Tableau Training: Telling stories with data

NOTE: This training workshop is now over. However, if you'd like to be alerted when future Tableau Training is scheduled, just add your name here. Chad Skelton also offers onsite Tableau Training for larger groups.

This two-day, hands-on workshop with award-winning data journalist Chad Skelton will teach you the fundamentals of Tableau, the world's leading data visualization software, as well as the principles of good data storytelling.

You'll learn the technical skills you need to use Tableau effectively to analyze and visualize your data. And you'll also learn the art of telling stories with data -- from how to choose the right chart type to designing engaging Dashboards -- from someone with years of experience building popular interactive maps and charts.

The workshop is open to anyone with an interest in data. Past participants have come from fields as diverse as government, journalism, the corporate sector and unions. Attendance is capped at 12 participants.

Date: Saturday, Sept. 24 - Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016
Time: 10am - 4:30pm each day, with an hour break for lunch
Where: SFU Harbour Centre, 515 West Hastings, Vancouver, BC
Price: $569 + GST

NOTE: You must bring your own laptop to the workshop with Tableau Public already installed (more details below).

If you're not able to attend this workshop but would like to be alerted when the next one is scheduled, just add your name here.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

This workshop will teach you the fundamentals of how to use Tableau to analyze and visualize your data, including:

• Data visualization best practices
• How to make static charts in Tableau
• How to make interactive Dashboards
• How saving and publishing works in Tableau
• How to reshape your data for proper analysis in Tableau
• How to make interactive maps
• How to construct various chart types including Stacked Bar Charts, Scatterplots, Highlight Tables and Treemaps
• How to add Reference Lines to your charts
• How to use "Small Multiples" to present your data more effectively
• How to use Tableau's "Story Points" feature to tell a data story with a sequence of charts

At each stage of the training, you'll learn both the technical skills required to complete the task in Tableau as well as how to decide which tool to use for the job and how to make your charts as engaging as possible.

Detailed PDF handouts, with screengrabs, will be provided for every topic covered, so you'll have something to refer back to after the workshop is over.

Participants will also receive a PDF Certificate of Completion at the conclusion of the workshop.

TESTIMONIALS

Here is what some of the participants in Chad's past workshops had to say about the experience:

“If you've ever considered using Tableau but don't know where to begin, this workshop is excellent. Chad goes over the basic skills you need to visualize your data effectively.”
Sarah Johnstone, GIS Analyst / Research Assistant, Spatial Vision Consulting

“I wasn't sure how much I could learn in two days, but we covered a lot. Although I had played with Tableau previously, I picked up some very useful information -- especially how to present data simply in a way that is easily digestible. I would definitely recommend this workshop to anyone who works with data.”
Amber Lin, Director - Digital Strategy, Binarystew

"Chad is great at hitting all the high points of Tableau without getting mired in technical details. After taking this course, I'm able to make better, cleaner, and easier-to-use visualizations for our clients and the public.”
Kevin Whitlock, Project Manager, Landcor Data Corporation

“I recommend anyone who works with data to take Chad Skelton’s workshop. I'm now armed with new tools and a new perspective.”
Grace Hon, FleishmanHillard

“This workshop is very good at giving you hands-on experience and practical examples of using visualization tools and making engaging graphics. Because of the workshop I am now comfortable using Tableau for visual analysis of data.”
Lucas Parker, Project Analyst - Evaluation, Doctors of BC

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Chad Skelton, an award-winning data journalist, is a consultant and trainer based in Vancouver.

Chad worked as a data journalist at The Vancouver Sun until 2015. In 2014, Chad won an international Data Journalism Award for his portfolio of work in the previous year. He has also received the Jack Webster Award, B.C.'s top journalism prize, six times.

Chad has years of experience creating engaging, beautiful dashboards using Tableau. His Tableau Public visualizations have been viewed more than 1.5 million times. Examples of Chad's Tableau work can be seen here.

Chad has taught at Kwantlen Polytechnic University since 2005, where he teaches the popular Citizen Journalism and Data Visualization courses. He receives consistently high marks from his students.

Chad has given several talks on data and storytelling, including at the 2015 Tapestry Conference sponsored by Tableau Software and at Simon Fraser University's Dream Colloquium on Engaging Big Data.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

This workshop is designed for beginner to intermediate users of Tableau and starts with the basics (how to connect to data in Tableau and make basic charts). If you've got some prior experience with Tableau, that's great. But if you've never used Tableau before, that's fine, too.

WHAT YOU NEED TO BRING WITH YOU

• Your own PC or Mac laptop and a power cord to plug in. Your computer must also be able to get on the Internet through WiFi.
• Tableau Public already installed on your computer. I recommend installing Tableau before registering to make sure it works on your machine, especially if you have a Mac (Tableau doesn't work with some early versions of OS X). You can find detailed installation instructions here.
• A bagged lunch or money for lunch. To keep the price of this workshop down, this event will not be catered. However, there are several food courts downtown close to SFU Harbour Centre.

THE FINE PRINT

• Cancellation Policy: If this workshop is cancelled due to insufficient demand, or any other reason, participants will be entitled to a full refund. The organizer is not responsible for other costs incurred by participants, such as travel costs.
• This workshop is being run personally by Chad Skelton and is not affiliated in any way with Kwantlen Polytechnic University or Tableau Software.
• This workshop will use Tableau Public, the free version of Tableau's data visualization software, which is designed for making interactive charts for the web. Tableau Desktop, the paid version, allows you to share charts privately within your organization. The two programs are nearly identical, so the chart-making skills you learn on Tableau Public will be applicable to both programs.

Questions? Please email me at cskeltondata@gmail.com.