ThoughtWorks
  • Contact
  • Español
  • Português
  • Deutsch
  • 中文
Go to overview
  • Engineering Culture, Delivery Mindset

    Embrace a modern approach to software development and deliver value faster

    Intelligence-Driven Decision Making

    Leverage your data assets to unlock new sources of value

  • Frictionless Operating Model

    Improve your organization's ability to respond to change

    Platform Strategy

    Create adaptable technology platforms that move with your business strategy

  • Experience Design and Product Capability

    Rapidly design, deliver and evolve exceptional products and experiences

    Partnerships

    Leveraging our network of trusted partners to amplify the outcomes we deliver for our clients

Go to overview
  • Automotive
  • Cleantech, Energy and Utilities
  • Financial Services and Insurance
  • Healthcare
  • Media and Publishing
  • Not-for-profit
  • Public Sector
  • Retail and E-commerce
  • Travel and Transport
Go to overview

Featured

  • Technology

    An in-depth exploration of enterprise technology and engineering excellence

  • Business

    Keep up to date with the latest business and industry insights for digital leaders

  • Culture

    The place for career-building content and tips, and our view on social justice and inclusivity

Digital Publications and Tools

  • Technology Radar

    An opinionated guide to technology frontiers

  • Perspectives

    A publication for digital leaders

  • Digital Fluency Model

    A model for prioritizing the digital capabilities needed to navigate uncertainty

  • Decoder

    The business execs' A-Z guide to technology

All Insights

  • Articles

    Expert insights to help your business grow

  • Blogs

    Personal perspectives from ThoughtWorkers around the globe

  • Books

    Explore our extensive library

  • Podcasts

    Captivating conversations on the latest in business and tech

Go to overview
  • Application process

    What to expect as you interview with us

  • Grads and career changers

    Start your tech career on the right foot

  • Search jobs

    Find open positions in your region

  • Stay connected

    Sign up for our monthly newsletter

Go to overview
  • Conferences and Events
  • Diversity and Inclusion
  • News
  • Open Source
  • Our Leaders
  • Social Change
  • Español
  • Português
  • Deutsch
  • 中文
ThoughtWorksMenu
  • Close   ✕
  • What we do
  • Who we work with
  • Insights
  • Careers
  • About
  • Contact
  • Back
  • Close   ✕
  • Go to overview
  • Engineering Culture, Delivery Mindset

    Embrace a modern approach to software development and deliver value faster

  • Experience Design and Product Capability

    Rapidly design, deliver and evolve exceptional products and experiences

  • Frictionless Operating Model

    Improve your organization's ability to respond to change

  • Intelligence-Driven Decision Making

    Leverage your data assets to unlock new sources of value

  • Partnerships

    Leveraging our network of trusted partners to amplify the outcomes we deliver for our clients

  • Platform Strategy

    Create adaptable technology platforms that move with your business strategy

  • Back
  • Close   ✕
  • Go to overview
  • Automotive
  • Cleantech, Energy and Utilities
  • Financial Services and Insurance
  • Healthcare
  • Media and Publishing
  • Not-for-profit
  • Public Sector
  • Retail and E-commerce
  • Travel and Transport
  • Back
  • Close   ✕
  • Go to overview
  • Featured

  • Technology

    An in-depth exploration of enterprise technology and engineering excellence

  • Business

    Keep up to date with the latest business and industry insights for digital leaders

  • Culture

    The place for career-building content and tips, and our view on social justice and inclusivity

  • Digital Publications and Tools

  • Technology Radar

    An opinionated guide to technology frontiers

  • Perspectives

    A publication for digital leaders

  • Digital Fluency Model

    A model for prioritizing the digital capabilities needed to navigate uncertainty

  • Decoder

    The business execs' A-Z guide to technology

  • All Insights

  • Articles

    Expert insights to help your business grow

  • Blogs

    Personal perspectives from ThoughtWorkers around the globe

  • Books

    Explore our extensive library

  • Podcasts

    Captivating conversations on the latest in business and tech

  • Back
  • Close   ✕
  • Go to overview
  • Application process

    What to expect as you interview with us

  • Grads and career changers

    Start your tech career on the right foot

  • Search jobs

    Find open positions in your region

  • Stay connected

    Sign up for our monthly newsletter

  • Back
  • Close   ✕
  • Go to overview
  • Conferences and Events
  • Diversity and Inclusion
  • News
  • Open Source
  • Our Leaders
  • Social Change
Blogs
Select a topic
View all topicsClose
Technology 
Agile Project Management Cloud Continuous Delivery  Data Science & Engineering Defending the Free Internet Evolutionary Architecture Experience Design IoT Languages, Tools & Frameworks Legacy Modernization Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence Microservices Platforms Security Software Testing Technology Strategy 
Business 
Financial Services Global Health Innovation Retail  Transformation 
Careers 
Career Hacks Diversity & Inclusion Social Change 
Blogs

