Data Science & Visualization Module-4

Module-4:
Data Visualization and Data Exploration
Introduction
Unlike machines, people are usually not equipped for interpreting a large amount of
information from a random set of numbers and messages in each piece of data. Out of all our
logical capabilities, we understand things best through the visual processing of information.
When data is represented visually, the probability of understanding complex builds and
numbers increases.
Python has recently emerged as a programming language that performs well for data analysis.
It has applications across data science pipelines that convert data into a usable format (such
as pandas), analyzes it (such as NumPy), and extract useful conclusions from the data to
represent it in a visually appealing manner (such as Matplotlib or Bokeh). Python provides
data visualization libraries that can help you assemble graphical representations efficiently.

Introduction to Data Visualization

Computers and smartphones store data such as names and numbers in a digital format. Data
representation refers to the form in which you can store, process, and transmit data.
Representations can narrate a story and convey fundamental discoveries to your
audience. Without appropriately modeling your information to use it to make meaningful
findings, its value is reduced. Creating representations helps us achieve a more precise, more
concise, and more direct perspective of information, making it easier for anyone to
understand the data.
Information isn't equivalent to data. Representations are a useful apparatus to derive
insights from the data. Thus, representations transform data into useful information.

The Importance of Data Visualization

Instead of just looking at data in the columns of an Excel spreadsheet, we get a better idea of
what our data contains by using visualization. For instance, it's easy to see a pattern emerge
from the numerical data that's given in the following scatter plot. It shows the correlation
between body mass and the maximum longevity of various animals grouped by class. There
is a positive correlation between body mass and maximum longevity:

Figure 4.1: A simple example of data visualization

Dept. of CSE, SJCIT 1 Prepared by Shrihari M R

Data Science & Visualization Module-4

Visualizing data has many advantages, such as the following:

i. Complex data can be easily understood.
ii. A simple visual representation of outliers, target audiences, and futures markets can
be created.
iii. Storytelling can be done using dashboards and animations.
iv. Data can be explored through interactive visualizations.

Data Wrangling
Data wrangling is the process of transforming raw data into a suitable representation for
various tasks. It is the discipline of augmenting, cleaning, filtering, standardizing, and
enriching data in a way that allows it to be used in a downstream task, which in our case is
data visualization.
Look at the following data wrangling process flow diagram to understand how accurate and
actionable data can be obtained for business analysts to work on. The following steps explain
the flow of the data wrangling process:
1. First, the Employee Engagement data is in its raw form.
2. Then, the data gets imported as a DataFrame and is later cleaned.
3. The cleaned data is then transformed into graphs, from which findings can be derived.
4. Finally, we analyze this data to communicate the final results.

For example, employee engagement can be measured based on raw data gathered from
feedback surveys, employee tenure, exit interviews, one-on-one meetings, and so on. This
data is cleaned and made into graphs based on parameters such as referrals, faith in
leadership, and scope of promotions. The percentages, that is, information derived from the
graphs, help us reach our result, which is to determine the measure of employee engagement:

Figure 4.2: Data wrangling process to measure employee engagement

Tools and Libraries for Visualization

There are several approaches to creating data visualizations. Depending on your
requirements, you might want to use a non-coding tool such as Tableau, which allows you to
get a good feel for your data. Besides Python, which will be used in this book, MATLAB and
R are widely used in data analytics.
However, Python is the most popular language in the industry. Its ease of use and the speed at
which you can manipulate and visualize data, combined with the availability of a number of
libraries, make Python the best choice for data visualization.

Note:

Dept. of CSE, SJCIT 2 Prepared by Shrihari M R

Data Science & Visualization Module-4

MATLAB (https://www.mathworks.com/products/matlab.html), R (https://www.r-

project.org), and Tableau (https://www.tableau.com)

Comparison Plots
Comparison plots include charts that are ideal for comparing multiple variables or variables
over time. Line charts are great for visualizing variables over time. For comparison among
items, bar charts (also called column charts) are the best way to go. For a certain time period
(say, fewer than 10-time points), vertical bar charts can be used as well. Radar charts or
spider plots are great for visualizing multiple variables for multiple groups.

