Data visualization trends you should look out for in 2023

In the last decades, the field of data visualization has exploded into hundreds of areas. From dashboards and reports to analytics suites and data discovery tools, the acquiring, creating, and consuming of data has advanced in unimaginable ways. It has become an essential part of various business functions, like onboarding sessions, team meetings, financial reports, and more – not to mention the impact it has made on the media sector. Complex, dry statistics have transformed into eye-catching interactive visuals that scale engagement and views of news and blog posts. 

Trends in data visualization have evolved as much as the field itself. In 2022, we saw a rise in new data visualization tools that simplified data viz creation and consumption. The more simplified data visualization tools appeared, the more companies started to leverage them to improve internal and external communications, and make better, data-informed decisions. According to the Data Visualization Society’s 2021 survey, industries were expanding their integration of data viz tools to deliver better and more custom insights. 

Future data visualization trends are expected to bring nothing but growth to the field. Many progressive trends shape how we create, use, and view data visualization in 2023. From real-time data to bite-sized content, data visualizations will become an indispensable part of many businesses. Let’s explore 6 data visualization trends you should look out for in 2023.

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Animations and video content
Data is becoming more social
Mobile-first
Real-time data visualizations
Data regulations and representation
Data democratization

Animations and video content

If there’s one trend in 2022 that imperatively impacted the whole media sector, it’s the rise of short-form video content. Since TikTok blew up, other social media platforms have followed the video-first tactics to satisfy their user demands for short-form motion-based content. Also, other media platforms and channels have taken a turn to implement more animations, videos, and other motion-based visuals to provide the dynamic content people want to experience in 2022. 

Also, data visualizations will provide a more immersive experience with animations. In 2022, we recognized a higher interest in animated charts and graphs. In 2023, the demand for animated and moving data visualizations are expected to grow. Data visualizations exported in video formats with autoplay and loop functions, racing bar charts, timeline mode for maps, scroll animation infographics, and other animated data viz projects will become more popular and widely used in 2023, particularly by publishers in the media sector. Ultimately, animations will provide more depth to data, creating a captivating experience for the viewers.

On Infogram, you can discover a wide range of animations to add to your data viz projects as well as various types of moving charts like racing bar charts and timeline mode for regional maps. You can also export your projects in mp4 format or as GIFs with an autoplay function.

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Data is becoming more social

Animations make data more engaging, and engagement is gold in media. In 2023, we can expect data visualizations to become more social and appear more frequently on our social media feeds. 

Businesses have recognized that data visualization projects like infographics perform exceptionally well on social media platforms. In fact, an SMA Marketing study found that infographics generate 3 times more likes and shares on social media than any other type of content. Also, interactive charts and graphs have become more popular to use in news articles. A great example is The Washington Post: The most-read story they’ve published online is a visually-driven story with a data visualization – the coronavirus simulator.

In 2023, we can expect data to play a crucial part in today’s media – from social platforms to news articles and blog posts. With data becoming more social, it’ll affect how we consume information, going from long to bite-sized content. 

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Mobile-first

With the number of mobile users growing steadily each year, there’s a higher demand for mobile-ready applications and tools, including data visualizations. Today mobile devices are essential for consuming and working with data visualization projects, states Ausvydas Jasaitis, the Head of Infogram. “Data visualizations created for websites/enterprise applications are often tested for mobile devices. With mobile becoming more widely used to create and view data viz projects, data visualizations will need to be simplified for the mobile experience as there are much greater limitations in that space,” Ausvydas explains. 

In 2023, we expect the usage of data visualizations to increase on mobile. Data viz projects will become more mobile-friendly with new interactive features that’ll improve the mobile experience and make it more engaging for its users. 

Real-time data visualizations

In an information-driven world, the most valuable insights are always from the most recent, up-to-date sources. As the amount of data we’re creating each day is constantly growing, the shelf-life of data is declining each year, making real-time data the most valuable type of information. 

Real-time data is most often used in navigation (e.g. google maps) or tracking activities, like money transactions. Real-time information also allows businesses to spot risks and opportunities in a blink of an eye. 

More and more businesses are recognizing the value of real-time data. For example, financial services can analyze and spot peculiarities in transactions. Social media platforms can instantly remove sensitive content and serve their advertisers, and businesses can make fast data-informed decisions. 

In 2023, more companies will prioritize real-time data as it comes with a competitive edge. Real-time data requires a mature data strategy. That’s why businesses will explore new investments to reap the benefits from the most up-to-date information. Consequently, real-time data visualizations will become more popular and widely used in 2023.

Data regulations and representation

In the last few years, data privacy has been a major topic of discussion for businesses and governments. The demand for privacy is high as fewer people are trusting businesses and organizations with their data. 

In 2023, more governments will introduce new laws and regulations that protect and monitor the usage of data. In fact, at the Virtual Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit, analysts predicted that globally 65% of web users will have their data protected under advanced privacy regulations like GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) by 2023. 

With more regulations, businesses will need to adapt quickly and find new ways of collecting, storing, and using acquired data. There will be more eyes on data sources and their credibility in data visualizations. Citing and accurately representing data will be crucial for businesses and organizations.

Data democratization

Previously, data was only handled by data engineers and data scientists. With new forms of augmented working and no-code-requiring platforms, data is democratizing. Now more people can access and work with data. This opens new doors for businesses to dive into data-driven analytics and produce data visualizations.

In 2023, data will continue to become more accessible as data visualization tools will simplify the data viz project creation processes. As a result, businesses will have more access to information to make well-informed decisions.

On Infogram, you can create a wide range of data viz projects, starting from interactive infographics to data-centric reports. You don’t even need to have an eye for design. Infogram’s library offers a great range of pre-designed templates for different types of projects. 

Data visualization trends in 2023

Data visualizations provide new ways for businesses to engage their audiences on a higher level and obtain crucial insights that ultimately help them make better data-informed decisions. 2023 will be a year of growth for data, literally and figuratively. With data democratization and real-time data, businesses will be better informed of internal and external processes. Also, animated data visualizations will play a crucial role in the media sector. The mobile-first approach will open new ways of creating and consuming data. And stricter data regulations will urge businesses and organizations to take additional responsibility for acquiring, handling, storing, and displaying data. Ultimately, data visualization trends will impact how create, view, and use data in 2023.

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