CHART STARTER SERIES

Tasked with making simple, clear, easy-to-understand charts and graphs but intimidated by the software?

Enroll in Excel
Enroll in Tableau
Enroll in R

Graphing software can feel mystifying and user-UNfriendly, but you can master graph-making in it with the Chart Starter Series of tutorials.

Use the tools you have to make compelling visualizations for reports, slides, handouts, and dashboards.

The Chart Starter Series equips you with the 10 lessons you’ll most need to massively improve your graph-making skills in the shortest amount of time.

The Evergreen Data Visualization Academy has dozens and dozens of chart tutorials but I packaged together the graphs I implement most commonly with the organizations I consult with around the world.

You’ll get a quick jumpstart on charts and graphs with the Chart Starter Series.

Enroll in Excel
Enroll in Tableau
Enroll in R

Audiences rave about the beauty of the visuals I’ll show you how to make in these tutorials. People who take our training series get recognition, become an indispensable resource around the office, and even get promoted.

Step by step we’ll walk together through what you are even looking at when you open Excel, Tableau, or R. We’ll hold hands through making the highest impact charts and you’ll learn when to use which to tell your data story. This is content you can only find here – I don’t share these secrets in my blog or my books.

You’ll even get my Chart Chooser Cheat Sheet that most people pin to their office walls for easy reference.

And you’ll have my tried-and-true structured process for making great visuals to follow any time.

Here are my highest recommended tutorials that I’ve packaged for you in each Chart Starter Series:

Excel

How to Use Excel

If you are not familiar with Excel, go through this tutorial for a basic orientation. Learn the lingo, what the buttons do, and how to produce a graph.

Embed Legends

As much as possible, embed the legend inside the graph so that the data are directly labeled.

Customize Colors

Default colors cause confusion and make you look like you are, well, default. Let’s change that up and use colors intentionally.

Basic Bar

Follow the simple steps of simplification and emphasis to shape up any default graph type.

Overlapping Bars

Shows how two categories compare, when those categories have some inherent connection.

Diverging Stacked Bars

Diverging stacked bars are the best chart type to use when your data has a natural diverging point in it – any time some of the responses are desirable and others are not.

Dot Plots

Dot plots are a really flexible graph type than can be used to show change over time or comparisons among multiple groups. These are made by manipulating Excel’s default scatterplot.

Tableau

How to Use Tableau

In the Getting Started tutorial I give you an overview of how Tableau works.

Efficiency Tricks

In Tableau there are usually multiple ways to reach the same end goal.

Embed Legends

Tableau makes it easy to add labels and match the color of the labels to your chart.

Customize Colors

Changing colors in Tableau is super easy and you can customize your own palettes too for even more color options.

Basic Bar

Bar charts are a great tool to clearly communicate your message and they can be easily created in Tableau.

Overlapping Bars

Shows how two categories compare, when those categories have some inherent connection.

Diverging Stacked Bars

Diverging bar charts are not a default chart type in Tableau, but they can be created if you know the special secret sauce.

R Code

How to Use R

If you have questions about what R is or how to get started using it, this is your spot to begin.

Embed Legends

As much as possible, embed the legend inside the graph so that the data are directly labeled.

Customize Colors

Default colors cause confusion and make you look like you are, well, default. Let’s change that up and use colors intentionally.

Basic Bar

Follow the simple steps of simplification and emphasis to shape up any default graph type.

Overlapping Bars

Shows how two categories compare, when those categories have some inherent connection.

Diverging Stacked Bars

Diverging stacked bars are the best chart type to use when your data has a natural diverging point in it – any time some of the responses are desirable and others are not.

Each Tutorial Includes:

  • A step-by-step video, walking you through how to make the graph (Except R – it’s code and no one really needs a video on how to paste code.)
  • Written step-by-step instructions with screenshots
  • Templates of completed graphs, ready for your data
  • Worksheets of data to practice alongside the video
  • Research behind why this chart type works
  • A forum for asking questions
  • Something fun with each tutorial

You can access this knowledge and skill for $299. Watch, practice, rewind, practice again until you feel like a pro.

When you are ready for more advanced content, you can apply your Chart Starter Series payment toward full Data Visualization Academy enrollment, where we have over 50 tutorials, plus a new tutorial each month. When you join the Academy, your Chart Starter Series cost will be discounted. Read more about how our programs compare.

Excel, Tableau, and R are so powerful! They are the engines driving many companies. And each software can do so much: data validation, 3D models, predictive analytics – in the Chart Starter Series, we aren’t going to use any of that!

