Brief introduction to

data visualization and data design

What is data visualization?

visual representation of information

visual reasoning

Purpose?

  • seeing
  • searching
  • telling
  • understanding
  • learning
  • processing
  • memorizing
  • arguing

Process?

  • questioning
  • finding the answers
  • finding the right visual forms
  • finding the right visual signs
  • finding the right tools
  • finding the right design

Definition

Every data visualization is information graphic
but

not every information graphic is data visualization

Pseudo

PopChartLab  2013

TypeCode 2017

Dancsák András

Dancsák András

hard to find anything

Why we visualize data?

  • highlights the important
  • shows the hidden
  • shows patterns and outliers
  • helps understanding complexity
  • helps the learning process

Stefanie Posavec 2008

Alessandro Coco 2007

Szűcs Krisztina 2015

Principles

  • Useful and usable
  • Aesthetic
  • Understandable
  • Unobtrusive
  • Honest
  • Long-lasting
  • Detalied
  • Shows less "design"

Principles

  • Shows the data clearly

  • Argues clearly

  • Shows the important

  • Does not show unnecessary graphic elements

  • Makes complexity understandable

  • Does not simplify complexity

  • Planned, designed, detailed

  • Does not despise the public

Gestalt-principles

Similarity

Closedness

Proximity

Common fate

Continuity

Max Wertheimer

Optical illusions

Moiré-effect

dense or overlaying lines, dots can show a third pattern

Hermann-grid

Hering-illusion

the two horizontal lines are not convex but paralells

Jastraw-illusion

Blue-Green illusion

the importance of colour pairing

Graphic elements

point

line

shape

form

Attributes

position

length

angle

direction

shape

size

colour

Accuracy

more accurate

length

angle

direction

shape

size


colour

 

less accurate

position

accuracy does not mean effectiveness!

Patterns

position

length

angle

direction

increasement

size

colour

decreasement

pattern

outlier

noise

System

length

angle

direction

shape

size


colour

 

position

carthesian

polar

cartographic

Anatomy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

axis y

data source:

scale

axis x


grid
 

title



Annotation


 

grid


zero line

label

Data/Ink ratio

frame?

sequential colouring?

fonttype difficult to read?

contour?

jailhouse grid?

pictorial background?

Data/Ink ratio

Colours

hue

saturation

luminance

warm

cool

saturation

category

grouping

highlighting

ordering

distribution

Display

Display