Simple datavisualisation to unlock Big Data

Stephan Okhuijsen3 juni 2015

Itude – Datagraver - VOJN

@Steeph - @Datagraver

Tools versus humans

• Tools can be too complex and have too many features

• Tools distract from thinking about what you really need/want to know

• Start simple• Start a data safari (dixit Remko

Helms)

The best tool to explore Big Data is your curiosity

And it is fun!

START WITH A QUESTION

MOST BASIC: COLORCODING

Create a baseline

• Even distribution for every workday = 20%

• Mark significant deviation in color. For example >25% = green and <15% is red

• Start your first data safari. Look at the first line

Example pharmacy

NEXT: PLOT FREQUENCY

Pick a dimension

• Date/time/weekday/season• Age• Distance• Weight• Height• Etc…

Medicine costs pp/y by age

1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 28 31 34 37 40 43 46 49 52 55 58 61 64 67 70 73 76 79 82 85 88 91 94 970

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

Medicijnkosten/jaar 2010

Another perspective

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 61 63 65 67 69 71 73 75 77 79 81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99101

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Absolute verschil met voorloper

NEXT: PLOT FREQUENCY VARIATION

NEXT: REGULAR SAMPLING

Pick a point of reference

• Usefull for streams of data• For instance compare situation at 8

o’clock every morning (traffic data)• Or January 1st for comparing years of

experience for members of parliament

Example Dutch Parliament

Another visualisation just for fun

NEXT: MAKE IT PHYSICAL

Physical map + heatmap

• Map data on the physical world• Colorcode things like frequency or

age

NOW YOU TRY

Example car database NL

• Registration date• Weight• Cilinders• Seats• Kilometer per liter• Price• Color• Brand• Serie

• Main fuel• Type (MPV, Station,

Sedan, etc…)• Numberplate• Mass• Insured

Car color

NEXT: COMBINE DATASOURCES

LAST: CLEVER DIGGING

Meeting notes Parliament

• A bit more content related exercise.• All meeting notes Dutch Parliament

since 1995• Who was there? What did they say?

How did they vote?

99,998%

Thank you!

Stephan Okhuijsen3 juni 2015

Itude – Datagraver - VOJN

@Steeph - @Datagraver