Highlight Data Variations with Tableau Heat Maps
A heat map is a chart type that is used to visualize data in a matrix or grid format, where the values are represented by colors. Heat maps are commonly used to show patterns and trends in data, and can be useful for identifying areas of high and low density or for comparing the values of different categories or groups.
Data analysts, scientists, statisticians, and others can use Tableau, a very potent data visualisation application, to show the data and form a clear conclusion based on the data analysis. Tableau is well-known for its ability to quickly process data input and provide the necessary data visualisation output.
In Tableau, you can create heat maps using the “Heat Map” chart type. For creating a heat map in Tableau, follow these steps:
- Connect to a data source and drag the fields that you want to use to create the heat map to the Columns and Rows shelves. The field on the Columns shelf will represent the categories or groups for the heat map, and the field on the Rows shelf will represent the values for each category or group.
- From the Show Me menu, select the “Heat Map” chart type. This will create a basic heat map based on the fields that you selected.
- Customize the appearance of the heat map as needed. You can change the colors, labels, and other formatting options for the heat map using the formatting options in the top menu.
Heat maps are a useful tool for visualizing patterns and trends in data, and can be especially helpful for identifying areas of high and low density or for comparing the values of different categories or groups. They are commonly used in fields such as market research, finance, and healthcare to identify trends and patterns in large datasets.
A heatmap: A graphical representation of data that uses colour to show the matrix’s value. Brighter, primarily reddish hues are employed in this to symbolise more widespread values or higher levels of activity, whereas darker colours are favoured to signify less widespread values or lower levels of activity. The term “heatmap” is also used to describe the shading matrix.