Data visualization, or datavis for short, once considered to be nothing more than slideshows of pie charts, is now a booming industry in its own right as more and more organisations look to turn reams of data into useable information.
Since humans first developed more complex navigational equipment and began exploring distant lands thousands of years ago, they have been taking raw data, in the form of geographical information and landmarks, and turning it into easily readable representations of it — maps.
This, in essence, is what datavis is today for the thousands of companies using it on a daily basis.
But in a field of technology that is rapidly changing in terms of our understanding and ability to harness data through machine learning, how do we keep up with the pace?
Words by Colm Gorey.
