Chapter 3: Clutter is your enemy! Flashcards
What does maximizing
the signal-noise ratio mean?
P 88
The signal is the information we want to communicate, and the noise are those elements that either don’t add to, or in some cases detract from, the message we are trying to impart to our audience. the higher the signal-noise ratio, the better.
What is clutter in data visualization?
These are visual elments that take up space but don’t increase understanding.
In general, we should make it easier for the audience to grasp the information we want them to know
There is a simple reason we should aim to reduce clutter: because ____.
P 89
It makes our visuals appear more complicated than necessary
When it comes to identifying which elements in our visuals are signal (the information we want to communicate) and which might be noise (clutter), consider the____.
P 90
Gestalt Principles of Visual Perception
What do the Gestalt Principles of Visual Perception define? name 6 of them
P 90
the principles of visual perception define how people interact with and create order out of visual stimuli.
We’ll discuss six principles here: proximity, similarity, enclosure, closure, continuity, and connection
What is the Proximity principle of Gestalt Principles of Visual Perception?
P 91
We tend to think of objects that are physically close together as belonging to part of a group.
What is the Similarity principle of Gestalt Principles of Visual Perception?
P 92
Objects that are of similar color, shape, size, or orientation are perceived as related or belonging to part of a group
What is the Enclosure principle of Gestalt Principles of Visual Perception?
P 93
We think of objects that are physically enclosed together as belonging to part of a group. It doesn’t take a very strong enclosure to do this: light background shading is often enough
What is the Closure principle of Gestalt Principles of Visual Perception?
P 94
The closure concept says that people like things to be simple and to fit in the constructs that are already in our heads. Because of this, people tend to perceive a set of individual elements as a single, recognizable shape when they can—when parts of a whole are missing, our eyes fill in the gap
What is the Continuity principle of Gestalt Principles of Visual Perception?
P 95
The principle of continuity is similar to closure: when looking at objects, our eyes seek the smoothest path and naturally create continuity in what we see even where it may not explicitly exist.
What is the Connection principle of Gestalt Principles of Visual Perception?
P 96
The final Gestalt principle we’ll focus on is connection. We tend to think of objects that are physically connected as part of a group. The connective property typically has a stronger associative value than similar color, size, or shape.
Generally, diagonal elements such as lines and text should be avoided. True/False
P 84
True
They look messy and, in the case of text, are harder to read than their horizontal counterparts. It is best to avoid diagonal elements on the page
Never add data just for the sake of adding data—only add data with a thoughtful and specific purpose in mind! True/False
P 100
True
White space in visual communication is as important as pauses in public speaking.
Why should we be careful about using contrast strategically
P 102
Contrast: making a visualization stand out from the rest
The more things we make different, the lesser the degree to which any of them stand out. To explain this another way, if there is something really important we want our audience to know or see (the hawk), we should make that the one thing that is very different from the rest.
Is it better to separate different visuals in a page by white spaces or by drawing borders around each? why?
P 108
Chart borders are usually unnecessary, as we covered in our discussion of the Gestalt principle of closure. Instead, think about using white space to differentiate the visual from other elements on the page as needed
