Antichaos

Data Visualisation, Tableau & Data Services

Tableau

Easy Custom Formatting in Tableau

by Johan de Groot

Formatting matters.
Inconsistent formatting in your Tableau visualizations can will confuse your audience and make your dashboard look unpolished.

A well-structured dashboard is not just about the right data—it’s about making that data easy to read and interpret. Inconsistent date formats, poorly formatted numbers, percentages, and currency values can make your insights less clear. Especially in tables.

In this post, I’ll walk you through essential but simple formatting techniques in Tableau, from setting a default date format to custom number formats. You’ll learn how to hide unnecessary zero values, align text for better readability, and use custom formatting to create intuitive and informative visualizations.

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5 Tableau Desktop Tips

by Johan de Groot

Tableau is packed with small but powerful features that can make your workflow smoother and more efficient. However, some of these tricks aren’t immediately obvious—even for experienced users.

Whether you’re troubleshooting a calculation, improving collaboration, or just trying to reset your workspace, these tips will help you work smarter in Tableau.

Here are five tips for using Tableau Desktop:

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Better Line-charts

by Johan de Groot

In the endless pursuit of creating better charts, let’s look at the line-chart. Probably the most used chart of all times, since it often shows a metric (sales, quantity, temperature, …) over time.

I already discussed focusing on what is important in the article on “betters ways to compare years“. But how can we improve the default, remove distractions and focus more on the data? Let’s look at some simple steps you should do every time you create a line chart – and finish with a less common but visually pleasing ‘advanced’ one!

[part of the ‘Datafam London 2024 – Deepcleaning your dashboard’ series]

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Better Titles on Multiple Measure Panes

by Johan de Groot

Similar to titles on small multiples, showing title only in the axis on multiple-measure charts is not user friendly. The visuals distance between title and the data is too large, and vertical text is never easy to read:

Let’s look at an easy ways to enhance the labels for better clarity and user experience.

[part of the ‘Datafam London 2024 – Deepcleaning your dashboard’ series]

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