Visual Intelligence: Microsoft Tools and Techniques for Visualizing Data

Go beyond design concepts and learn to build state-of-the-art visualizations

The visualization experts at Microsoft’s Pragmatic Works have created a full-color, step-by-step guide to building specific types of visualizations. The book thoroughly covers the Microsoft toolset for data analysis and visualization, including Excel, and explores best practices for choosing a data visualization design, selecting tools from the Microsoft stack, and building a dynamic data visualization from start to finish. You’ll examine different types of visualizations, their strengths and weaknesses, and when to use each one.

• Data visualization tools unlock the stories within the data, enabling you to present it in a way that is useful for making business decisions
• This full-color guide introduces data visualization design concepts, then explains the various Microsoft tools used to store and display data
• Features a detailed discussion of various classes of visualizations, their uses, and the appropriate tools for each
• Includes practical implementations of various visualizations and best practices for using them
• Covers out-of-the-box Microsoft tools, custom-developed illustrations and implementations, and code examples

Visual Intelligence: Microsoft Tools and Techniques for Visualizing Data arms you with best practices and the knowledge to choose and build dynamic data visualizations.

Table of Contents

Part I: Introduction to Data Visualization
Chapter 1. Fundamentals of Visualization
Chapter 2. Designing a Visualization

Part II: Microsoft’s Toolset for Visualizing Data
Chapter 3. The Microsoft Toolset
Chapter 4. Building Data Sets to Support Visualization
Chapter 5. Excel and PowerPivot
Chapter 6. Power View
Chapter 7. PerformancePoint
Chapter 8. Reporting Services
Chapter 9. Custom Code

Part III: Visual Analytics in Practice
Chapter 10. Scorecards and Indicators
Chapter 11. Timelines
Chapter 12. Comparison Visuals
Chapter 13. Slice and Dice: Ad Hoc Analytics
Chapter 14. Relationship Analysis
Chapter 15. Embedded Visualizations
Chapter 16. Other Visualizations

Appendix A. Choosing a Microsoft Tool
Appendix B. DAX Function Reference