Microsoft Excel: Data Visualization, Excel Charts & Graphs from Udemy

What's inside

Learning objectives

Understand when, why, and how to use 20+ chart types in excel 2016+
Learn advanced excel tools like automated dashboards, scrolling charts, dynamic formats, and more
Master unique tips, tools and case studies that you won't find in any other excel course, guaranteed

Explore fun, interactive, and highly effective lessons from a best-selling excel instructor
Get lifetime access to project files, quizzes, homework exercises, and 1-on-1 expert support
Build 10+ excel projects designed to take your data visualization skills to the next level

Understand when, why, and how to use 20+ chart types in excel 2016+
Learn advanced excel tools like automated dashboards, scrolling charts, dynamic formats, and more
Master unique tips, tools and case studies that you won't find in any other excel course, guaranteed
Explore fun, interactive, and highly effective lessons from a best-selling excel instructor
Get lifetime access to project files, quizzes, homework exercises, and 1-on-1 expert support
Build 10+ excel projects designed to take your data visualization skills to the next level

Syllabus

Getting Started

Course Structure & Outline

READ ME: Important Notes for New Students

DOWNLOAD: Course Resources

Setting Expectations

Learn the keys to designing exceptional visualizations

Data visualization is about creating clear, powerful narratives and striking a balance between design and function. This lecture reviews several key data visualization principles and demonstrates the "10-Second Rule" to test the effectiveness of a given chart or graph.

This lecture covers several examples of strong, weak, and just plain ugly data visualizations. Learn about the importance of using chart elements effectively, minimizing noise, and choosing the correct chart types.

This lecture reviews the three key questions that you should ask yourself when designing data visualizations, including what type of data are you working with, what you're trying to communicate, and who will be the end user consuming the information.

Review chart elements, formatting options, and custom templates in Excel

This lecture serves as a quick review of chart customization in Excel 2016, including chart elements, layout options, colors and styles.

This lecture reviews basic chart formatting options, including applying options in both the format ribbon and formatting pane as well as customizing individual chart elements.

This lecture reviews when and how to change chart types in Excel, and demonstrates several methods of adding a secondary chart axis to visualize multiple data series.

This lecture demonstrates how to create and save new chart templates in Excel 2016.

Excel Chart Customization

Explore each of the 20+ chart types in Excel with interactive, hands-on exercises

This lecture reviews when, why, and how to use bar and column charts in Excel (basic, stacked, and clustered), including pro tips, sample data sets, and hands-on exercises in Excel 2016.

HOMEWORK: Bar & Column Charts

This lecture reviews when, why, and how to use histograms and pareto charts in Excel, including pro tips, sample data sets, and hands-on exercises in Excel 2016.

HOMEWORK: Histograms & Pareto Charts

This lecture reviews when, why, and how to use line charts and trendlines (linear, logarithmic, polynomial, etc) in Excel, including pro tips, sample data sets, and hands-on exercises in Excel 2016.

HOMEWORK: Line Charts & Trendlines

This lecture reviews when, why, and how to use area charts in Excel, including pro tips, sample data sets, and hands-on exercises in Excel 2016.

HOMEWORK: Area Charts

This lecture reviews when, why, and how to use pie, donut, and custom race track charts and visualizations in Excel, including pro tips, sample data sets, and hands-on exercises in Excel 2016.

HOMEWORK: Pies, Donuts & Race Tracks

This lecture reviews when, why, and how to use scatter plots in Excel, including pro tips, sample data sets, and hands-on exercises in Excel 2016.

This lecture reviews when, why, and how to use bubble charts in Excel, including pro tips, sample data sets, and hands-on exercises in Excel 2016.

HOMEWORK: Scatter Plots & Bubble Charts

This lecture reviews when, why, and how to use box & whisker charts and graphs in Excel, including pro tips, sample data sets, and hands-on exercises in Excel 2016.

HOMEWORK: Box & Whisker Charts

Excel's Tree Map and Sunburst charts are ideal for visualizing hierarchical data that falls into natural groups and subgroups. In this demo, we'll explore movie titles and employee records to practice building and customizing our own tree maps and sunbursts.

HOMEWORK: Tree Maps & Sunburst Charts

This lecture reviews when, why, and how to use waterfall charts in Excel, including pro tips, sample data sets, and hands-on exercises in Excel 2016.