Line Chart
Line charts are used to display quantitative values over a continuous time period and show
information as a series. A line chart is ideal for a time series that is connected by straight-line
segments.
The value being measured is placed on the y-axis, while the x-axis is the timescale.
Uses
• Line charts are great for comparing multiple variables and visualizing trends for both single
as well as multiple variables, especially if your dataset has many time periods (more than 10).
• For smaller time periods, vertical bar charts might be the better choice.

The following diagram shows a trend of real estate prices (per million US dollars) across two
decades. Line charts are ideal for showing data trends:

Figure 4.1: Line chart for a single variable

Example
The following figure is a multiple-variable line chart that compares the stock-closing prices
for Google, Facebook, Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft. A line chart is great for comparing
values and visualizing the trend of the stock. As we can see, Amazon shows the highest
growth:

Dept. of CSE, SJCIT 3 Prepared by Shrihari M R

Data Science & Visualization Module-4

Figure 4.2: Line chart showing stock trends for five companies
Design Practices
• Avoid too many lines per chart.
• Adjust your scale so that the trend is clearly visible.
Note
For plots with multiple variables, a legend should be given to describe each variable.
Bar Chart
In a bar chart, the bar length encodes the value. There are two variants of bar charts: vertical
bar charts and horizontal bar charts.
Use
While they are both used to compare numerical values across categories, vertical bar charts
are sometimes used to show a single variable over time.
Don'ts of Bar Charts
• Don't confuse vertical bar charts with histograms. Bar charts compare different variables or
categories, while histograms show the distribution for a single variable. Histograms will be
discussed later in this chapter.
• Another common mistake is to use bar charts to show central tendencies among groups or
categories. Use box plots or violin plots to show statistical measures or distributions in these
cases.
Examples
The following diagram shows a vertical bar chart. Each bar shows the marks out of 100 that 5
students obtained in a test:

Dept. of CSE, SJCIT 4 Prepared by Shrihari M R

Data Science & Visualization Module-4

Figure 4.3: Vertical bar chart using student test data

The following diagram shows a horizontal bar chart. Each bar shows the marks out of 100
that 5 students obtained in a test:

Dept. of CSE, SJCIT 5 Prepared by Shrihari M R

Data Science & Visualization Module-4

Figure 4.4: Horizontal bar chart using student test data

The following diagram compares movie ratings, giving two different scores. The
Tomatometer is the percentage of approved critics who have given a positive review for the
movie. The Audience Score is the percentage of users who have given a score of 3.5 or
higher out of 5. As we can see, The Martian is the only movie with both a high
Tomatometer and Audience Score. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has a relatively
high Audience Score compared to the Tomatometer score, which might be due to a huge fan
base:

Figure 4.5: Comparative bar chart

Design Practices
• The axis corresponding to the numerical variable should start at zero. Starting with another
value might be misleading, as it makes a small value difference look like a big one.
• Use horizontal labels—that is, as long as the number of bars is small, and the chart doesn't
look too cluttered.
• The labels can be rotated to different angles if there isn't enough space to present them
horizontally. You can see this on the labels of the x-axis of the preceding diagram.

Radar Chart
Radar charts (also known as spider or web charts) visualize multiple variables with each
variable plotted on its own axis, resulting in a polygon. All axes are arranged radially, starting
at the center with equal distances between one another, and have the same scale.
Uses
• Radar charts are great for comparing multiple quantitative variables for a single group or
multiple groups.
• They are also useful for showing which variables score high or low within a dataset, making
them ideal for visualizing performance.
Examples
The following diagram shows a radar chart for a single variable. This chart displays data
about a student scoring marks in different subjects:

Dept. of CSE, SJCIT 6 Prepared by Shrihari M R

Data Science & Visualization Module-4

Figure 4.6: Radar chart for one variable (student)

The following diagram shows a radar chart for two variables/groups. Here, the chart explains
the marks that were scored by two students in different subjects:

