Excel by Microsoft is a widely used spreadsheet software that can serve as a basic data visualization tool. While it may not be as feature-rich as dedicated data visualization tools like Tableau or Power BI, one can create simple and effective visualizations in Excel.
Excel can be used for data visualization for:
- Charts and Graphs – Excel provides a variety of chart types, such as bar charts, line charts, pie charts, scatter plots, and more. One can use these charts to visualize data in a more understandable format.
- PivotTables – PivotTables in Excel summarize and analyze data quickly. They can be used for grouping and aggregating data, making it easier to create summary tables and visualize patterns.
- Conditional Formatting – Conditional formatting allows one to apply different formatting styles (e.g., color scales, data bars, icon sets) to cells based on their values to highlight trends, anomalies, and patterns in your data.
- Sparklines – Sparklines are small, in-cell charts that can be added to a range of data. They provide a quick visual representation of trends or variations within the data.
- 3D Maps – Excel has a 3D Maps feature that creates interactive geographic and spatial visualizations.
- Macros and VBA – One can create custom visualizations and dashboards using Excel’s Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) programming language to automate tasks and develop more complex interactive dashboards.
List of recommended resources #
For a broad overview #
This LabWrite Resource guide provides an easy-to-follow process of creating bar graphs and histograms in Excel.
Video: Data Visualization With Excel | Edureka
This webinar by edureka! on YouTube gives a broad overview of the art of data visualization with Excel. The tutorial covers creating various kinds of charts in Excel as well as customizing them for data analysis.
For in depth understanding #
Data Visualization in Excel: A Guide for Beginners, Intermediates, and Wonks
This book by Jonathan Schwabish provides a step-by-step guide to creating advanced and effective data visualizations in Excel. It is the perfect guide for anyone who wants to create better and more engaging data visualizations.
This hands-on guide by Michael Alexander and Dick Kusleika gives an in-depth study of the latest and most useful features of Microsoft Excel 365, one of the most commonly used data visualization tools.
Case study #
Information Management for Entomology Screening
This paper uses the data visualization tool Excel to analyze which data elements are used by the protocol and which column they reside on in the column view sheet. It can then be used to hide or display columns or construct formulas on the column view sheet. This enables building template sheets faster and minimizes errors in making column references.
This paper presents the Upstream Tariff Simulator, a simple Microsoft Excel–based tool designed to help policy makers answer questions pertaining to tariff reform.
References #
What to Consider When Creating Data Visualizations in Excel
