BUS 225 4-2 discussion: developing visualizations for your story

Introduction to BUS 225 4-2 Discussion

This Owlisdom How-To Guide aims to assist you in effectively completing the task of analyzing sales data for a new restaurant and creating visualizations to aid decision-making. Following these guidelines, you can learn how to interpret data, choose appropriate visualizations, consider audience preferences, and quickly solve BUS 225 4-2 discussion: developing visualizations for your story.

What have you been able to identify through the visual representation of the data?

Understanding Data Visualization

We will first understand the data visualization to start the BUS 225 4-2 discussion: developing visualizations for your story.

• Analyze the provided sales data to identify trends and patterns.
• Select critical insights to be visualized.
• Choose appropriate visualization types (e.g., bar charts, line graphs) based on the nature of the data and the insights you want to convey.

Example

I have identified several key trends and patterns through the sales data analysis. Pizza and burgers consistently increase monthly sales, indicating strong and growing demand. Conversely, the pasta, salad, and soup sales demonstrate more modest growth, suggesting a stable but less dynamic market presence.

For visualization, I would choose a line graph to depict the sales trends for pizza and burgers due to their dynamic growth, highlighting their success and popularity. A bar chart might be more suitable for pasta, salad, and soup, illustrating their steady sales over the months.

This approach allows for a clear and compelling presentation of data, adhering to the principles of modern liberal arts by combining analytical rigor with strategic communication. This ensures that the data is understood in a business context and appreciated for its broader implications on strategic decision-making.

What kind of graphic have you selected and why?

Creating Effective Visualizations:

Next, in BUS 225 4-2 discussion: developing visualizations for your story. We will create compelling visuals based on the data.

• Utilize software tools such as Excel or Google Sheets to create visual representations of the data.
• Ensure clarity and accuracy in labeling axes, titles, and data points.
• Select colors and formatting that enhance readability and visual appeal.

Example

I created a stacked bar chart using Google Sheets for the sales data visualization. This format allows for a clear month-by-month comparison of all food items, showcasing how each contributes to the total sales over time. The stacked layout helps understand the proportionate contribution of each item, like pizza, burgers, pasta, salad, and soup, to the overall revenue.

Each bar will be distinctly colored to differentiate between food items, ensuring that the chart is visually appealing and easy to read. Axes will be clearly labeled with months on the x-axis and sales figures on the y-axis, and each segment will be annotated to show exact sales numbers. This simple yet effective graphical representation adheres to the liberal arts approach of synthesizing information in a manner accessible to diverse audiences, facilitating informed decision-making.

How would this visualization need to be changed based on your audience?

Considering Audience Preferences

The next section of BUS 225 4-2 discussion: developing visualizations for your story revolves around considering audience preferences while creating visuals.

• Understand the demographics and knowledge level of your audience.
• Adapt the complexity of visualizations; accordingly, simplify for non-technical audiences and provide detailed insights for experts.
• Consider the context in which the data will be presented and adjust visualizations to suit the audience’s needs and expectations.

Example

Adapting visualizations to the audience is essential for clarity and engagement. Simple bar or pie charts with clear labels and minimal jargon are best for non-technical viewers. These focus on broad trends and are easy to understand. For experts, more complex visuals like stacked bars or line graphs with detailed data allow for deeper analysis. Both approaches should leverage the liberal arts focus on clarity and critical thinking, ensuring the visuals are informative and accessible, supporting informed decision-making.

Do you think your peer’s data visualization clarifies the data or makes it more confusing? Why and how so?

Peer Response

Responding to peers is one of the vital parts of the BUS 225 4-2 discussion: developing visualizations for your story posts. We need to provide at least two peer responses. I will provide one example post. You can write your peer responses by keeping the below points in mind.

• Evaluate your peers’ visualizations based on clarity, accuracy, and relevance.
• Provide constructive feedback on whether the visualization enhances understanding or adds confusion.
• Support your evaluation with specific examples and suggestions for improvement.

Response 01

Your visualization presents the data clearly, enhancing understanding significantly. The choice of a stacked bar chart effectively delineates the monthly sales of different food items, making it easy to observe trends at a glance. However, to reduce potential confusion, consider using a more distinct color palette to differentiate between items further. This would help viewers quickly identify each category without mixing them up, especially in months when sales volumes are close. 

Closing

BUS 225 4-2 Discussion enhances your mastery of data visualization and analysis skills, which is crucial for effective decision-making in business settings. By following the BUS 225 4-2 discussion: developing visualizations for your story guide, you can learn to interpret data, create meaningful visualizations, and cater to the preferences of your target audience.
In the next module of BUS-225, we will explore the 5-1 Project Two on Data Analysis and Decision-Making,