Figure 4.7: Radar chart for two variables (two students)

Dept. of CSE, SJCIT 7 Prepared by Shrihari M R

Data Science & Visualization Module-4

The following diagram shows a radar chart for multiple variables/groups. Each chart displays
data about a student's performance in different subjects:

Figure 4.8: Radar chart with faceting for multiple variables (multiple students)
Design Practices
• Try to display 10 factors or fewer on a single radar chart to make it easier to read.
• Use faceting (displaying each variable in a separate plot) for multiple variables/ groups, as
shown in the preceding diagram, in order to maintain clarity.
In the first section, we learned which plots are suitable for comparing items. Line charts are
great for comparing something over time, whereas bar charts are for comparing different
items. Last but not least, radar charts are best suited for visualizing multiple variables for
multiple groups. In the following activity, you can check whether you understood which plot
is best for which scenario.
Activity 2.01: Employee Skill Comparison
You are given scores of four employees (Alex, Alice, Chris, and Jennifer) for five attributes:
efficiency, quality, commitment, responsible conduct, and cooperation. Your task is to
compare the employees and their skills. This activity will foster your skills in choosing the
best visualization when it comes to comparing items.
1. Which charts are suitable for this task?
2. You are given the following bar and radar charts. List the advantages and disadvantages of
both charts. Which is the better chart for this task in your opinion, and why?
The following diagram shows a bar chart for the employee skills:

Dept. of CSE, SJCIT 8 Prepared by Shrihari M R

Data Science & Visualization Module-4

Figure 4.9: Employee skills comparison with a bar chart

The following diagram shows a radar chart for the employee skills:

Figure 4.10: Employee skills comparison with a radar chart

3. What could be improved in the respective visualizations?

Note
The solution to this activity can be found in the text book on page 356.

Dept. of CSE, SJCIT 9 Prepared by Shrihari M R

Data Science & Visualization Module-4

Concluding the activity, you hopefully have a good understanding of deciding which
comparison plots are best for the situation. In the next section, we will discuss different
relation plots.

Relation Plots
Relation plots are perfectly suited to showing relationships among variables. A scatter plot
visualizes the correlation between two variables for one or multiple groups. Bubble plots can
be used to show relationships between three variables. The additional third variable is
represented by the dot size. Heatmaps are great for revealing patterns or correlations between
two qualitative variables. A correlogram is a perfect visualization for showing the correlation
among multiple variables.

Scatter Plot
Scatter plots show data points for two numerical variables, displaying a variable on both
axes.
Uses
• You can detect whether a correlation (relationship) exists between two variables.
• They allow you to plot the relationship between multiple groups or categories using
different colors.
• A bubble plot, which is a variation of the scatter plot, is an excellent tool for visualizing the
correlation of a third variable.

Examples
The following diagram shows a scatter plot of height and weight of persons belonging to a
single group:

Figure 4.11: Scatter plot with a single group

The following diagram shows the same data as in the previous plot but differentiates between
groups. In this case, we have different groups: A, B, and C:

Dept. of CSE, SJCIT 10 Prepared by Shrihari M R

Data Science & Visualization Module-4

Figure 4.12: Scatter plot with multiple groups

The following diagram shows the correlation between body mass and the maximum longevity
for various animals grouped by their classes. There is a positive correlation between body
mass and maximum longevity:

Figure 4.13: Correlation between body mass and maximum longevity for animals
Design Practices
• Start both axes at zero to represent data accurately.
• Use contrasting colors for data points and avoid using symbols for scatter plots with
multiple groups or categories.
Variants: Scatter Plots with Marginal Histograms
In addition to the scatter plot, which visualizes the correlation between two numerical
variables, you can plot the marginal distribution for each variable in the form of histograms to
give better insight into how each variable is distributed.