Topics

Choose a topic
  • Technology
    Technology
  • Technology Overview
  • Agile Project Management
  • Cloud
  • Continuous Delivery
  • Data Science & Engineering
  • Defending the Free Internet
  • Evolutionary Architecture
  • Experience Design
  • IoT
  • Languages, Tools & Frameworks
  • Legacy Modernization
  • Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence
  • Microservices
  • Platforms
  • Security
  • Software Testing
  • Technology Strategy
  • Business
    Business
  • Business Overview
  • Financial Services
  • Global Health
  • Innovation
  • Retail
  • Transformation
  • Careers
    Careers
  • Careers Overview
  • Career Hacks
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • Social Change
Data Science & EngineeringTechnology

Data Visualisation: Good for Business

David Colls and Ray Grasso David Colls and Ray Grasso

Published: Nov 5, 2013

Visualising data provides clarity, increases engagement and delivers unexpected insights. A rapid and adaptive approach to building visualisations can help you realise value with a minimal investment.

Sharing what we’ve learned about data visualisation

ThoughtWorks shared these thoughts and client stories from our work in Perth and Melbourne at an evening briefing in Perth, Western Australia, on 29 October 2013. We talked with a large and enthusiastic audience from diverse backgrounds, all with a common interest in visualising data.

We talked about the origins of visualisation, how visualisation is used today, and discussed why we visualise. Then we walked through client stories showcasing:

  • communications uplift for an energy market operator,
  • operational insights for a major call centre operator, and
  • management clarity at a safety management authority.

We showed how compelling results could be generated very quickly with a rapid and adaptive approach. Of course, all stories were illustrated with beautiful animated visualisations!

Evolving the visualisations         

Above: David shows the evolution of the Call Centre visualisation. 

 

Above: And final result, inspired by the film The Matrix.

To dive deeper, take a tour of the presentation with the slide deck, and get the full story and the many live interactive examples in the video of the presentation.

A few sketch notes from the evening

Gary Barber, an independent user experience consultant, was there and, in the spirit, shared this visual summary of the event.

Try these for yourself

Visualisations are even more engaging when they’re interactive - try these for yourself!

Electricity market

See the Western Australian electricity market from a new perspective. 

Net Promoter Scores done visually

Here we paint a picture with a widely used but poorly understood metric: Net Promoter Score. The visualisation shows what NPS purports to tell you about your customer base.

Fireballs in the Sky

And here’s one you can try on your mobile device. Visualisation is key to the citizen science app (iOS, Android) developed by ThoughtWorks Perth for the Fireballs in the Sky programme. The main characteristics of the meteorite are captured and brought to life with a stunning animation set on a reconstructed night sky background. Numbers that would otherwise only appeal to a hardy cadre of astro-geologists become so engaging that users can’t help but create their own “designer” meteorites.

Why visualise?

Let’s review why we visualise and why it’s good for business.

Why visualisation is great for humans

  • Ease of understanding. We comprehend data through spatial relationships and metaphors.
  • Holistic view. Nothing gives you the big picture like a big picture.
  • Shared view. With an accepted visualisation, teams can direct their energy to action.
  • New insight. A visualisation will show you things you didn’t design it to.

Why visualisation is good for business

  • Engaging communications build your brand and align your workforce
  • Operational visibility gives a clear picture of your organisation
  • Operational insight comes with seeing your data from a new perspective

Rapid and adaptive: results within weeks

You can achieve these results within weeks with the right team and a rapid and adaptive approach - an approach that can be adapted to communications or gaining insight and conducting investigations.

Talk to us

Get in touch with us if you would like to learn more about data visualisation at ThoughtWorks. David Colls is a lead management consultant with a mathematical visualisation bent (find him on LinkedIn or read his blog). Ray Grasso is a lead developer consultant who enjoys thinking up and building products (@grassdog).

  • What we do
  • Who we work with
  • Insights
  • Careers
  • About
  • Contact

WeChat

×
QR code to ThoughtWorks China WeChat subscription account

Media and analyst relations | Privacy policy | Modern Slavery statement ThoughtWorks| Accessibility | © 2021 ThoughtWorks, Inc.