Blog_Banner_Asset
    Homebreadcumb forward arrow iconBlogbreadcumb forward arrow iconProduct Managementbreadcumb forward arrow iconHow Product Managers Visualize Data

How Product Managers Visualize Data

Last updated:
3rd Jan, 2017
Views
Read Time
11 Mins
share image icon
In this article
Chevron in toc
View All
How Product Managers Visualize Data

I still remember how excited I was when I had my first tryst with PowerPoint in 2010, while working on a market research proposal at KPMG. While the thrill didn’t extend to the fact that I had to present to a Senior Partner team; I was finally getting a chance to experiment and play around with the various graphs, charts, Smart Art and what not. The multiple fonts and color options that PowerPoint has to offer was enough to make me giddy with anticipation!
Back then I didn’t quite have an accurate understanding of the sheer might of using these tools and what transforming the information I had in front of me could produce and answer – a field that is now being credited with changing the world of business today – often referred to as ‘Data Visualization.’

How Product Managers Visualize Data UpGrad Blog
It took me many years to fully understand the power of design sensibilities and analytics if used effectively and in parallel. With the help of these, data can be transformed into something that can convey a message not only in a visually engaging manner, but in a far more persuasive and powerful form. Be it to your manager in a board meeting, or a user who’s trying out your technology product for the first time.

Explore our Popular Business Management Courses

 “At the intersection of art and algorithm, data visualization schematically abstracts information to bring about a deeper understanding of the data, wrapping it in an element of awe.”

Ads of upGrad blog

– Maria Popova, founder of Brainpickings.org

How Product Managers Visualize Data UpGrad Blog

The Life-Boat to a Data Pool  

Our lives are overloaded with statistics and information. Whether it’s the number of times we visit the gym in a month, or the price of tickets from Mumbai to Bangalore in December or the number of glasses of water we’ve had to drink in a day.  The ubiquity of visual representations through illustrations, animations, photographs and various other forms is apparent in our day to day lives too.
A combination of data and design is now increasingly being used in various forms such as what can be seen with the rise of infographics in social media and newspapers; to fascinating ways of displaying cricket statistics; and even children’s report cards at school!

Top Essential Management Skills to Learn

Visualizing cricket team performances through graphs

How Product Managers Visualize Data UpGrad BlogHow Product Managers Visualize Data UpGrad Blog

Visual content is processed 60,000 times faster than text.
Data Visualization methods and tools have been around for a while with veterans like Edward Tufte evangelizing it’s benefits way back in the 1960s.
Although, traditionally used in evaluating and making business and product decisions via a plethora of methods and softwares like…

Tableau

 

How Product Managers Visualize Data UpGrad Blog
Microsoft BI

How Product Managers Visualize Data UpGrad Blog

Google Charts

How Product Managers Visualize Data UpGrad Blog
…data viz is increasingly being leveraged for use within actual technology products as well – for showcasing basic information to the user and as a means of storytelling as part of the product narrative.

Industry experts such as Alberto Cairo, Andy Kirk, Jon Schwabish and Mona Chalabi offer advice on creation and examples of data viz in their blogs, which can be very useful for product professionals and newbies alike.

upGrad’s Exclusive Product Management Webinar for you –

How to craft GTM Strategy for a Product?

Designing the Data in Your Product

To start thinking visually through your product, consider the nature and purpose of your visualization (why do you need to visually represent data in the first place), and all about your user. What is he/she trying to achieve by using the product? And how can you use the information you have about him/her to improve the product journey experience and get him/her to keep coming back? Data Visualization can be a crucial part of your User Experience as well.
For example, Uber demonstrates this with use of GIS by using the information they have about their user’s pick-up point and driver’s car locations. They show nearby vehicles on a map which makes it a lot more meaningful for a user to understand distances, along with a route map to the final destination and real-time updating of the user’s location. This is so simple that even a 5-year-old could understand what’s being represented – which is precisely how easy reading data visualizations should be.