Dept. of CSE, SJCIT 11 Prepared by Shrihari M R

Data Science & Visualization Module-4

Examples
The following diagram shows the correlation between body mass and the maximum longevity
for animals in the Aves class. The marginal histograms are also shown, which helps to get a
better insight into both variables:

Figure 4.14: Correlation between body mass and maximum longevity of the Aves class
with marginal histograms

Bubble Plot
A bubble plot extends a scatter plot by introducing a third numerical variable. The value of
the variable is represented by the size of the dots. The area of the dots is proportional to the
value. A legend is used to link the size of the dot to an actual numerical value.
Use
Bubble plots help to show a correlation between three variables.
Example
The following diagram shows a bubble plot that highlights the relationship between heights
and age of humans to get the weight of each person, which is represented by the size of the
bubble:

Dept. of CSE, SJCIT 12 Prepared by Shrihari M R

Data Science & Visualization Module-4

Figure 4.15: Bubble plot showing the relation between height and age of humans

Design Practices
• The design practices for the scatter plot are also applicable to the bubble plot.
• Don't use bubble plots for very large amounts of data, since too many bubbles make the
chart difficult to read.
Correlogram
A correlogram is a combination of scatter plots and histograms. Histograms will be
discussed in detail later in this chapter. A correlogram or correlation matrix visualizes the
relationship between each pair of numerical variables using a scatter plot.
The diagonals of the correlation matrix represent the distribution of each variable in the form
of a histogram. You can also plot the relationship between multiple groups or categories
using different colors. A correlogram is a great chart for exploratory data analysis to get a
feel for your data, especially the correlation between variable pairs.
Examples
The following diagram shows a correlogram for the height, weight, and age of humans. The
diagonal plots show a histogram for each variable. The off-diagonal elements show scatter
plots between variable pairs:

Dept. of CSE, SJCIT 13 Prepared by Shrihari M R

Data Science & Visualization Module-4

Figure 4.16: Correlogram with a single category

The following diagram shows the correlogram with data samples separated by color into
different groups:

Dept. of CSE, SJCIT 14 Prepared by Shrihari M R

Data Science & Visualization Module-4

Figure 4.17: Correlogram with multiple categories

Design Practices
• Start both axes at zero to represent data accurately.
• Use contrasting colors for data points and avoid using symbols for scatter plots with
multiple groups or categories.

Heatmap
A heatmap is a visualization where values contained in a matrix are represented as colors or
color saturation. Heatmaps are great for visualizing multivariate data (data in which analysis
is based on more than two variables per observation), where categorical variables are placed
in the rows and columns and a numerical or categorical variable is represented as colors or
color saturation.
Use
The visualization of multivariate data can be done using heatmaps as they are great for
finding patterns in your data.
Examples
The following diagram shows a heatmap for the most popular products on the electronics
category page across various e-commerce websites, where the color shows the number of
units sold. In the following diagram, we can analyze that the darker colors represent more
units sold, as shown in the key:

Dept. of CSE, SJCIT 15 Prepared by Shrihari M R

Data Science & Visualization Module-4

Figure 4.18: Heatmap for popular products in the electronics category

Variants: Annotated Heatmaps
Let's see the same example we saw previously in an annotated heatmap, where the color
shows the number of units sold:

Dept. of CSE, SJCIT 16 Prepared by Shrihari M R

Data Science & Visualization Module-4

Figure 4.19: Annotated heatmap for popular products in the electronics category

Design Practice
• Select colors and contrasts that will be easily visible to individuals with vision problems so
that your plots are more inclusive.
In this section, we introduced various plots for relating a variable to other variables and
looked at their uses, and multiple examples for the different relation plots were given. The
following activity will give you some practice in working with heatmaps.

Activity 2.02: Road Accidents Occurring over Two Decades

You are given a diagram that provides information about the road accidents that have
occurred over the past two decades during the months of January, April, July, and October.
The aim of this activity is to understand how you can use heatmaps to visualize multivariate
data.
1. Identify the two years during which the number of road accidents occurring was the least.
2. For the past two decades, identify the month for which accidents showed a marked
decrease:

Dept. of CSE, SJCIT 17 Prepared by Shrihari M R

Data Science & Visualization Module-4

Figure 4.20: Total accidents over 20 years

Note
The solution to this activity can be found in the text book on page 356.

