If you had a spreadsheet with the unemployment rates for all fifty states for the last thirty years, how long do you think it would take for you to make sense of it? For example, imagine trying to compare each state to see who was better or worse, or what type of trend they’re showing. If you printed the spreadsheet out, it would probably be twenty pages. Now, imagine being able to see all of the data on one sheet of paper so that you could easily make comparisons, see trends and gain insight.

Jorge Camoe has put together a lovely example of how this can be accomplished using small multiples.

US Unemployment by State

A small-multiple version allows the user to focus on specific states, compare them to the normal band, etc. States are ranked by labor force size and, as you can see, in the first row seven out of ten are above the US average in April. In the last row, only one is above the US average. You can also see that Michigan was not well (unemployment-wire) long before the current crisis, or a spike in Luisiana (Katrina). It pays to study this chart carefully.

Depending on what you’re trying to find, data can be presented in ways that makes insight instantaneous….ideal for the time pressed DMO. The attached report uses a technique called small multiples, a technique that allows your eye to play “which one of these is not like the others.”

Instead of comparing the unemployment rates of states, imagine using the same technique to compare the average occupancy of the various districts in your tourism region. Polish the presentation to make it palatable for your audience and it’s analytical gold.