{"id":7246,"date":"2017-06-12T17:00:11","date_gmt":"2017-06-12T17:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.investintech.com\/resources\/blog\/?p=7246"},"modified":"2020-12-21T16:04:55","modified_gmt":"2020-12-21T16:04:55","slug":"visualize-data-google-sheets-explore","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.investintech.com\/resources\/blog\/archives\/7246-visualize-data-google-sheets-explore.html","title":{"rendered":"How To Visualize Data Instantly With Google Sheets Explore"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Excel<\/a><\/p>\n

Working with big datasets is never an easy task. Tons of spreadsheet data divided into rows and columns can be frustrating and stressful so anything to boost our productivity is more than welcome. And this is where companies like Google step in. <\/span><\/p>\n

From time to time, Google releases a new update, becoming smarter and more practical than before. This happened just recently, when Google released an update for its spreadsheet application, Sheets, making it possible to visualize spreadsheet data even more easily than before. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you haven\u2019t explored this updated feature yet, here\u2019s a closer look at how and why you should, especially if you work with data.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Explore In Sheets And Docs<\/b><\/h3>\n

Let\u2019s back up a bit first. Last year, in September, Google added machine learning \u201c<\/span>Explore<\/span><\/a>\u201d feature (tucked into the bottom right hand corner of your Google Sheet\/Doc) that gave you the possibility to ask any question about your data. <\/span><\/p>\n

You could, in simple words, ask what you wanted to know and Explore would then analyze your data and present you with the answer. \u00a0For example, when in a Google Sheet containing sales and pricing data on popular products, you could ask \u201cWhat\u2019s the average price for Fidget Spinner?\u201d and Explore would give you an answer.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Customize<\/p>\n

Image Source: Google<\/a><\/h6>\n

At the same time, researching and writing reports in Google Docs got a whole lot easier and quicker since you were able to get instant suggestions and tips based your content.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Researching<\/p>\n

Image Source: Google<\/a><\/h6>\n

The feature could also recommend related topics, suitable images, valuable information and more correlated content for you to check out. But, that was last year.<\/span><\/p>\n

Build \u00a0Graphs In Google Sheets Based On Questions<\/b><\/h3>\n

Now, Google has gone one step further. The technology used in this new update is backed up by the same natural speaking language from last year. With this new update<\/a>, Google Sheets can respond to specific questions and then create charts from your dataset.\u00a0<\/span>Explore could already build graphs, but not based on particular questions.\u00a0<\/span>Until now.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you don’t see a graph visualizing the data and results you need, you can simply ask for it. There\u2019s no need to build the visualization manually. You can just type in \u201cBarchart for burger sales in May 2017,\u201d for example, and Sheets will automatically generate the desired chart for you. <\/span><\/p>\n

This is a huge time saver. It kills two birds with one stone: it automates the analysis of your data with a single question (versus number-sifting, sorting, and formulas) and then visualizes that specific analyses for you. You\u2019ll spend less time on building data visualizations<\/a> and use that time to improve existing datasets instead. <\/span><\/p>\n

Business analysts, data journalists, finance strategists, marketers, sales professionals can easily put this to use as a quick tool to gain valuable insights. <\/span><\/p>\n

As keeping your information up-to-date is critical for any business, Google lets you sync your data from Sheets to Google Docs and Slides with a single click of a button. Last year, you were already able to update charts. Well, now you can do that with tables, as well. <\/span><\/p>\n

Just copy and paste the information you want from your Google Sheets and click the \u201cupdate\u201d button that will automatically sync all your data. \u00a0This is an important feature because it can help people working on different documents to collaborate and access all the latest and relevant data.<\/span><\/p>\n

Because Google is always on the lookout for new ways to improve your user experience, there are now more updates this year that will speed up your work: <\/span><\/p>\n