Maximize your learning without spending a dime
I think Tableau is one of the most important data visualization tools available. Learning the basics of Tableau is not difficult, especially if you have a strong understanding of spreadsheets and pivot tables. But, going from the basics to becoming proficient with Tableau takes a lot of time and effort. Fortunately, an abundance of resources exists to support your learning. This article is a curated set of online resources that can level up your Tableau skills. This list is not comprehensive, as I want to avoid overwhelming new learners with too many resources. Please note that my list of resources is not ordered by importance.
Tableau Tim: Tim Ngwena is one of my favorite content creators. He provides regular content updates, and his tutorials are high quality and engaging. I appreciate the deep dives and clear explanations for Tableau-specific issues. I found Tim’s videos on level of detail expressions (LODs) exceptionally well done.
sqlbelle: Donabel Santos has fantastic modules with a lot of highly relevant content to new learners. I regularly refer my students to her channel, especially the videos on getting to know the Tableau workspace and the differences between dimensions versus measures.
Andy Kriebel: Andy is one of the most influential educators in the space of Tableau. I have watched countless videos providing deep dives on various types of charts. I especially like how Andy gives careful attention to issues of visual design. Unlike the videos by Tim and Donabel, Andy’s work tends to be unedited and unscripted, most notably the Watch Me Viz videos. But, this is an asset to his educational approach since you can understand his thought process, especially when debugging problems.
Tableau Software: Tableau maintains this channel. I recommend this channel with a few caveats. Content for this channel is not created specifically for learners. Thus, you will spend more time sorting through videos and playlists. But, the channel contains a lot of content for keeping up with the activity in the world of Tableau, including conference recordings. The Iron Viz recordings are definitely worth watching.
These resources provide an excellent way to get free support from the broader community of Tableau users. Keep in mind that the people providing support give you their time, so be mindful of how you engage this community. Before posting a question, be sure you put your effort first to solve the problem yourself. Familiarize yourself with the StackOverflow guide to asking questions. While this is specific to StackOverflow, these have become best practices among the online community.
Discord: Discord is an instant messaging system. A community of Tableau users has set up a “server” to discuss and provide live support for Tableau issues. You must first set up an account with Discord and search the Tableau server to join. As support is provided in real time, this resource can help you solve problems efficiently.
Tableau Support Community: Tableau maintains this online community, using a bulletin board format. If you post a high-quality question, you are almost guaranteed to receive a solution. Try to post a Tableau packaged workbook (*.twbx) with a simplified data set.
Reddit: If you are Redditor, join the Tableau sub-Reddit, where the online community posts questions, news, and resources concerning Tableau.
Tableau Viz of the Day: This site, maintained by Tableau, is an excellent resource for inspiration where a new Tableau visualization is published every weekday. You will find design examples across diverse topics.
Workout Wednesday: Workout Wednesday is great for skill building. A new challenge is posted every week to recreate a data-driven visualization. Solutions are posted to the website and the community on Tableau Public and Twitter.
Makeover Monday: Makeover Monday is also great for skill building. Every week a visualization is posted along with a link to the original data. Members of the community then remake and post their viz to Twitter. Workout Wednesday focuses on the technical aspects of Tableau, whereas Makeover Monday focuses on the design aspects. Unfortunately, this site is no longer operating in 2022, but the site still has the entire collection of remakes, solutions, and videos from 2018 through 2021. An enormous amount of learning materials exist on this site.
The Frerlage Twins: Kevin and Ken Frerlage have been cranking out high-quality Tableau content since 2015. Their content tends to focus on more advanced technical features of Tableau, making this site an excellent choice for leveling up your skills. What I find impressive is their integration of design with advanced technical issues.
Tableau Help: Every Tableau user needs to read the Tableau documentation carefully. This content may not be exciting or interesting as some of the other resources contained in this article. But, I would be remiss excluding it. I encourage new learners to visit the collection of articles specific to Tableau Functions regularly. Doing so will help expose you to the language of Tableau, which is essential to your long-term skill development.
Tableau Discover: When you open Tableau Desktop, familiarize yourself with the Discover page on the right-hand side of the page. Here you will find built-in links to free training guides and other resources.
Be careful thinking that completing a course or training in Tableau will give you all the skills and knowledge to use Tableau to create meaningful and insightful visualizations successfully. Besides applying your skills to real-world problems (instead of simply completing academic exercises), you need ongoing exposure to different concepts delivered and explained differently. The collection of free Tableau resources provided here can help meet this need.
