release your mouse and select ‘Keep only’. This will exclude every other bar and keep only the highlighted ones.
Sharing and Publication
Your data visualization is finished, but what good is it if no one can see it? It is time to publish your work to Tableau Public. You will need to create a Tableau Public profile here to complete this session.
Click ‘File’ and select ‘Save to Tableau Public’. You will then provide your login credentials and be required to type a name for your workbook. Your completed visualization will be displayed as below:
Finale
You have been able to load data into your Tableau Public workspace, design a visualization from it, segment the visualization, and publish it online to your Tableau Public. Keep in mind that Tableau is a tool that gives you the capacity to convert data into knowledge as you explore and practice.
You can find additional visualizations via my Tableau Public profile. I welcome your feedback in the comment session below. Lastly, remember to click the clap button many times!👏
