Dear friends!
Are you ready to take your data visualization skills to the next level? Tableau might be the tool for you! With its drag-and-drop interface and powerful analytical capabilities, you can create beautiful and informative dashboards with ease. In this article, 👋Katya Ivahno and 👋I will explain the basics of Tableau, its applications, advantages and disadvantages, and how it compares to Excel. Additionally, we will guide you through the installation process of Tableau Desktop (for students). Are you ready? Let’s go! 🚀
Tableau — The Data Visualization Software
Tableau is a data visualization platform that simplifies the process of working with large datasets, allowing individuals and businesses to easily generate interactive and dynamic data displays. Since its inception, Tableau has become a mainstream tool in the workplace, as it continues to gain popularity amongst data analysts, business intelligence professionals, and data scientists, while continuing to seep into other industries that work with large volumes of data. With Tableau’s user-friendly interface, users can effortlessly connect to different data sources and produce impressive visualizations like charts, maps, and dashboards. The software has the ability to quickly transform vast amounts of data into valuable representations, making it simpler for users to uncover patterns, trends, and insights that may not be readily apparent from the raw data.
Applications of Tableau
As a versatile data visualization platform, Tableau is utilized in a variety of sectors, transforming complex data into visually engaging and comprehensible stories. For instance, in the healthcare sector, Tableau’s robust mapping capabilities are employed to track and visualize disease outbreaks, such as COVID-19, using heat maps that display the spread over time and across regions. Seamless integration with data sources like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ensures up-to-date information is at the fingertips of healthcare professionals. In marketing, Tableau’s drag-and-drop interface, data blending, and filtering tools help analyze customer segmentation and behavior. Marketers can create dynamic dashboards to visualize customer data, identify customer segments based on preferences and behaviors, and optimize strategies for better results. Tableau’s comprehensive toolkit empowers professionals to make data-driven decisions while creating visually stunning and insightful presentations.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Tableau?
Before jumping into Tableau, it’s important to consider if it’s the right tool for your needs.
Advantages:
- User-friendly UI: Tableau has a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to create and edit visualizations. As well, doesn’t require much prequalified skill to get started and learn the basics.
- Ample Visualization Options: While using Tableau, users are able to manipulate data to suit their data representation needs. From simple bar charts and histograms to complex heat maps and interactive dashboards, Tableau can easily manipulate your data.
- Collaborative Environment: Tableau offers collaboration features that allow multiple users to work on the same project, making it easy to share insights — Real-time updates to data is one of the perks of using Tableau.
- Data-Source Connectivity: Tableau can connect to multiple data sources, including spreadsheets, databases, and cloud services.
Disadvantages:
- High Cost: The full-featured version of Tableau software is expensive, however many larger businesses and organizations provide Tableau accesses to its workers. However, for individuals and small businesses this is not ideal. Students, on the other hand, get one full year of Tableau access for free!
- Data Transformation: Although Tableau does have some rudimentary data transformation options available to use within the platform, such a changing certain data types from “string” to “float,” the ability to customize and transform with ease is pretty limited once a certain point is reached.
- Steep-Learning Curve: Getting started in Tableau and learning to make basic visualizations is quite easy, however when it comes to fully understanding all possible features and utilizing Tableau to its maximum capabilities, there is a steep learning curve for further, more advanced use of Tableau.
Tableau vs Excel
Excel is a popular choice for handling small to medium-sized datasets, offering basic data manipulation and visualization. However, when it comes to advanced visualizations and larger datasets, Tableau shines. With its drag-and-drop functionality, interactive dashboards, and extensive visualization options, Tableau is the master of data visualization. Excel may suffice for everyday tasks, but Tableau’s ability to connect with multiple data sources and efficiently process large volumes of data makes it a versatile and powerful option for data analysts seeking stunning visual insights.
Install Tableau (for students)
Installing Tableau as a student is a breeze, but it requires a few simple steps to get started. Here’s what you need to do:
Part I — Verify Student Eligibility
Before you dive in, it’s important to note that you’ll need to fill out this form to verify your student email and access the free Student Version of Tableau. This step is crucial unless you want to pay upwards of $1,000! Once you complete the form, you’ll receive an email at your student email account with the subject “Tableau Software Account Activation.” This email will include an activation URL link and another email with your 🔑 Product License Key.
Part II — Make an Account and Download the Application
Now it’s time to create your Tableau account using your school’s .edu email address. After you’ve successfully created an account, download the Desktop version of Tableau onto your computer device. Once you’ve downloaded the application, run it and follow the necessary steps until you reach the “log-in” or “sign-up” screen. Here, copy and paste your 🔑Product License Key to activate your account.
Once you’ve successfully logged on, you should see your “start” screen below.
The Tableau opening screen consists of three main panes:
- Connect: This tab allows you to connect to various data sources, including spreadsheets, databases, and cloud services. To import an Excel file, select “Microsoft Excel” under the “To a File” section. Browse and choose the file, then select the sheet you want to import. If needed, adjust the data type and formatting options, and click “Connect”.
- Open: This tab allows you to open previously saved Tableau files or connect to a Tableau Server.
- Discover: This tab provides access to Tableau’s online resources, including forums and tutorials. Happy exploring!
Ultimately, it’s easy to stick with what you know, maybe for some that’s drawing graphs on a page, using Google Sheets, or Microsoft Excel. However, with the continuous improvement of technology and the advancement of platforms, the demand for skilled professionals who can leverage tools like Tableau is only increasing. Tableau is just one example of the many great tools available to professionals looking to stay ahead of the curve. Take the time to master its basic functions and watch your personal and professional growth soar.
