Faculty Pick 
Each newsletter a faculty member shares a relevant article, dashboard, visualization or video. This newsletter's faculty pick is Dr. Patrick McDonald, Lecturer in the Higher Education Administration Department.
We are awash in data and it is everywhere. Full stop.
While in the past, companies and organizations might not have data on hand to analyze, now, it sometimes seems like we are drowning in it. This makes effective reporting and analysis all the more important. But once we have our hands on the data and analyze it, how do we push it out to our audience for them to consume it? What makes for a great data visualization? There are certainly a number of principles one should consider when designing a great visualization. They range from choosing the right dashboard (strategic, operational, tactical, etc.), to the right type of chart (line, bar, scatterplot, etc.), to providing context, consistency, and interactivity. The list goes on and on.
The most important principle in my opinion? Always remember who your audience is.
Many times individuals who develop dashboards lose thought of who they are developing the visualization for. Developers can sometimes get too focused on wanting to make the visualization, whether it be a dashboard, an infographic, etc., overly complicated and flashy to the extent it diminishes the effectiveness of the visualization. Visualizations should be kept as simple as possible and tailored to the audience.With that said that also does not mean that we should throw creativity and aesthetics out the window. We should always be looking to strike the delicate balance between function and form.
https://dailyinfographic.com/
https://public.tableau.com/app/discover/viz-of-the-day
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