Daniel Lawson
Right off the bat I can tell you that I’m not your average data analyst. I’ve spent most of my career running my own business as a photographer and videographer, with a sprinkling of Web Development and SEO work as well. My approach to life and work is very T-shaped, in that I have a small set of specific skills complemented by a very broad range of interests; I like to think of myself as a dedicated non-specialist. Data Analytics, and Programming, started as a hobby that quickly grew into a passion.
The more I leaved the more I looked for opportunities to pull, manipulate, and join data from disparate sources in my life. I learned to interact with REST APIs for services I used, personal data from services I use like Spotify, and health data captured by my devices. I learned SQL to create and query databases, as well as analyse SQLite files containing my iMessages and Photos data on my Mac. Every technique I learned opened up more possibilities; now I’m hooked and there’s no turning back.
Data Engineering vs. Data Analytics: What’s The Difference?
In the admittedly short time I’ve been a data analyst at The Data School, and even before that, I’ve been far more engaged by the back-end technical side of data. My earliest projects involved extracting my personal data to load or analyse in different ways. I’m a...
Every Data Analyst Should Learn SQL: 10 Reasons
SQL is vital to know as a Data Analyst. SQL allows for efficient data manipulation, real-time data access, support for large datasets, cross-platform compatibility, and widespread use in the industry, among other reasons.
Every Data Analyst Should Learn SQL: My Experience
SQL is essential for working with large datasets and performing tasks that may be difficult or impossible with other tools. In one project, I used SQL to quickly analyze a table with 74 million rows, cutting the task time down from hours to seconds. Here I share my experience with using SQL in my work and why I believe it is an important skill for data analysts.
Yarra Trams Tracking Public Transport Usage: Counting People with Footfall Sensors
TOC Preamble What are Footfall Sensors? How Do They Work? What Data Can Be Captured Using Footfall Sensors? What Can Yarra Trams Do With This Information? Preamble I saw something I’ve never seen before on a Melbourne Tram this morning. Aboard the 109 travelling down...
A “Powerful” Project Week Retrospective: 12 Key Takeaways
Preamble As I’m writing this I'm sitting outside the Powercor offices waiting for the pizzas I ordered for my team (graciously paid for by MIP on account of the “work late on project week Thursdays, dinner's on us” rule). It's 6:50pm and the team's still going strong....
101 Data Analyst Acronyms You MUST Know!
Acronyms are a huge source of confusion for data analysts, they are a great tool for summarising complex concepts, but only if you know them.
Data Isn’t the New Oil; It’s Nuclear Energy (Waste)
Comparing data, the lifeblood of our industry, to nuclear fuel and waste might seem like an outrageous suggestion but I think you might find many uncanny similarities. You might have heard the popular adage, that data is the new oil; the hot commodity of the Information Age.