10 Tableau Maxims
What is a maxim? According to Merriam-Webster: “A general truth, fundamental principle or rule of conduct.” Recently, I read a book called “Clear and Simple as the Truth” that got me thinking about maxims. The authors reference a French essayist named François de La Rochefoucauld, who wrote a book of maxims translated into English as “Reflections; or Sentences and […]
Row-Level Highlighting in Tableau
Highlight tables can be a great way to help users quickly spot the most interesting values in a table of numbers. In cases where multiple variables are displayed, Measure Values can be used to apply a single color scheme to all of the values in a table. Unless the variables are very similar, applying the […]
Tableau Essentials: Chart Types – Packed Bubbles
The packed bubbles view, also known as a bubble chart, is a means to show relational value without regards to axes. The bubbles are packed in as tightly as possible to make efficient use of space. There are a lot of different ways to use this information, particularly with a data set that uses a […]
Grappling with Data: The 2014 IBJJF Seattle International Open Visualized in Tableau
In this post, we’ll have a little fun with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or BJJ for short. I recently began training in BJJ at the Renzo Gracie Academy in Portland, OR. I feel very fortunate to have found a facility full of great people to be around, both on and off the mat. For those of you […]
What Tableau IS and IS NOT
During the Christmas holiday, I noticed this tweet from a friend, Paul Banoub: This frustration isn’t uncommon. About 25% of the clients I’ve worked with during the last seven years have underutilized Tableau initially because they didn’t use Tableau’s visual analytics (available via Show Me) to display information. What Tableau IS Tableau is a visual […]
Fixing a Jumpy Mouse in Windows Server 2012 R2 Remote Desktop
When remote-connecting to a Windows Server 2012 or 2012 R2 computer, I have noticed that the mouse movement on the screen is often jerky and frustrating! There is a very easy fix for this. Simply edit the Mouse Properties to disable pointer shadow. Go to: Control Panel > Hardware > Mouse Select the Pointers […]
Tableau Essentials: Chart Types – Bullet Graph
A bullet graph is a very powerful way to compare data against historical performance or pre-assigned thresholds. As you’ll see, we can include a lot of information in a small space with this type of chart that is also Tableau’s answer to those looking for a gauge or meter visualization. A bullet graph is similar […]
Our Tableau Vizmas Wish List: 16 Things Our Consultants Want This Year
With the holiday season well upon us, we can’t help but think of all the wonderful giving that’s going to take place in a few short days. But let’s face it, we’ve all pondered about what we’re going to get this year. Don’t tell me you haven’t been eyeing that $100 pair of monogrammed cashmere […]
3 Ways to Help Your Tableau Deployment
During the past year, I’ve given lots of speeches and spoken with hundreds of people that are using Tableau. Many are expanding their Tableau Server deployments. Most people want to know how to ensure success or improve the utilization of the tool. They want to know best practices or how to improve their own work […]
5 Benefits of DataGravity’s Groundbreaking Data-Aware Storage Platform
There’s a lot of buzz surrounding DataGravity lately, especially on the InterWorks blog. We’ve shared our in-depth Discovery Series blog series and even started creating Discovery Series Solution Shorts. That said, not everyone speaks tech. I thought it would be nice to share a high-level overview of data-aware storage from DataGravity. Data-aware storage, pioneered by DataGravity, […]