Raw data becomes valuable and impactful when it is transformed into meaningful insights that help us understand the past and predict the future. Data visualization is a fusion of technology, scientific, and experience design disciplines that make it possible to process monumental quantities of data very quickly, and present in a compact, beautiful easy to engage visual format.

The preceding image contains visualization samples of scientific, financial, and population data dashboards. Each of the panels is an engaging interactive representation of information--massive datasets are expressed as charts, graphs, maps, and graphics. These representations are compact in size but highly versatile in use. Users of visualization dashboards can quickly and easily form insights and support their decision-making process.

Data visualization software greatly improves the efficiency and analysis quality of people who need to analyze very large datasets in domains such as research, finance, or economics, compared to the use of Microsoft Excel.

Data presented in charts and graphs is fast and easy to scan and interact with. Visually, the user receives an initial understanding of the story the data is telling--the size, color, and concentration of clusters superimposed on a geographic map can tell a story of demographics or public-health issues; the direction of a trend line can indicate the positive or negative projection of financial investments. The user can click on elements of the visualization to filter or drill in for more details.

In the example shown in the preceding image, the user can click any of the African countries outlined on the map to see all the wildlife in that country, to see a visual depiction of all the endangered species there. Conversely, the user can click any of the animals and see its endangerment status across the continent. Such data can be presented in a spreadsheet, but the speed, flexibility, and beauty of the visualization would be replaced by tables of numbers, and a need to perform various time-consuming calculations in order to obtain some of the information-- of course, without the images and the engagement.

Data visualization helps us see ourselves in new ways, literally, as the representation of data-points collected by our phone in apps that track our activity. Biometric tracking devices such as headbands that track brain wave activity, smart watches and activity bands collect our body's data constantly--body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, sleep patterns, calories consumed and burned, number of daily steps, and so on.

The self becomes the center of our attention--we are the experience, and experience designers naturally use data visualization to provide us with the best picture of ourselves.

These are wholly new experiences--most people tend to notice their body in extreme situations, in the context of key life moments, athletic effort, or when something is wrong. During an illness or following an accident, however, medical professionals in medical settings are responsible for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting vitals and other physical data. 

Finally, data visualization provides enticing learning environments such as medical and allied health training. The visualization above is a great example of a how learning can be enhanced by three dimensional models of the human body, which the user can rotate, zoom in and out, or filter out to get a better look at deeper layers or systems. The simulations are significantly more effective as a learning tool for healthcare students than what was ever possible with books or videos.