Our Top Management Articles

 

The Various Elements of Data Viz

“Creating a data visualization is a lot like cooking. You decide what data you need, you collect it, you prepare and clean it for use, and then you make the visualization and present your finished result”

Data + Design Handbook

Using the above analogy, the final presentation of the dish, with all its ingredients, is something that can delight the customer or seem bland and boring. Careful thought needs to go into that extra bit of garnish or the colors you use to make it seem more delicious and inviting. And the methods used to cook can vary as well – from grilling to baking to roasting. Think Ratatouille or Julia Child!
Likewise, careful thought and preparation should go into deciding which presentations should be used for your target user and the narrative it supports. Post this, with the help of the following, you should have the final data viz ‘recipe’!

Ingredients or Elements

  • Fonts & Text
  • Icons
  • Hierarchy
  • Color
  1. Simple sans serif fonts are usually preferred

How Product Managers Visualize Data UpGrad Blog
2. Colors can be used to express value
How Product Managers Visualize Data UpGrad Blog
3. Icon
s used to showcase various temperature preferences 

How Product Managers Visualize Data UpGrad Blog

Methods or Presentations

 

Area ChartsBar Charts
Choropleth MapsColumn Charts
Concept MapsDoughnut Charts
FlowchartsHeat Maps
InfographicsLine Charts
Pie ChartsPin Maps
Scatter PlotsTime Series Visualizations
TimelinesTree Maps
Word Clouds

Understanding how best to represent data to your user requires a certain design and data literacy, which will only come with practice, patience and keen observation.

Venngage.com and CreativeBloq have some useful tips on choosing good charts for your infographic, including lessons for how-to-use them in your product as well.

Although one should keep in mind the major challenges in producing compelling data visualizations, namely, keeping it simple, selecting the appropriate method given the information available to you and selecting the right mix of ingredients to avoid drawing away attention from the main message of the visualization.

Products that Use Visuals Compellingly – No One Can See Just One

While there are many products that use data visualization, from sectors of healthcare, money management, sports and fitness (like Google Fit, NBA, Uber etc.), primarily to showcase user information while the product is being used – one specific example that comes to mind, which has become a recent phenomenon, is the FitBit interface.

How Product Managers Visualize Data UpGrad BlogHow Product Managers Visualize Data UpGrad Blog

FitBit makes sure that it complements its device capabilities by not only capturing the relevant information but displaying it to provide insights and ‘aha’s to users about their fitness levels.

From the user’s activity levels to calories burned as well as the leadership board; visual language is used in a very appealing manner through the FitBit dashboard, with an equally appealing color palette, to showcase your progress while using the app. What more you need to do to reach your ultimate fitness goal!

What about India?

We’re not far behind with home-grown products leveraging strong data visualization methods for their users  – from the recent products I’ve used, fitness apps like HealthifyMe to money management app MoneyView, and my all-time favorite women’s health app called ‘Maya’ (formerly known as Lovecycles) – all seem to have strong visual compasses.

Taking Maya as an example – they have over 6 million users and let you track monthly (menstrual) cycles along with analyzing and predicting health patterns, moods, along with symptoms.

Not only have they designed a cute looking girl as their mascot directed at their target female audience – but represented delicate information in a very simple manner, with an element of fun too! The use of iconography prompts me to go back to the app and input my user data – which they will ultimately represent in their format and use to track my progress.

Enhancing Product Experience Through Data Viz

 “The greatest value of a picture is when it forces us to notice what we never expected to see.”

― John Tukey, Inventor of the box plot and FFT algorithm
Data visualization need not always be about complex dashboards or charts – and something even as simple as the effective use of icons and text, while understanding a user’s behavior and showcasing that in your product, could be successful too. It is also important to understand that this is not just presenting information but essentially designing an experience of information for your customer.

Be it through illustrations, real or interactive imagery or animation; data visualization could be used to give context, reveal trends, explain a process, tell a story, save time and eventually empower a user.

Ads of upGrad blog

As a product manager or UX professional, it is thus imperative to showcase data effectively in your product’s interface. This can not only ‘WOW’ a potential customer, but also retain and engage them longer by showing them the benefits of adopting your product and driving home the intended value-add better than your competitors!

Study Product Management Courses online from the World’s top Universities. Earn Masters, Executive PGP, or Advanced Certificate Programs to fast-track your career.

