Where I find inspiration...

The bulk aisle

Wear on doors

Wear around buttons

Tennis

Tans.

Carnegie Mellon fence

Carnegie Mellon fence

Carnegie Mellon fence

https://laurelbancroft.squarespace.com/the-fence/​

Evidence of something interacting with something else

...leaving its mark.

All of these examples are

Why physical metaphors?

• Human cognition is built for these physical things.  We see these kinds of patterns easily.
• Thinking in this way helps you choose visual mappings that make sense.
• Making something mimic the real world gives it meaning.

What physical metaphors are used here?

What physical metaphors are used here?

Weather in Austin, Texas

What physical metaphors are used here?

https://public.tableau.com/s/gallery/vancouver-cyclists

http://junkcharts.typepad.com/junk_charts/2013/09/seats-half-full-or-half-empty.html

A little more abstract...

https://xkcd.com/1127/

Transitions are physical, too

Practice

backwards-engineering naturally-occurring visualizations.

• You will ask the right questions.
• You will come up with better data stories.
• You will tell them in a more intuitive way.