Maximize your learning without spending a dime
I think Tableau is one of the most important data visualization tools available. Learning the basics of Tableau is not difficult, especially if you have a strong understanding of spreadsheets and pivot tables. But, going from the basics to becoming proficient with Tableau takes a lot of time and effort. Fortunately, an abundance of resources exists to support your learning. This article is a curated set of online resources that can level up your Tableau skills. This list is not comprehensive, as I want to avoid overwhelming new learners with too many resources. Please note that my list of resources is not ordered by importance.
Tableau Tim: Tim Ngwena is one of my favorite content creators. He provides regular content updates, and his tutorials are high quality and engaging. I appreciate the deep dives and clear explanations for Tableau-specific issues. I found Tim’s videos on level of detail expressions (LODs) exceptionally well done.
sqlbelle: Donabel Santos has fantastic modules with a lot of highly relevant content to new learners. I regularly refer my students to her channel, especially the videos on getting to know the Tableau workspace and the differences between dimensions versus measures.
Andy Kriebel: Andy is one of the most influential educators in the space of Tableau. I have watched countless videos providing deep dives on various types of charts. I especially like how Andy gives careful attention to issues of visual design. Unlike the videos by Tim and Donabel, Andy’s work tends to be unedited and unscripted, most notably the Watch Me Viz videos. But, this is an asset to his educational approach since you can understand his thought process, especially when debugging problems.
Tableau Software: Tableau maintains this channel. I recommend this channel with a few caveats. Content for this channel is not created specifically for learners. Thus, you will spend more time sorting through videos and playlists. But, the channel contains a lot of content for keeping up with the activity in the world of Tableau, including conference recordings. The Iron Viz recordings are definitely worth watching.
These resources provide an excellent way to get free support from the broader community of Tableau users. Keep in mind that the people providing support give you their time, so be mindful of how you engage this community. Before posting a question, be sure you put your effort first to solve the problem yourself. Familiarize yourself with the StackOverflow guide to asking questions. While this is specific to StackOverflow, these have become best practices among the online community.
Discord: Discord is an instant messaging system. A community of Tableau users has set up a “server” to discuss and provide live support for Tableau issues. You must first set up an account with Discord and search the Tableau server to join. As support is provided in real time, this resource can help you solve problems efficiently.
Tableau Support Community: Tableau maintains this online community, using a bulletin board format. If you post a high-quality question, you are almost guaranteed to receive a solution. Try to post a Tableau packaged workbook (*.twbx) with a simplified data set.
Reddit: If you are Redditor, join the Tableau sub-Reddit, where the online community posts questions, news, and resources concerning Tableau.
Tableau Viz of the Day: This site, maintained by Tableau, is an excellent resource for inspiration where a new Tableau visualization is published every weekday. You will find design examples across diverse topics.
Workout Wednesday: Workout Wednesday is great for skill building. A new challenge is posted every week to recreate a data-driven visualization. Solutions are posted to the website and the community on Tableau Public and Twitter.
Makeover Monday: Makeover Monday is also great for skill building. Every week a visualization is posted along with a link to the original data. Members of the community then remake and post their viz to Twitter. Workout Wednesday focuses on the technical aspects of Tableau, whereas Makeover Monday focuses on the design aspects. Unfortunately, this site is no longer operating in 2022, but the site still has the entire collection of remakes, solutions, and videos from 2018 through 2021. An enormous amount of learning materials exist on this site.
The Frerlage Twins: Kevin and Ken Frerlage have been cranking out high-quality Tableau content since 2015. Their content tends to focus on more advanced technical features of Tableau, making this site an excellent choice for leveling up your skills. What I find impressive is their integration of design with advanced technical issues.
Tableau Help: Every Tableau user needs to read the Tableau documentation carefully. This content may not be exciting or interesting as some of the other resources contained in this article. But, I would be remiss excluding it. I encourage new learners to visit the collection of articles specific to Tableau Functions regularly. Doing so will help expose you to the language of Tableau, which is essential to your long-term skill development.
Tableau Discover: When you open Tableau Desktop, familiarize yourself with the Discover page on the right-hand side of the page. Here you will find built-in links to free training guides and other resources.
Be careful thinking that completing a course or training in Tableau will give you all the skills and knowledge to use Tableau to create meaningful and insightful visualizations successfully. Besides applying your skills to real-world problems (instead of simply completing academic exercises), you need ongoing exposure to different concepts delivered and explained differently. The collection of free Tableau resources provided here can help meet this need.