Hello Reader,

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Happy March, and belated Happy Pi Day! Here are the data tidbits for this week.

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Gotcha 2024.1!

If you upgraded to the most recent Tableau Desktop version (2024.1), you would have noticed the change in behavior in the Marks card.

The Detail and Tooltip in the Marks card now moves to the right when you select the following marks: Line, Shape, Pie, and Polygon.

It seems a small change but it is a big change if you rely on muscle memory when you drop your fields on the Marks card.

It seems this change threw more than a few people off guard.

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Tableau Tip

Use blanks or text boxes with your containers.

Drag and drop blanks (or text boxes) as handy placeholders in containers. They help shape and maintain the form of the container, making it much easier to position and place items.

Once your actual objects are there, just remove the blanks.

Using text boxes instead of blanks can be handy when you are creating templates so you can easily distinguish the different areas in your dashboard.

Data Viz Tip

Don’t overwhelm your audience with too much non-data ink.

Data-ink, a concept introduced by Edward Tufte, is the essential part of a chart that conveys information. Removing non-data ink - or pixels in the digital world - focuses the audience on what truly matters.

They say a picture says a thousand words. Dark Horse Analytics’ gif captures the essence and impact of removing non-data ink.

Simpler is often better:

1. Remove Redundancy: Eliminate unnecessary lines, labels, and colors.
2. Highlight Key Data: Use color or boldness sparingly to draw attention to important figures or trends.
3. Refine Your Presentation: Opt for clean, straightforward fonts and adequate spacing.

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It's a wrap.

That's it for now.

Remember, your journey in data is unique. Embrace learning, be open to opportunities, and never stop exploring the possibilities within data.

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Until next time,

​Donabel​