Featured Program for you: Design Thinking Certification Program from Duke CE

Profile

Vidisha Hegde

Blog Author
Vidisha is a student of the second cohort of Upgrad's Product Managament Certification Program and a stickler for good design! She is currently on sabbatical to study design methodologies and data visualization, which can be applied to business and product settings. She has over 8 years of experience with KPMG, Tata Group and was a Senior Manager with Portea medica. Vidisha is an alumna of the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad.
Get Free Consultation

Select Coursecaret down icon
Selectcaret down icon
By clicking 'Submit' you Agree to  
UpGrad's Terms & Conditions

Our Popular Product Management Course

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1What is meant by data visualisation?

Sometimes, it is difficult to explain to stakeholders the interpretation of data. This is mostly because stakeholders may be people who are experienced in their fields, but may not have sufficient time to go through data in detail to understand its interpretation. This is where data visualisation comes in. This field involves representing data in easy-to-understand formats so that their conclusion is very simple for anyone viewing it to understand. Data visualisation helps product managers and stakeholders take quick, data-based decisions concerning business strategy and sometimes, even financial planning and risk management.

2What is the role of data analytics in product management?

Data analytics is probably one of the most important aspects of product management. Successful product managers have been those who have been able to take the right decisions concerning product strategy, and who have based their decisions on a combination of data as well as experience. These days, there is a lot of data available to firms, but not everyone is equipped to use this data sufficiently to make informed decisions. For instance, data from google analytics lend excellent insights that can help form excellent marketing strategies to capture top of the funnel leads.

3How can I upgrade my skills in data analytics?

Data analytics courses basically enable you to understand how to use vast amounts of data to make informed decisions. There are several tools that aid product managers analyse data – such as R, Python, and more. There are also several platforms available that enable product managers to analyse data without having to master coding languages – one example being Google analytics for marketing strategies. If you wish to acquire data analytics skills, there are several full-time courses to choose from reputed institutes. On the other hand, if you just wish to have an understanding of these tools to manage your existing role as a product manager, you can choose online courses.

Explore Free Courses

Suggested Blogs

Project Manager Salary in India in 2024 [For Freshers & Experienced]
903707
Wondering what is the range of Project Manager Salary in India? Every company wants to have a well-skilled project manager to handle and manage their
Read More

by Dilip Guru

24 Jan 2024

How Much CSPO Certification Cost in 2024? Is it Worth it?
2551
In this rapidly evolving landscape of project management, staying competitive and up-to-date with the latest methodologies is essential. This is where
Read More

by upGrad

25 Sep 2023

How Much PMP Certification Cost in 2024? Is it Worth it?
5159
The Project Management Professional (PMP) certification symbolises proficiency, expertise, and devotion in a growing professional landscape where proj
Read More

by upGrad

24 Sep 2023

Average Product Manager Salary in India in 2024 [For Freshers & Experienced]
41881
Wondering what is the range of Product Manager Salary in India? Are you a product manager? Or are you planning on transitioning to this role? Then th
Read More

by Jitesh Goel

19 Sep 2023

PMP Certification Eligibility Criteria & Requirements In 2024
1901
Adding an emblem of authenticity and credibility to your project management skills, a PMP certification is among the most prestigious certifications f
Read More

by Keerthi Shivakumar

18 Sep 2023

Top 30 PMP Example Questions & Answers for 2024
1342
The Project Management Institute awards the Project Management Professional (PMP) as the world’s most renowned project management qualification.
Read More

by Keerthi Shivakumar

18 Sep 2023

Why Should You Consider Product Management as a Career Option?
10200
Introduction We often come across the title Product Manager and wonder how this role differs from other PM roles. Product Management is a vital funct
Read More

by Jitesh Goel

12 Sep 2023

Product Manager Job Description
899248
The concept of modern Product Management first took shape at Procter & Gamble in 1931. The company wanted to become a brand-centric organisation,
Read More

by Sriram

28 Aug 2023

What is a Project in Project Management? Definition, Features, Types & Examples
Organisations initiate projects to fulfill strategic demands and attain adequate profit margins within a limited period. Each project is planned under
Read More

by upGrad

08 Jul 2023

Schedule 1:1 free counsellingTalk to Career Expert
icon
footer sticky close icon