Or when it really matters.
“Pie charts and scatter plots seem like ordinary tools, but they revolutionized the way we solve problems.”
Hannah Fry ~ The New Yorker
All posts about
Information visualization
UX of data: Making data available doesn’t make it usable
The use, action and value are in the design.
“Data plays an important part in our daily lives. It shapes how we view the world and, for better or worse, informs the decisions we make. Despite controversies around who collects and does what with data, data-centric work is seen as critical to solving the most complex problems of today, from climate change and security to health crises and inequality. It spans many types of tasks in various professions, undertaken by multiple stakeholders, who may or may not share a common understanding of the domain or the task. It also raises questions of data literacy, inclusion, and fairness in ensuring that the value the data creates is shared as widely as possible.”
Laura Koesten and Elena Simper ~ ACM Interactions Magazine XXVIII.2 ★
Diving into global Information Design: Cosmology in the large
There might be something in universal InfoDesign as well.
“Classification is an intellectual act, performed as often in the name of theology as in the name of science. The classifications proposed here are an attempt to impose useful differences onto a field of infinite examples. In that sense, it is analogous to classification schemes in the biological sciences. In his explanation of contemporary evolution theory, David Quammen describes how the biologists Robert Whittaker and Lynn Margulis recognized the limits of imposing order on the phenomenon we study.”
Paul Kahn a.k.a. /paulkahn | @pauldavidkahn ~ Nightingale ★
Charles-Joseph Minard: A legacy of beautiful data-based maps
Always something new to discover in the old.
“In a delightful new book (The Minard System: The Complete Statistical Graphics of Charles-Joseph Minard), author Sandra Rendgen uncovers the man who made the graphic as well as his many data visualization innovations.”
DVP: Collection of data visualizations to get inspired and finding the right type
Great collection, now what.
“Resource, showing 150 different types of datavis/charts, each with examples and type of data represented.”
Hans Rosling: Doctor, Professor, and Presenter Extraordinaire
Eulogy by the master of preso on the master of stats.
“The Zen Master of data visualization has died. I am sorry to have to report that Dr. Hans Rosling passed away today in Uppsala, Sweden. He was just 68. A profoundly mournful day for anyone who knew Professor Rosling, obviously. But it’s also a sad day for all of us in the greater TED community or data visualization/business intelligence communities as well. Dr. Rosling’s work was seen by millions and will continue to be seen by millions worldwide. It is incalculable just how many professionals Hans inspired over the years. His presentations, always delivered with honesty, integrity, and clarity, were aided by clear visuals of both the digital and analog variety. He was a master statistician, physician, and academic, but also a superb presenter and storyteller. (…) Let us all remember Professor’s Rosling’s contributions and continue to keep the dream of a more fact-based, rational worldview alive.”
Garr Reynolds a.k.a. /garr-reynolds | @presentationzen ★
Coping with the big data dump: Towards a framework for enhanced information representation
Big data requires design as well. Perception of data.
“Easy and efficient access to large amounts of data has become an essential aspect of our everyday life. In this paper we investigate possibilities of supporting information representation through the combined use of multiple modalities of perceptions such as sight, touch and kinesthetics. We present a theoretical framework to analyze these approaches and exemplify our findings with case studies of three emergent projects. The results are a contribution to a larger discussion of multimodal information representation at the intersection of theory and practice.”
(Andreas Kratky, Virginia Kuhn, and Jon Olav Eikenes ~ First Monday 6.1) ★
Taxonomic considerations for node-and-link visualizations (.pdf)
The node and the link, the building blocks of connectivity.
“Data visualization models that are intended to depict considerable sets of interrelated data (including systems designed to process and render big data, particularly those that must reveal unexpected correlations) and data- supported massive-communication toolsets (such as social-network media systems) increasingly rely on presentations that depict relationships through node-and-link diagrams. The challenge of combining these kinds of quantitative and qualitative datasets can be well met with node-and-link diagramming — provided an articulate and consistent modelling method is applied to the task. This paper is a primer on what node-and-link diagrams are, and what kinds naming categories may be derived and assigned in order to make node-and-link diagrams articulate and consistent.”
(William M. Bevington ~ Parsons Journal of Information Mapping Spring 2015)
Plateaus are harder than mountains
Data is just the raw material for storytelling, understanding and insights. Design is its process to get there.
“Bold claims have been made about applying big data to solve the world’s problems, from health (Fitbit) to saving energy (Nest). Data is all around us, appearing in slick devices and colorful dashboards, yet focusing on the technology can cause us to miss the people who have to use it. Our job as designers is to communicate information. A clean design with big numbers and charts looks good, but how can we make sure people actually understand the data?”
(Stephen Turbek a.k.a. @stephenturbek ~ Boxes and Arrows)
Icon usability
Icons, the field of Kare.
“A user’s understanding of an icon is based on previous experience. Due to the absence of a standard usage for most icons, text labels are necessary to communicate the meaning and reduce ambiguity.”
Deciphering data through design
That’s why the byline of this stream is ‘Understanding by Design’.
“Understanding problems are common when trying to visualize data. Designing a layout to effectively communicate complex or even simple data can be a challenge. If the visualization isn’t immediately apparent to a user, it requires a level of understanding to get the most out of their experience. (…) In this podcast with Jared Spool, Stephen outlines what he calls the 7 Problems of Understanding. These range from problems of comprehension to problems of discovery and more. Each of these problems is usually brought about by a design or display decision. Looking further at these issues, simple changes can greatly increase the experience for users.”
(Stephen Anderson a.k.a. @stephenanderson ~ User Interface Engineering)
Visualizations make big data meaningful
Creating meaning, making sense and telling a story with information design.
“Being able to see a single graphic that represents a complicated thing makes people’s cognitive load a little easier.”
