Data visualization, sometimes called information visualization, is the representation of datasets through graphical means such as charts, maps, visual analytics interfaces such as dashboards, and interactive visualizations. A picture is worth a thousand words - or a thousand lines of a spreadsheet - and the ability to convey key relationships within complex datasets and insights from data analysis in a visually compelling way is critically important to making sense of our world.

While data visualizations may be as simple as a bar graph created in Microsoft Excel, the complexity, size, and velocity of datasets in the big data era often demand more powerful approaches. Specialized programs such as Tableau Software and the D3.js JavaScript library are widely used in the business world to create dynamic data visualizations, which may even incorporate real-time data streams. For particularly complex tasks, data virtualization software may also be used as middleware to integrate multiple sources and types of data into a format suitable for use with these visualization programs.

The ability to create data visualizations are increasingly expected in a variety of jobs, making these skills highly valuable as well as portable. Whether you’re a financial analyst at a hedge fund displaying a real-time dashboard of portfolio risk or a data journalist creating an interactive visualization map of the spread of Covid-19, compelling data visualizations can increase the impact of your work and give you an edge in your career.

Management analysts are particularly attuned to the value of good data visualizations. These consultants must make convincing recommendations for organizational changes to upper-level management and busy executives, and powerful graphics can be essential to making these cases effectively. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, management analysts earned a median annual wage of $85,260 as of 2019, and these jobs are expected to grow much faster than average as more and more companies seek advice on navigating today’s fast-changing business world.

Yes! Coursera lets you learn remotely about data visualization and related topics with courses and Specializations from top-ranked schools like New York University, University of California, Davis, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. You can also take courses from industry leaders like IBM and PwC, one of the top management consultancies in the world. Online learning with Coursera is an especially good fit for mid-career professionals seeking to add data visualization capabilities to their skill set, as you can complete coursework on a flexible schedule that fits into your existing work life.