This lecture reviews when, why, and how to use funnel charts in Excel, including pro tips, sample data sets, and hands-on exercises in Excel 2016.

HOMEWORK: Waterfall & Funnel Charts

This lecture reviews when, why, and how to use radar charts in Excel, including pro tips, sample data sets, and hands-on exercises in Excel 2016. This lecture also covers the importance of normalizing data sets to create consistent scales and more effective visualizations.

HOMEWORK: Radar Charts

This lecture reviews when, why, and how to use stock charts in Excel, including pro tips, sample data sets, and hands-on exercises in Excel 2016.

HOMEWORK: Stock Charts

This lecture reviews when, why, and how to use cell-formatted heat maps in Excel, including pro tips, sample data sets, and hands-on exercises in Excel 2016.

HOMEWORK: Heat Maps

This lecture reviews when, why, and how to use surface and contour charts in Excel, including pro tips, sample data sets, and hands-on exercises in Excel 2016.

HOMEWORK: Surface & Contour Charts

This lecture serves as a brief introduction to Excel's Power Map tool, and reviews a sample exercise showcasing state-level geo-spatial mapping in Excel 2016.

HOMEWORK: Power Map

This lecture reviews when, why, and how to use combo charts in Excel, and reviews sample exercises showcasing combinations of line, column, and stacked area charts in Excel 2016.

HOMEWORK: Combo Charts

This lecture reviews when, why, and how to use cell sparklines in Excel, including a hands-on demo in Excel 2016.

HOMEWORK: Sparklines

Basic Excel Chart Types

Master advanced techniques to create powerful interactive visualizations in Excel

This Excel demo showcases how you can combine basic stacked column charts with custom graphics to create image overlay charts.

This Excel demo showcases how to use binary values and stacked column charts to highlight specific dates or date ranges within a chart.

This Excel demo showcases how to use OFFSET and COUNTA functions within named ranges to dynamically update charts as new data points are added.

This Excel demo showcases how to use scrollbar form controls, OFFSET functions, and named arrays to create charts that users can dynamically scroll and zoom.

This Excel demo shows you how to create a dynamic source array using basic SUMIFS functions, and combine form controls with data validation lists to create charts that show animation over time.

In this Excel demo, users will populate a sample dashboard using SUMIFS functions, data validation lists, custom conditional formatting rules, and combo charts.

This Excel demo builds on the previous dashboard example, and showcases how to create dynamic charts and graphs that can display different metrics based on user-selected values.

This Excel demo showcases how to create formula-based chart formatting rules to highlight data points based on underlying values.

In this Excel demo, users will learn how to create charts and graphs that dynamically highlight specific data series based on user-selected values.

This Excel demo is all about using combo charts and creative formatting to design a custom pacing chart.

In this Excel demo, we'll combine a donut chart with a scatter plot and incorporate some trigonometry functions to build a custom gauge & needle effect.

This Excel demo showcases how array functions and scatter plots can be used to build a custom percentage visualization built from 100 individual data markers.

Advanced Excel Data Visualization Techniques

Wrapping Up

BONUS LESSON

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Develops professional skills or deep expertise in data visualization

Taught by Chris Dutton and Maven Analytics, who are recognized for their work in data visualization

Covers unique perspectives are ideas that may add color to other topics and subjects

Takes a creative approach to an otherwise established topic, field, or subject

Teaches tools that are highly relevant to industry

Teaches tools that are highly relevant in an academic setting

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Microsoft Excel: Data Visualization, Excel Charts & Graphs with these activities:

Review Excel Charting Fundamentals

Show steps

Review the fundamentals of Excel charting, solidifying your understanding of basic chart types, formatting options, and data visualization principles.

Browse courses on Data Visualization

Show steps

Access course materials or online resources on Excel charting
Review concepts such as chart types, axes, legends, and data labels
Practice creating and customizing basic charts in Excel

Excel Chart Type Matching Quiz

Show steps

Take a quiz to test your knowledge of different Excel chart types and their appropriate uses, reinforcing your understanding of data visualization principles.

Show steps

Access the quiz online or through the course platform
Match various chart types with their corresponding descriptions or data sets
Review your results and learn from any mistakes

Excel Power BI Integration Tutorial

Show steps

Follow a guided tutorial to learn how to integrate Excel with Power BI, expanding your data visualization capabilities and creating more powerful reports.