Composition Plots
Composition plots are ideal if you think about something as a part of a whole. For static
data, you can use pie charts, stacked bar charts, or Venn diagrams. Pie charts or donut
charts help show proportions and percentages for groups. If you need an additional
dimension, stacked bar charts are great. Venn diagrams are the best way to visualize
overlapping groups, where each group is represented by a circle. For data that changes over
time, you can use either stacked bar charts or stacked area charts.
Pie Chart
Pie charts illustrate numerical proportions by dividing a circle into slices. Each arc length
represents a proportion of a category. The full circle equates to 100%. For humans, it is easier
to compare bars than arc lengths; therefore, it is recommended to use bar charts or stacked
bar charts the majority of the time.
Use
To compare items that are part of a whole.

Examples
The following diagram shows household water usage around the world:

Dept. of CSE, SJCIT 18 Prepared by Shrihari M R

Data Science & Visualization Module-4

Figure 4.21: Pie chart for global household water usage

Design Practices
• Arrange the slices according to their size in increasing/decreasing order, either in a
clockwise or counterclockwise manner.
• Make sure that every slice has a different color.
Variants: Donut Chart
An alternative to a pie chart is a donut chart. In contrast to pie charts, it is easier to compare
the size of slices, since the reader focuses more on reading the length of the arcs instead of
the area. Donut charts are also more space-efficient because the center is cut out, so it can be
used to display information or further divide groups into subgroups.
The following diagram shows a basic donut chart:

Dept. of CSE, SJCIT 19 Prepared by Shrihari M R

Data Science & Visualization Module-4

Figure 4.22: Donut chart

The following diagram shows a donut chart with subgroups:

Figure 4.23: Donut chart with subgroups

Design Practice
• Use the same color that's used for the category for the subcategories. Use varying brightness
levels for the different subcategories.
Stacked Bar Chart

Dept. of CSE, SJCIT 20 Prepared by Shrihari M R

Data Science & Visualization Module-4

Stacked bar charts are used to show how a category is divided into subcategories and the
proportion of the subcategory in comparison to the overall category. You can either compare
total amounts across each bar or show a percentage of each group. The latter is also referred
to as a 100% stacked bar chart and makes it easier to see relative differences between
quantities in each group.

Use
• To compare variables that can be divided into sub-variables
Examples
The following diagram shows a generic stacked bar chart with five groups:

Figure 4.24: Stacked bar chart to show sales of laptops and mobiles

The following diagram shows a 100% stacked bar chart with the same data that was used in
the preceding diagram:

Dept. of CSE, SJCIT 21 Prepared by Shrihari M R

Data Science & Visualization Module-4

Figure 4.25: 100% stacked bar chart to show sales of laptops, PCs, and mobiles

The following diagram illustrates the daily total sales of a restaurant over several days. The
daily total sales of non-smokers are stacked on top of the daily total sales of smokers:

Figure 4.26: Daily total restaurant sales categorized by smokers and non-smokers
Design Practices
• Use contrasting colors for stacked bars.
• Ensure that the bars are adequately spaced to eliminate visual clutter. The ideal space
guideline between each bar is half the width of a bar.
• Categorize data alphabetically, sequentially, or by value, to uniformly order it and make
things easier for your audience.
Stacked Area Chart
Stacked area charts show trends for part-of-a-whole relations. The values of several groups
are illustrated by stacking individual area charts on top of one another. It helps to analyze
both individual and overall trend information.

Dept. of CSE, SJCIT 22 Prepared by Shrihari M R

Data Science & Visualization Module-4

Use
To show trends for time series that are part of a whole.
Examples
The following diagram shows a stacked area chart with the net profits of Google, Facebook,
Twitter, and Snapchat over a decade:

Figure 4.27: Stacked area chart to show net profits of four companies
Design Practice
• Use transparent colors to improve information visibility. This will help you to analyze the
overlapping data and you will also be able to see the grid lines.
In this section, we covered various composition plots and we will conclude this section with
the following activity.

