Data Visualization for Business Decisions: A Laboratory Manual

Good business charts do more than display numbers: they help an audience see the point. In Data Visualization for Business Decisions: A Laboratory Manual, Andres Fortino gives business analysts a structured way to examine a visual, identify what may be getting in the way, and describe how it could communicate more clearly.

This is a qualitative workbook, not a chart-building tutorial. Its guided labs train the reader to look closely, ask better questions, and refine visuals intended to support business decisions.

Six dimensions for examining visuals

The exercises are grouped into six dimensions—Story, Signs, Purpose, Perception, Method, and Charts—with three labs devoted to each. Together, they address how visuals communicate, who they serve, how people perceive them, and how choices such as color, titles, and chart type affect the message.

Practice the observe–analyze–refine process

Early chapters introduce the lab format, a case study, and an analysis tool. Later exercises apply the approach to subjects including visual storytelling, communication systems, audience needs, Gestalt principles, chart quality, color, chart clutter, and choosing between charts and tables. The emphasis is on developing judgment: noticing what a visual is doing and articulating what could be improved.

Apply the framework to a case study

The manual includes a case-study document and an expert-opinion solution, followed by analysis of additional case-study slides. The preface identifies the case as a set of slides promoting a proposal to raise the U.S. minimum wage. Companion slides, an analysis worksheet, and video tutorials are also described; the book directs readers to contact the publisher for information about obtaining those materials.

For analysts who need to make the point clearly

Written for business analysts and others who analyze data, this third edition suits readers who want to strengthen their ability to assess charts and communicate findings—not simply produce another graph. It offers a repeatable framework for thinking through the visual choices that help business information make sense to its audience.