To tame these programs into making high impact visuals, we will stay focused on specific parts and ignore everything else. As intimidating as Excel or Tableau or R might seem, this series of tutorials will give you the power.

The Chart Starter Series is perfect for people who have to present data to funders, clients, executives, or the public.

Aggravated by your annual report? We can help.

Stressing your sales meeting? We’ve got you.

Stumped by your survey software graphs? We’ll show you how to do it better.

Need a custom,
hands-on Academy experience?

In the Graph Guide program, we will tailor a learning path through the Academy tutorials, based on a preassessment of your skills.

You’ll get a dataviz expert coach who will help you tackle the curriculum. Earn certification and grow your skills in one year.

Learn More
Enroll in Excel
Enroll in Tableau
Enroll in R

The technical stuff

The Excel tutorials are based in Excel 2016 and later on a PC. Most menus and buttons are in a similar place on older versions of Excel on a PC and we tell you what to expect if you are using an older version. We do not provide instructions for Excel on a Mac (why do they have to be so different?). The Tableau tutorials are shown on a Mac. The forum is always there for you to ask a question if you run into trouble. Upload a screenshot and we will help you navigate.

We know you’ll love our content – thousands of people do. In the event that we just aren’t working for you, you can request a refund within 24 hours of purchase by emailing uhoh@Academy.StephanieEvergreen.com.

How Our Programs Compare

Chart Starter Series

299

LIFETIME ACCESS

Best for people new to graphing who need to get oriented to a software program and learn the basics of amazing charts

Enroll Anytime
  • 10 video tutorials in Excel OR Tableau OR R (you pick one software)
  • Worksheets and templates Research behind the chart choice
  • Written step-by-step instructions
  • Community forum for your questions
  • Digital Certificate of Participation
  • One-time payment

Upgrade to the Evergreen Data Visualization Academy or Graph Guide Program for full access to all tutorials, office hours, assessments and personalized help

 Enrollment Now Open!
16 seats remaining

Data Visualization Academy

999

PER YEAR

Best for people who are hungry to become the data visualization guru at the office and need broad, expansive knowledge of chart types and what works when

Enroll Now
  • 50+ tutorials in Excel, Tableau, and R
  • Worksheets and templates
  • Research behind the chart choice
  • Written step-by-step instructions
  • Community forum in each tutorial, in a private Facebook group and in a private Slack Channel
  • Office hours once a month
  • Help on work projects
  • New content delivered semi-monthly
  • Digital Certificate of Participation
  • Renews annually

Upgrade to the Graph Guides Program if you need more intensive coaching in a one-on-one learning environment

Enrollment Now Open!
8 seats remaining

The Graph Guide Program

2,499

LIMITED TO ONE YEAR

Best for people who need to quickly master data visualizations most suitable for your specific work projects and earn recognition

Enroll Now
  • 50+ tutorials in Excel, Tableau, and R
  • Worksheets and templates
  • Research behind the chart choice
  • Written step-by-step instructions
  • Community forum in each tutorial, in a private Facebook group and in a private Slack Channel, plus ongoing conversation with your graph guide
  • Office hours once a month
  • New content delivered semi-monthly
  • Pretest, checklist of milestones to accomplish, portfolio review, and posttest
  • Customized learning path through our tutorials
  • Intensive coaching with your Graph Guide
  • Paper & Digital Certificate of Completion
  • One-time payment – you complete in one year

What our Academy Members are Saying

I’m entering my second year with the Evergreen Data Academy. It’s a daily resource for me… if I have a data visualization question, I *know* the answer will be in the Academy. The experience and advice of fellow Academy members is invaluable as well. Learning from Stephanie and the Academy has made me *the* person that everyone in my 400+ employee company comes to for data visualization, reporting, and presentation advice… including our CEO.
Joseph Gain Go-To Guru Status
Being a part of the academy has helped me to expand my data visualization skills and ensure that the data I communicate out is aligned to the purpose of collecting the data and in a clear, usable format for those it is being communicated to. It is also incredibly beneficial to engage in conversations with the other academy members to bounce ideas off of and gain inspiration for new data visualization techniques.
ChrisBecome the Office Data Ninja
Being a part of the Evergreen Academy has helped me and my colleagues make our reports more engaging and visually impactful. We are much more thoughtful in how we convey information and have instituted monthly meetings to discuss data viz challenges and solutions.
LiviaTake your reports to the next level