Week 1 was all about Alteryx and this week we turned our attention to Tableau. With the Data School application process built around the data visualisation software, we all at least had an idea of what was to come. However, much of the training was about taking us right back to the basics to hopefully iron out any unwanted habits picked up along our Tableau journeys so far.

Monday: Based around Part 1 of  Stephen Few's book Now You See It, we ran through the foundations behind visual data sensemaking to reignite our understanding of how and why visualising data can be so powerful. Throughout the morning we were looking at charts and pointing out what works well, what could be improved and then redesigning our own. In the afternoon, we also looked at how to make the most of containers before building a very quick dashboard that we had to upload to Tableau Public.

Tuesday: How many different chart types can you build in a day? The answer to that would be around 45. We spent the day going through basic principles and chart types to refamiliarise ourselves with the many tools at our disposal. To finish with, we had a quick chat with Dan about placements and what we can expect from them.  

Wednesday: We started going through the Tableau platform as a whole with Nora. This was more of a behind the scenes tour of Tableau, looking at Server, Prep Builder and Desktop and how they all interact. At the end of the day we had a bit a free time to work on our Alteryx skills and complete a couple of weekly challenges ahead of a fast approaching Designer Core Certification exam.

Thursday: More Tableau Time with Carl. We covered a lot over the course of the day, including filtering, sorting, grouping, sets and more. To round off, we did a quick exercise where each of us had to research a section of functions for calculated fields and present their purpose back to the team.

Friday: For this week's project, Andy tasked us with building as many chart types as possible in Tableau, taking inspiration from Chart Guide's all encompassing poster. With a focus on quality over quantity, I looked at the categories section and replicated 12 charts before placing them in a dashboard that was designed using containers. My presentation went well and it was interesting to see how each of us approached the brief. To cap the week off, again we watched DS25’s client presentation that had a focus on Snowflake.

Next week we’ll be back to Alteryx and preparing for the Designer Core Certification exam. Bring it on!