Step 1: Stop and Slow Down

Stop.

The first step is easy in principle, but often hard to do. Before you jump to any conclusions about the data visualization in front of you, stop, slow down and take your time to understand it.

As we’ve discussed, data visualizations can be very powerful, persuasive and sometimes overwhelming. When you come across a chart, graph or other visualization you haven’t seen before, don’t feel pressured to understand it straight away. Take the time to understand what the visualization is trying to say by analyzing its features and contents, as any patterns, relationships or outliers that you notice. More on this in the next steps!