Blog

Writing on data visualisation, analytics engineering, business intelligence, and AI. Most posts also appear on my Substack.

The Big Business Intelligence Squeeze
Business intelligence
AI
Data profession
Tableau
Power BI

Examines disruption in traditional BI tools and the skills analytics professionals need going forward as AI-native analytics and data platforms converge on the market.

Apr 3, 2026

Onboarding AI: Why the Semantic Layer Matters
AI
Data modeling
Semantic layer
Data profession

Explores how semantic layers provide essential context for AI systems working with data, preventing hallucinations and enabling accurate enterprise analytics.

Nov 17, 2025

Colour as Strategy and Aesthetics
Data visualisation
Design
Colour theory

Analyzes the Australian Bureau of Meteorology’s radar redesign controversy and what it teaches about colour theory in data visualisation.

Nov 2, 2025

How to Do Reasonably Well in Data Visualisation Competitions
Data visualisation
Tableau
Iron Viz
Competitions

Practical strategies from placing in the Iron Viz top 10 twice—focusing on preparation, community feedback, and persistence rather than pure talent.

Oct 24, 2025

MCP and the Reshaping of Data Visualisation & Business Intelligence
AI
MCP
Business intelligence
Data visualisation
Data profession
Claude
Anthropic

A data professional grapples with whether Anthropic’s new Model Context Protocol threatens traditional BI roles by enabling AI to directly access and visualize…

Jul 14, 2025

Early Experiments in Tableau’s New MCP Service: Connecting AI to Business Intelligence Platforms
AI
MCP
Tableau
Business intelligence
Data visualisation
Data profession
Claude
Anthropic

A hands-on walkthrough of setting up and experimenting with Tableau’s new Model Context Protocol (MCP) server to enable natural language data querying through Claude AI.

Jun 25, 2025

The Tableau vs Power BI debate is largely a waste of time
Tableau
Power BI
Business intelligence
Data visualisation
Data profession

An argument for why data professionals should stop debating Tableau vs Power BI and focus on mastering whatever tool they have access to instead.

Jun 14, 2025

The Lost Australians of Gallipoli
Data Visualisation
History
Tableau

An interactive visualisation examining Australian fatalities during the Gallipoli campaign, tracking deaths and their causes throughout the 10-month WWI operation.

Apr 25, 2024

Iterative Visual Design and The Choice Visual
Data visualisation
Tableau
Visual analytics
Design thinking

A case study in iterative design methodology, exploring three versions of a data visualisation on Australian referendums and the strategic decisions behind each iteration.

Nov 15, 2023

My 2023 Iron Viz Journey: Lessons from the Data Visualisation Gauntlet
Data visualisation
Tableau
IronViz
Case studies
Competition
Lessons learned

A reflection on preparing for data visualisation competitions: three key lessons from my 2023 IronViz experience

Nov 4, 2023

Analysing Interstate Migration Movements in Australia
Data Visualisation
Australia
Tableau

A dashboard exploring how Australians moved between states over twenty years, with a focus on pandemic-era shifts.

Sep 27, 2022

Visualising Population: Australian Interstate Migration Figures
Data Visualisation
Australia
Tableau

An interactive Tableau dashboard exploring how Australians have moved between states since 1981.

Sep 26, 2022

The Importance of Exploratory Data Analysis
Data Analysis
Analytics

Why EDA matters, explored through a Back to Viz Basics challenge on NCAA basketball coaching data.

Jan 10, 2022

A Cost of Insecurity: Military Spending vs Human Development
International Relations
Data Visualisation
Tableau

Exploring the relationship between military expenditure and human development outcomes across nations.

Nov 1, 2021

The Land is a Map: Tableau Viz of the Day
Data Visualisation
Australia
Tableau

Mapping Australian place names derived from Indigenous languages and cultures. Awarded Tableau Viz of the Day during NAIDOC Week.

Jul 13, 2021

Australian International Education Snapshot Dashboard
International Education
Data Visualisation
Tableau

An updated Tableau dashboard visualising Australia’s international education sector data.

Apr 1, 2021

Refuge from the Storm: Internally Displaced Peoples and the Climate Crisis
Data Visualisation
International Relations
Climate

A Viz for Social Good project examining the connection between climate change and internal displacement, featured at the Virtual Refugee Conference.

Jun 15, 2020

COVID-19 and International Students: ABS Overseas Travel Statistics
International Education
Data Analysis
Australia

Analysing newly released ABS data on international student arrivals and departures during the early pandemic period.

May 13, 2020

The Data Game: Building Analytics Capability in International Education
International Education
Analytics
Strategy

How data analytics can strengthen Australia’s international education sector. Originally published in IEAA’s Vista Magazine.

May 3, 2017

Time to Embrace Data-Driven Decision Making in International Higher Education
International Education
Analytics
Strategy

Why Australian universities should move beyond operational reporting to strategic, predictive analytics.

Jan 12, 2017
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