What You Will Learn
How to design graphics to:
- See patterns in data
- Communicate the data
What You Will Not Learn
- Specific programs to create graphics
Data Visualization
Seeing the Story in the Data and Learning to Effectively Communicate It to Others
Tyler Rinker
Graphing Quiz (Question 1)
What is the best way to display percentages (parts of a whole)?
Pies are for eating
There is no best way. A dot plot is a reasonable choice but a pie chart should be avoided.
Graphing Quiz (Question 2)
Graphing Quiz (Question 3)
What is the difference between charts, tables, graphs, and diagrams?
Charts are the umbrella
Diagrams, tables and graphs are all chart types.
Tables - raw numeric value arranged in columns and rows
Graph - visual representation of information found in tables
Diagrams - visual representation of a model/schematic
Graphing Quiz (Question 4)
Graphing Quiz (Question 5)
What is the reason(s) for displaying data in a graph?
Why do you like to view a graph over a table?
Graphs encoded more information into less bits. In other words data represented visually allows more information to be analyzed in the working memory.
Graphing Quiz (Question 6)
What is a major flaw in this graph? What could be done to make this graph more accessible to more people?
Submit and Compare ClearGraphing Quiz (Question 7)
What are the 2 major goals to accomplish in designing an effective graph?
It's a conscious/unconscious thing.
we need to know how to use preattentive visual attributes to grab and direct our readers' attention and how to work within the limits of working memory. Few (2012, p. 67)
Why Learn to Effectively Graph?
Visual representations not only make the patterns, trends, and exceptions in numbers visible and understandable, they also extend the capacity of memory, making available in front of our eyes what we couldn't otherwise hold all at once in our minds. In simple terms information visualization helps us think. Few (2009, p. 6)
Why Learn to Effectively Graph?
Why Learn to Effectively Graph?
The Power...
Image from Few (2012, p. 61)
An Example of The Power of the Graph
An Example of The Power of the Graph
Thanks to Didzis Elferts for his help with the above graphic
Graphing History
Press p for a related Few (2012) quote
What Happened?
Few (2012, p. 227)
Press p to see a clearer version of the text
Building a Common Language
Uses of Graphs
Charts, Graphs, Tables, and Diagrams
Quantitative, Categorical
Geoms
Geoms
Building a Common Language
Parts of a graph
4 components of graphs:
- Primary data component design (bars, dots, etc.)
- Secondary data component design (text, grid lines, scales, legends)
- Non-data component design (background)
Chart junk(Tufte, 2001)
Rules of Perception
A B
Thanks to Dale Steinhardt for his help with the above graphic
Rules of Perception
A B
Thanks to Dale Steinhardt for his help with the above graphic
How the Eye/Brain System Works
Clark (2008, p. 378) Press p for information about processing subsystems
How the Eye/Brain System Works
An Imperfect Metaphor...
- Buffer
- Working Memory/RAM
- Hard Drive
- Iconic
- Working Memory
- Long Term
Iconic
- Temporary < 1 second
- Preattentive
- Decision (Passing to working memory)
Working Memory
- Limited (3-4 chunks/bits)
- Temporary 3 seconds to a few hours (with rehearsal)
Long Term
- The Goal
- Not the Focus
Preattentive Attributes
Preattentive Attributes
Image from brightmetrics.com based on Stephen Few's (2012) work.
Preattentive Attributes Aren't Like Jello
Preattentive Attributes Aren't Like Jello
Preattentive Attributes Aren't Like Jello
Preattentive Attributes Aren't Like Jello
Preattentive Attributes Aren't Like Jello
DON'T
Use 3-d? (Reason #1)
Humans are not very good at distinguishing 3 dimensional space.
DON'T
Use 3-d? (Reason #2)
Occlusion - geoms are obscured.
DON'T
Use 3-d? (Reason #3)
The 3rd dimension distracts from the data.
DO
A Better Approach to the 3rd Dimension...
Press p to see a faceted approach to 3+ variables.
DO
Horizontal (If It Makes Sense)
DO
Order Bars
DON'T
Use Pies (for Percentages)
DO
Use Dot Plots (for Percentages)
DO
Eliminate a Legend (If Reasonable)
DON'T
Use Red/Green Together
Red + Green = Brown
DON'T
Use Red/Green Together
DON'T
Use Pattern Fills
Press p for a pattern fill illusion
Graphing Quiz (Question 1)
What is the best way to display percentages (parts of a whole)?
Pies are for eating
There is no best way. A dot plot is a reasonable choice but a pie chart should be avoided.
Graphing Quiz (Question 2)
Graphing Quiz (Question 3)
What is the difference between charts, tables, graphs, and diagrams?
Charts are the umbrella
Diagrams, tables and graphs are all chart types.
Tables - raw numeric value arranged in columns and rows
Graph - visual representation of information found in tables
Diagrams - visual representation of a model/schematic
Graphing Quiz (Question 4)
Graphing Quiz (Question 5)
What is the reason(s) for displaying data in a graph?
Why do you like to view a graph over a table?
Graphs encoded more information into less bits. In other words data represented visually allows more information to be analyzed in the working memory.
Graphing Quiz (Question 6)
What is a major flaw in this graph? What could be done to make this graph more accessible to more people?
Submit and Compare ClearGraphing Quiz (Question 7)
What are the 2 major goals to accomplish in designing an effective graph?
It's a conscious/unconscious thing.
we need to know how to use preattentive visual attributes to grab and direct our readers' attention and how to work within the limits of working memory. Few (2012, p. 67)
References
Andy Clark, (2008) Pressing the Flesh: A Tension in the Study of the Embodied, Embedded Mind?*. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 76 (1) 37-59-NA 10.1111/j.1933-1592.2007.00114.x
Stephen Few, (2009) Now you see it: Simple visualization techniques for quantitative Analysis.
Stephen Few, (2012) Show me the numbers: Designing tables and graphs to enlighten.
Edward Tufte, (2001) The Visual Display of Quantitative Information.
Colin Ware, (2013) Information visualization: Perception for design.