Activity 2.03: Smartphone Sales Units

You want to compare smartphone sales units for the five biggest smartphone manufacturers
over time and see whether there is any trend. In this activity, we also want to look at the
advantages and disadvantages of stacked area charts compared to line charts:
1. Looking at the following line chart, analyze the sales of each manufacturer and identify the
one whose fourth-quarter performance is exceptional when compared to the third quarter.
2. Analyze the performance of all manufacturers and make a prediction about two companies
whose sales units will show a downward and an upward trend:

Dept. of CSE, SJCIT 23 Prepared by Shrihari M R

Data Science & Visualization Module-4

Figure 4.28: Line chart of smartphone sales units

3. What would be the advantages and disadvantages of using a stacked area chart instead of a
line chart?
Note
The solution to this activity can be found in the text book on page 357.

Venn Diagram
Venn diagrams, also known as set diagrams, show all possible logical relations between a
finite collection of different sets. Each set is represented by a circle. The circle size illustrates
the importance of a group. The size of overlap represents the intersection between multiple
groups.
Use
To show overlaps for different sets.
Example
Visualizing the intersection of the following diagram shows a Venn diagram for students in
two groups taking the same class in a semester:

Figure 4.29: Venn diagram showing students taking the same class

Dept. of CSE, SJCIT 24 Prepared by Shrihari M R

Data Science & Visualization Module-4

From the preceding diagram, we can note that there are eight students in just group A, four
students in just group B, and one student in both groups.
Design Practice
• It is not recommended to use Venn diagrams if you have more than three groups. It would
become difficult to understand.
Moving on from composition plots, we will cover distribution plots in the following section.

Distribution Plots
Distribution plots give a deep insight into how your data is distributed. For a single variable,
a histogram is effective. For multiple variables, you can either use a box plot or a violin plot.
The violin plot visualizes the densities of your variables, whereas the box plot just visualizes
the median, the interquartile range, and the range for each variable.
Histogram
A histogram visualizes the distribution of a single numerical variable. Each bar represents
the frequency for a certain interval. Histograms help get an estimate of statistical measures.
You see where values are concentrated, and you can easily detect outliers. You can either plot
a histogram with absolute frequency values or, alternatively, normalize your histogram. If
you want to compare distributions of multiple variables, you can use different colors for the
bars.
Use
Get insights into the underlying distribution for a dataset.
Example
The following diagram shows the distribution of the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) for a test
group. The dashed lines represent the standard deviation each side of the mean (the solid
line):

Figure 4.30: Distribution of IQ for a test group of a hundred adults

Design Practice
• Try different numbers of bins (data intervals), since the shape of the histogram can vary
significantly.

Dept. of CSE, SJCIT 25 Prepared by Shrihari M R

Data Science & Visualization Module-4

Density Plot
A density plot shows the distribution of a numerical variable. It is a variation of a histogram
that uses kernel smoothing, allowing for smoother distributions. One advantage these have
over histograms is that density plots are better at determining the distribution shape since the
distribution shape for histograms heavily depends on the number of bins (data intervals).
Use
To compare the distribution of several variables by plotting the density on the same axis and
using different colors.
Example
The following diagram shows a basic density plot:

Figure 4.31: Density plot

The following diagram shows a basic multi-density plot:

Figure 4.32: Multi-density plot

Dept. of CSE, SJCIT 26 Prepared by Shrihari M R

Data Science & Visualization Module-4

Design Practice
• Use contrasting colors to plot the density of multiple variables.
Box Plot
The box plot shows multiple statistical measurements. The box extends from the lower to the
upper quartile values of the data, thus allowing us to visualize the interquartile range (IQR).
The horizontal line within the box denotes the median. The parallel extending lines from the
boxes are called whiskers; they indicate the variability outside the lower and upper quartiles.
There is also an option to show data outliers, usually as circles or diamonds, past the end of
the whiskers.
Use
Compare statistical measures for multiple variables or groups.
Examples
The following diagram shows a basic box plot that shows the height of a group of people:

Figure 4.33: Box plot showing a single variable

The following diagram shows a basic box plot for multiple variables. In this case, it shows
heights for two different groups – adults and non-adults:

Dept. of CSE, SJCIT 27 Prepared by Shrihari M R

Data Science & Visualization Module-4

Figure 4.34: Box plot for multiple variables

Violin Plot
Violin plots are a combination of box plots and density plots. Both the statistical measures
and the distribution are visualized. The thick black bar in the center represents the
interquartile range, while the thin black line corresponds to the whiskers in a box plot. The
white dot indicates the median. On both sides of the centerline, the density is visualized.
Use
Compare statistical measures and density for multiple variables or groups.
Examples
The following diagram shows a violin plot for a single variable and shows how students have
performed in Math:

Figure 4.35: Violin plot for a single variable (Math)

Dept. of CSE, SJCIT 28 Prepared by Shrihari M R

Data Science & Visualization Module-4

From the preceding diagram, we can analyze that most of the students have scored around 40-
60 in the Math test.

The following diagram shows a violin plot for two variables and shows the performance of
students in English and Math:

Figure 4.36: Violin plot for multiple variables (English and Math)
From the preceding diagram, we can say that on average, the students have scored more in
English than in Math, but the highest score was secured in Math.
The following diagram shows a violin plot for a single variable divided into three groups, and
shows the performance of three divisions of students in English based on their score:

Figure 4.37: Violin plot with multiple categories (three groups of students)

Dept. of CSE, SJCIT 29 Prepared by Shrihari M R

Data Science & Visualization Module-4

From the preceding diagram, we can note that on average, division C has scored the highest,
division B has scored the lowest, and division A is, on average, in between divisions B and C.
Design Practice
• Scale the axes accordingly so that the distribution is clearly visible and not flat.
In this section, distribution plots were introduced. In the following activity, we will have a
closer look at histograms.

Activity 2.04: Frequency of Trains during Different Time Intervals

You are provided with a histogram that states the number of trains arriving at different time
intervals in the afternoon to determine the maximum number of trains arriving in 2-hour time
intervals. The goal of this activity is to gain a deeper insight into histograms:
1. Looking at the following histogram, can you identify the interval during which a maximum
number of trains arrive?
2. How would the histogram change if in the morning, the same total number of trains arrive
as in the afternoon, and if you have the same frequencies for all time intervals?

Figure 4.38: Frequency of trains during different time intervals

Note
The solution to this activity can be found in the text book on page 358.

Geoplots
Geological plots are a great way to visualize geospatial data. Choropleth maps can be used to
compare quantitative values for different countries, states, and so on. If you want to show
connections between different locations, connection maps are the way to go.
Dot Map
In a dot map, each dot represents a certain number of observations. Each dot has the same
size and value (the number of observations each dot represents). The dots are not meant to be
counted; they are only intended to give an impression of magnitude. The size and value are
important factors for the effectiveness and impression of the visualization. You can use
different colors or symbols for the dots to show multiple categories or groups.

Dept. of CSE, SJCIT 30 Prepared by Shrihari M R

Data Science & Visualization Module-4

Use
To visualize geospatial data
Example
The following diagram shows a dot map where each dot represents a certain amount of bus
stops throughout the world:

Figure 4.39: Dot map showing bus stops worldwide

Design Practices
• Do not show too many locations. You should still be able to see the map to get a feel for the
actual location.
• Choose a dot size and value so that in dense areas, the dots start to blend. The dot map
should give a good impression of the underlying spatial distribution.
Choropleth Map
In a choropleth map, each tile is colored to encode a variable. For example, a tile represents
a geographic region for counties and countries. Choropleth maps provide a good way to show
how a variable varies across a geographic area. One thing to keep in mind for choropleth
maps is that the human eye naturally gives more attention to larger areas, so you might want
to normalize your data by dividing the map area-wise.
Use
To visualize geospatial data grouped into geological regions—for example, states or
countries.
Example
The following diagram shows a choropleth map of a weather forecast in the USA:

Dept. of CSE, SJCIT 31 Prepared by Shrihari M R

Data Science & Visualization Module-4

Figure 4.40: Choropleth map showing a weather forecast for the USA
Design Practices
• Use darker colors for higher values, as they are perceived as being higher in magnitude.
• Limit the color gradation, since the human eye is limited in how many colors it can easily
distinguish between. Seven color gradations should be enough.
Connection Map
In a connection map, each line represents a certain number of connections between two
locations. The link between the locations can be drawn with a straight or rounded line,
representing the shortest distance between them.

