Unit 6 Storytelling

Question 1

what is data visualization

Answer 1

Data visualization – the practice of representing data visually

Question 2

4 use cases for data visualization

Answer 2

to record

To analyze and reveal: Reveal trends / patterns of data

To confirm

To communicate

to transform information with the influence of purposeful design and analytics with the intent of encoding and conveying information otherwise difficult to understand in a meaningful way

Sometimes data visualization is the only way to see and understand data – especially big data

Question 3

Categories of Data visualization

Answer 3

Exploratory

Explanatory

Hybrid

Question 4

The Shaffer 4 C’s of Data Visualization

Answer 4

Clear – easily seen; sharpy defined
- Who’s the audience?
- What is the message?
- Clarity more important than aesthetics

Clean – thorough; complete
- Labels, axis, gridlines, formatting, right chart type, color choice, etc.

Concise – brief but comprehensive
- Not minimalist but not verbose

Captivating – to attract and hold by beauty or excellence
- Does it capture attention? Is it interesting? Does it tell a story?

Question 5

Tufte’s Five Laws of Data-Ink:

Answer 5

1. Above all else show the data
2. Maximize the data-ink ratio
3. Erase non-data ink
4. Erase redundant data-ink
5. Revise and edit

Question 6

Dashboard Dos

Answer 6

Content position and size should match importance and frequency of use

Use color and formatting to draw attention where needed, rather to decorate

Visually associate data and content that is related

Use the needs of the user to drive the layout, rather than forcing layout with an inflexible grid

Question 7

Storytelling with Data process

Answer 7

1. Understand the context: Who is your audience? What do you need them to do? How will data help make your point? Articulate your big idea? Create a storyboard
2. Choose the approval visual: draw it, iterate and look at data in different ways, seek feedback
3. eliminate clutter: identify unnecessary elements and remove them (leverage white space, align elements, avoid diagonal components), lack visual order, Gestalt principle
4. draw attention to where you want it
5. think like a designer: affordances, accessibility, aesthetics, acceptance
6. tell a story

Question 8

Gestalt principle

Answer 8

Proximity – when things are close together they appear to be more related

Similarity – when things appear to be similar to each other, they will automatically be grouped together

Enclosure – we perceive objects enclosed as groups

Closure – when we view a shape, we prefer when it is complete

Continuity – if an element is arranged on a curve or a line, it is perceived to be more related than other elements not on the line or curve

Connection – connected are perceived more related