Browse courses on Data Visualization

Show steps

Install the Power BI add-in for Excel
Connect Excel data to Power BI
Create and customize Power BI visualizations
Publish and share Power BI reports
Explore additional features and resources for Excel-Power BI integration

Four other activities

Expand to see all activities and additional details

Show all seven activities

Excel Data Visualization Study Group

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Join or organize a study group with peers to discuss advanced Excel data visualization techniques, share tips, and work on projects together.

Browse courses on Data Visualization

Show steps

Find or create a study group with like-minded individuals
Set regular meeting times and establish a study plan
Discuss course concepts, share resources, and work on group projects
Provide feedback and support to each other
Evaluate progress and make adjustments to the study plan as needed

Custom Excel Chart Tutorial

Show steps

Create a step-by-step tutorial demonstrating how to create a custom Excel chart, showcasing your knowledge of advanced formatting and design techniques.

Browse courses on Data Visualization

Show steps

Choose a suitable chart type and data set
Customize chart elements and formatting
Add additional features such as annotations or trendlines
Record and edit a screencast tutorial
Share the tutorial on a platform like YouTube or LinkedIn

Interactive Excel Dashboard Template

Show steps

Build a custom Excel dashboard from scratch to practice your data visualization skills and gain hands-on experience with advanced Excel features.

Browse courses on Data Visualization

Show steps

Gather data and determine dashboard requirements
Design the dashboard layout and visuals
Create and format charts and graphs
Add interactivity and dynamic elements
Test and refine the dashboard

Contribute to the Excel-DNA Open-Source Project

Show steps

Contribute to the open-source Excel-DNA project, gaining hands-on experience with advanced Excel customization and extending your knowledge of .NET development.

Show steps

Familiarize yourself with the Excel-DNA project and its documentation
Identify an area for contribution or propose a new feature
Develop and test your code contributions
Submit a pull request to the Excel-DNA repository
Collaborate with the Excel-DNA community

Career center

Learners who complete Microsoft Excel: Data Visualization, Excel Charts & Graphs will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Business Intelligence Analyst

Business Intelligence Analysts provide valuable insights to businesses by analyzing data and identifying trends. They use data visualization tools to present complex data in a clear and concise manner. This course provides a thorough understanding of Excel's data visualization capabilities, including advanced techniques for creating interactive and dynamic dashboards. With the skills gained from this course, Business Intelligence Analysts can effectively communicate data insights to stakeholders and support informed decision-making.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Intelligence Analyst

Data Analyst

Data Analysts play a key role in making data-driven decisions that improve business outcomes. They collect, analyze, and interpret data to identify trends, patterns, and insights. This course provides a comprehensive understanding of Excel's data visualization tools and techniques that can help Data Analysts effectively present and communicate data to stakeholders. The advanced techniques covered, such as custom image overlay charts, automated dashboards, and dynamic formatting, empower Data Analysts with the skills to create visually impactful and actionable visualizations.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Analyst

Data Scientist

Data Scientists use their expertise in data analysis, machine learning, and statistics to solve complex business problems. They often work with large datasets and require proficiency in data visualization techniques to communicate their findings. This course provides a solid foundation in Excel's data visualization tools, along with advanced techniques such as custom chart formatting and grid visuals using Excel array formulas. These skills empower Data Scientists to create compelling data visualizations that effectively convey insights and support data-driven decision-making.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Scientist

Financial Analyst

Financial Analysts use data analysis and visualization techniques to assess financial performance, make investment recommendations, and develop financial models. This course provides a comprehensive understanding of Excel's charts and graphs, including advanced features like custom gauge charts and value-based chart formatting. These skills enable Financial Analysts to present complex financial data in a clear and impactful way, supporting informed investment decisions and financial planning.

See salaries and explore the career path for Financial Analyst

Marketing Analyst

Marketing Analysts use data to understand customer behavior, market trends, and campaign effectiveness. They rely on data visualization tools to effectively communicate their findings to stakeholders. This course provides a deep understanding of Excel's data visualization capabilities, including advanced techniques for creating custom combo charts and sparklines. These skills empower Marketing Analysts to create visually engaging and informative dashboards that support data-driven marketing strategies.

