With just a few mouse clicks, you can visually transform data into information.

1. Make Geographic
Data Visual
DouglasGPratt.com

2. www.PersonalChange.info
DouglasGPratt.com

3. Displaying data in a table …
• … can make it difficult to read.
State 2010 Census 2000 Census Average 2010 Average 2000
Ca l i forni a 37.3 33.9 16.7 15.2
Texa s 25.1 20.9 16.7 15.2
New York 19.4 19.0 16.7 15.2
Fl ori da 18.8 16.0 16.7 15.2
Il l i noi s 12.8 12.4 16.7 15.2
Penns yl va ni a 12.7 12.3 16.7 15.2
Ohi o 11.5 11.4 16.7 15.2
Mi chi ga n 9.9 9.9 16.7 15.2
Georgi a 9.7 8.2 16.7 15.2
North Ca rol i na 9.5 8.0 16.7 15.2

4. How to display data
(a recommendation)
Put bad data in a table and good data in a chart.
In this sales example, Bob and Erica have 12 months of decreasing sales …
Representative Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Anna 86 90 96 93 93 80 80 96 91 89 83 99
Bob 97 94 92 89 87 84 82 80 78 75 73 71
Charlene 87 93 98 98 98 100 96 92 92 94 97 99
David 81 82 84 85 87 88 90 91 93 95 96 98
Erica 99 96 94 91 89 86 84 81 79 77 75 73
However, David increased
his sales every month.
Using a chart, his progress
is easy to see compared
with the average
monthly sales.
 = It is difficult to see trends in a table.

5. GOP Primary Data
In this election year, I wanted to know when Tennessee’s primary is scheduled.
Using Bing.com,
I found the following website:
http://www.2012presidentialelectionnews.com/2012-republican-primary-schedule/
Part of table

6. Blank map using Bing.com

7. Final results using Paint
I imported the map into Microsoft Paint and used the fill tool to add the appropriate
colors to the states. Finally, I added a legend to help orient viewers to the color
scheme.

8. In conclusion
It only takes a little Focus on data that you
effort to visually Even simple tools see and ask, “How
transform data into can be used. could this be presented
information. visually?”

9. Connect
www.PersonalChange.info
@DouglasGPratt