Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, we have a number of tools to assist us in the efficient visualisation of data. The first and most important step to visualising data is to actually map it out. With NoMaze, you can import your data in a variety of formats and use their mapping tool to visually map out your data. shape-shifting charts are a fantastic way to represent data.
If you are reading this, I assume you are either involved in plant breeding or are looking into it.
You have probably heard about how important visualising data can be. After all, we can understand so much more quickly and easily when presented in graphical form. Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, we have a number of tools to assist us in the efficient visualisation of data.
Let's have a look at how effective these tools can be in better understanding our plant breeding data.
The first and most important step to visualising data is to actually map it out. This means making a visual representation of the data - drawing a chart, graph or map. While there are various online tools available to help with this process, it can be extremely time-consuming to do it manually. Luckily, there are tools that can make this process much easier – such as NoMaze. With NoMaze, you can import your data in a variety of formats (such as XLS, CSV or JSON), and using their mapping tool, you can visually map out your data in no time at all.
Shape-shifting charts are a fantastic way to represent data. The name gives it away – as the name suggests, this type of chart can change its shape based on the data it is being shown. To make a shape-shifting chart, you will need to follow a few simple steps. First, you will need to select a two-dimensional chart type (such as a scatter plot or a bar chart), and then you can use their tool to draw the chart. Once you have your chart visualised, you can use a few simple tools to make it change shape based on the data.
One advantage of using shape shifting charts is that you can overlay different types of data on top of one another, meaning you can see various trends at a glance. For example, you can have a scatter plot showing the cost of a plant against its fruitfulness, or two bar charts comparing the cost of plants of different generations.
Diagrams are perhaps the simplest and most basic way to represent a trend or an idea. The beauty of a diagram is that it is so simple to make, and it can often be done in such a way that makes the underlying concept easy to understand. To make a diagram, you will need to start with a blank page, and then using a pencil or a laptop, you can just draw the diagram to show the underlying idea.
The simplicity of diagrams means that you can often overlay other information on top of them – making it a versatile tool in your data visualisation toolkit. You can use diagrams to show the flow of a program, the relationships between different variables, or even to visualise the genetic make-up of a plant or animal. Diagrams are often used in science and technology to demonstrate a concept or idea, so it is no surprise that they are also extremely useful in plant breeding data visualisation.
Word clouds are a fantastic way to represent data, and thanks to the power of the internet, we have many tools to make creating one easy. A word cloud is essentially a graphical representation of words (such as names or phrases) that appear repeatedly in the text you are viewing. To make a word cloud, simply copy and paste the text you want to represent into a word processing program, and then using the pull-down menus in the program, you can select the words you want to appear in your word cloud. An easy way of generating a word cloud is to just type the text into the program and let it do the work for you.
The advantage of making word clouds is that you can represent a large amount of text in a small amount of space – allowing you to pack a lot of information into a small package. You can use a word cloud to represent the commonly used scientific phrases in a particular field, or you can use a cloud to represent the common responses to a set of questions about a certain topic. Either way, word clouds are a great way to quickly get a general idea of a topic without having to wade through countless pages of text.
Bubble maps are so much fun to make. Imagine having an enormous amount of data, and you want to see how people are interacting with each other based on the data. For example, you can have a bubble map showing the cities where people are searching for jobs, or you can use a bubble map to show the countries where your products are most in demand.
The beauty of a bubble map is that you can represent a large amount of data in a simple and eye-catching way – making it the ultimate ‘data visualization tool.' To make a bubble map, you will need to start with a blank page and use a coloured pencil or a highlighter to draw bubbles on the page. Then, using an online tool, you can simply enter the data and voila – you have a bubble map to show your interaction or trends within the data.
Bubble maps are versatile enough to be used in a number of different ways, so you can be sure there is a use for them in your toolbox. You could use a bubble map to represent the competition in your industry or the popularity of a certain plant variety, and the possibilities are endless.
Tree maps are a fantastic way of visually representing data, and thanks to the rise of the internet, we have many tools to make creating one easy. A tree map is essentially a diagram with the pieces of information being represented as branches leading to a central point, or ‘root' – representing the ‘seed' of that particular tree. To make a tree map, you will need to start with a blank page and then using a pencil or a laptop, take it in turns to draw the branches – with one person ‘trimming' the tree and another person ‘planting' it. When the first person is done, the second person can take it in turns to add the ‘leaves' to the map. When the leaves are in place, you can use a software tool to arrange the branches in the most logical way to make a pleasing tree map.
The advantage of making tree maps is that you can represent a large amount of data in an aesthetically pleasing way – making it a useful tool for anyone, regardless of whether or not they are a plant breeder. You can use a tree map to compare the performance of different plant varieties or to plot the success of a certain treatment against time – helping you to quickly identify any patterns and key takeaways from the data.
Treemaps can be used in many ways, but for the purposes of this article, we will discuss how to make them with circles or squares. A treemap with circles is a simple and quick way of representing data, using circles to plot the value of a certain factor or metric against its ranking. A treemap with squares is the dual of a circle treemap, using squares to plot the value of a certain factor or metric against its position on a grid. Either way, you can use a treemap to show the relationship between two or more variables, making them a versatile tool to have in your data visualisation kit.
A fantastic advantage of using circles and squares is that you can change the size of the circle or square to represent different scales of measurement. If you are comparing the performance of different varieties of a plant, you can make the sizes of the circles or squares proportional to the values you are measuring – helping you to make the comparison easy for the reader. If you are looking for quick insights into your data, you can do the same with the squares – making the overall presentation very visual and appealing.
Venn diagrams are a fantastic way of visually representing data. Essentially, a venn diagram is two or more circles overlapping, with the areas within the diagram representing the intersection or ‘interaction' of the circles. Making a venn diagram is fairly simple – you will just need to take it in turns to draw the circles and then glue the pieces of circle paper together when complete. While there are a variety of different tools to make creating venn diagrams easier – such as Glorious Code – if you are looking for something free, you can use Wordle, which allows you to make venn diagrams directly in a word processing program.
