David Murphy, Google’s Head of TV Attribution (APAC), illustrates the stark contrast between working with data “before Tableau” and “after Tableau.” He first encountered Tableau in 2010.
In his presentation “Don’t Fear the Data” at the “Tableau on Tour” conference in Singapore, Murphy argues that large datasets become manageable with the right tools. He highlights how discovering Tableau’s visualization software revolutionized his work.
Prior to Tableau, he relied on spreadsheets for chart creation, a process he dreaded altering. Even small modifications demanded significant time and effort, and generating variations for different teams compounded the complexity. Each version had to be updated individually, increasing the likelihood of errors.
Murphy also pointed out the slow processing speeds and frequent crashes associated with spreadsheets. The software’s limitations required users to formulate questions beforehand. “You needed a clear idea of what information you wanted from the data before you could even begin working with it,” he explained. This, he argued, discourages people from engaging with big data, leading to avoidance rather than exploration.
Murphy’s “Tableau epiphany” came in 2010, enabling him to generate charts at double the speed or faster. This efficiency freed up his time for analysis and insight generation, liberating him from tedious manual tasks. He emphasized that Tableau “significantly narrowed the gap between conceptualization and implementation,” allowing him to solve problems more effectively.
Unlike spreadsheet software, Tableau eliminated concerns about disrupting equations and cell references. This flexibility, he explained, enables rapid iteration and responsiveness to evolving business and user needs, accelerating insight generation.
Instead of responding to customer or manager requests with charts after a week, Tableau empowered Murphy to make real-time data adjustments. This immediacy fostered dynamic interactions with stakeholders. “I could have a live conversation with the data, right there and then, with the people who needed the information,” he said.
Tableau, Murphy added, liberated him from pre-determined queries, allowing him to freely explore the data. Even seemingly insignificant questions had the potential to uncover valuable insights, reinforcing the notion that “if you can think it, you can do it” within the software.
At Google, Murphy leverages Tableau to demonstrate the correlations between broadcast advertisement airings and online user engagement. Previously, presenting this data to clients involved sharing complex spreadsheet files.
He emphasized that while each client has unique requirements, Tableau enables him to address these needs in real-time. The software fosters responsiveness, eliminating the need for exhaustive prior knowledge. This allows for collaborative learning with clients, showcasing commitment and a focus on core issues – a level of service that was previously unattainable with spreadsheet-based solutions.
Beyond his professional work, Murphy established “Datasaurus-Rex,” a personal website showcasing Tableau-created visualizations. His projects range from a dog year calculator to connecting dengue fever instances with mosquito breeding sites using crowdsourced data. “It democratizes data,” he asserts, highlighting how Tableau simplifies complex datasets and empowers individuals to understand information.
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