Each line has the same thickness and value (the number of connections each line represents).
The lines are not meant to be counted; they are only intended to give an impression of
magnitude. The size and value of a connection line are important factors for the effectiveness
and impression of the visualization.
You can use different colors for the lines to show multiple categories or groups, or you can
use a colormap to encode the length of the connection.
Use
To visualize connections.
Examples
The following diagram shows a connection map of flight connections around the world:

Dept. of CSE, SJCIT 32 Prepared by Shrihari M R

Data Science & Visualization Module-4

Figure 4.41: Connection map showing flight connections around the world

Design Practices
• Do not show too many connections as it will be difficult for you to analyze the data. You
should still see the map to get a feel for the actual locations of the start and end points.
• Choose a line thickness and value so that the lines start to blend in dense areas. The
connection map should give a good impression of the underlying spatial distribution.
Geoplots are special plots that are great for visualizing geospatial data. In the following
section, we want to briefly talk about what's generally important when it comes to creating
good visualizations.
What Makes a Good Visualization?
There are multiple aspects to what makes a good visualization:
• Most importantly, the visualization should be self-explanatory and visually appealing. To
make it self-explanatory, use a legend, descriptive labels for your x-axis and y-axis, and titles.
• A visualization should tell a story and be designed for your audience. Before creating your
visualization, think about your target audience; create simple visualizations for a non-
specialist audience and more technical detailed visualizations for a specialist audience. Think
about a story to tell with your visualization so that your visualization leaves an impression on
the audience.
Common Design Practices
• Use colors to differentiate variables/subjects rather than symbols, as colors are more
perceptible.
• To show additional variables on a 2D plot, use color, shape, and size.
• Keep it simple and don't overload the visualization with too much information.

Activity 2.05: Analyzing Visualizations

The following visualizations are not ideal as they do not represent data well. Answer the
following questions for each visualization. The aim of this activity is to sharpen your skills
with regard to choosing the best suitable plot for a scenario.
1. What are the bad aspects of these visualizations?
2. How could we improve the visualizations? Sketch the right visualization for both
scenarios.

Dept. of CSE, SJCIT 33 Prepared by Shrihari M R

Data Science & Visualization Module-4

The first visualization is supposed to illustrate the top 30 YouTube music channels according
to their number of subscribers:

Figure 4.42: Pie chart showing the top 30 YouTube music channels

The second visualization is supposed to illustrate the number of people playing a certain
game in a casino over 2 days:

Figure 4.43: Line chart displaying casino data for 2 days

Note
The solution to this activity can be found in the text book on page 359.

Activity 2.06: Choosing a Suitable Visualization

Dept. of CSE, SJCIT 34 Prepared by Shrihari M R

Data Science & Visualization Module-4

In this activity, we are using a dataset to visualize the median, the interquartile ranges, and
the underlying density of populations from different income groups. Following is the link to
the dataset that we have used: https://packt.live/2HgHxeK. Select the best suitable plot from
the following plots.

The following diagram shows the population by different income groups using a density plot:

Figure 4.44: Density plot

The following diagram shows the population by different income groups using a box plot:

Figure 4.45: Box plot

Dept. of CSE, SJCIT 35 Prepared by Shrihari M R

Data Science & Visualization Module-4

The following diagram shows the population by different income groups using a violin plot:

Figure 4.46: Violin plot

Note
The solution to this activity can be found in the text book on page 360.

Dept. of CSE, SJCIT 36 Prepared by Shrihari M R