See salaries and explore the career path for Marketing Analyst

Project Manager

Project Managers oversee the planning, execution, and completion of projects. They often use data visualization techniques to track project progress, identify risks, and communicate project status to stakeholders. This course provides a solid foundation in Excel's data visualization tools, including advanced features such as automated charts with named ranges and scroll & zoom functionality. These skills enable Project Managers to create visually compelling and informative project dashboards that effectively communicate project data and support successful project completion.

See salaries and explore the career path for Project Manager

Operations Analyst

Operations Analysts use data analysis techniques to improve operational efficiency and productivity. They leverage data visualization tools to communicate their findings and recommendations to stakeholders. This course provides a comprehensive understanding of Excel's data visualization capabilities, including advanced techniques for creating animated charts and dynamic dashboards. With these skills, Operations Analysts can effectively communicate complex operational data and insights, supporting informed decision-making and operational improvements.

See salaries and explore the career path for Operations Analyst

Data Visualization Specialist

Data Visualization Specialists focus on creating clear and effective data visualizations to communicate insights and support decision-making. This course provides a comprehensive understanding of Excel's data visualization capabilities, from basic charts to advanced techniques like tree maps, sunbursts, and geospatial maps. With the skills gained from this course, Data Visualization Specialists can create visually impactful and actionable visualizations that effectively convey data insights to stakeholders.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Visualization Specialist

Information Architect

Information Architects design and organize the structure and presentation of information to improve user experience and accessibility. They often use data visualization techniques to communicate their ideas and recommendations to stakeholders. This course provides a solid foundation in Excel's data visualization capabilities, enabling Information Architects to effectively present complex data in a clear and concise manner. The advanced techniques covered, such as custom image overlay charts and dynamic dashboards, empower them to create visually impactful and actionable visualizations that support informed decision-making.

See salaries and explore the career path for Information Architect

Business Consultant

Business Consultants provide advice and guidance to businesses on a wide range of issues, including strategy, operations, and technology. They often use data visualization techniques to communicate their findings and recommendations to clients. This course provides a solid foundation in Excel's data visualization tools, enabling Business Consultants to effectively present complex data in a clear and concise manner. The advanced techniques covered, such as custom image overlay charts and dynamic dashboards, empower them to create visually impactful and actionable visualizations that support informed business decisions.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Consultant

User Experience (UX) Designer

User Experience (UX) Designers focus on improving the user experience of products and services. They often use data visualization techniques to understand user behavior and preferences. This course provides a solid foundation in Excel's data visualization capabilities, enabling UX Designers to effectively present complex data in a clear and concise manner. The advanced techniques covered, such as custom image overlay charts and dynamic dashboards, empower them to create visually impactful and actionable visualizations that support informed design decisions.

See salaries and explore the career path for User Experience (UX) Designer

Technical Writer

Technical Writers create documentation and instructions for software, products, and services. They often use data visualization techniques to explain complex technical concepts in a clear and concise manner. This course provides a solid foundation in Excel's data visualization capabilities, enabling Technical Writers to effectively present complex data in a clear and concise manner. The advanced techniques covered, such as custom image overlay charts and dynamic dashboards, empower them to create visually impactful and actionable visualizations that support improved user understanding.

See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Writer

Market Researcher

Market Researchers conduct research to understand customer needs, preferences, and behaviors. They often use data visualization techniques to communicate their findings to stakeholders. This course provides a solid foundation in Excel's data visualization capabilities, enabling Market Researchers to effectively present complex data in a clear and concise manner. The advanced techniques covered, such as custom image overlay charts and dynamic dashboards, empower them to create visually impactful and actionable visualizations that support informed marketing strategies.

See salaries and explore the career path for Market Researcher

Web Developer

Web Developers design and develop websites and web applications. They often use data visualization techniques to present data and information in a visually engaging and interactive manner. This course provides a solid foundation in Excel's data visualization capabilities, enabling Web Developers to effectively present complex data in a clear and concise manner. The advanced techniques covered, such as custom image overlay charts and dynamic dashboards, empower them to create visually impactful and actionable visualizations that enhance the user experience of their web applications.

See salaries and explore the career path for Web Developer

Software Engineer

Software Engineers design, develop, and maintain software applications. They often use data visualization techniques to understand the behavior and performance of their software systems. This course provides a solid foundation in Excel's data visualization capabilities, enabling Software Engineers to effectively present complex data in a clear and concise manner. The advanced techniques covered, such as custom image overlay charts and dynamic dashboards, empower them to create visually impactful and actionable visualizations that support informed software development decisions.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Engineer