bowdoin: data driven socities 2014 - what is dataviz 01/29/14
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Data Driven Societies Digital & Computational Studies Bowdoin College January 29, 2014 Professors Gieseking & Gaze Lecture Slides "How We Make Sense of Data in Visualization"TRANSCRIPT
Data Driven Societies: From Data/Tech to DataVizProfessors Gaze & Gieseking
Data & Technology & Statistics, Oh My
History of data and technology
Statistical thinking
Data visualization
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Visualize This
“...there are right ways and wrong ways to show data; there are displays that reveal the truth and displays that do not.”— Edward Tufte, Visualizing Explanations (45)
The Beginnings of Data Visualization: William Playfair
Tufte: Snow’s Cholera Map 1854
Tufte: Challenger O’Rings 1987
Tufte: What is Bad DataViz?
✦ Disappearing legend✦ Chartjunk - visual elements in charts and graphs not
necessary for their comprehension ✦ “Chartjunk indicates statistical stupidity, just as weak
writing reflects weak thought. ... Good design brings absolute attention to data.” (48)
✦ Lack of clarity in depicting cause and effect✦ Wrong order
Yau: Visualization as Medium
flowingdata.com/2010/10/18/true-size-of-africa/
Yau: Visualization as Medium
Patrick Smith, 2010
Tufte & Yau: What is Good DataViz?
TufteCertain key rules must be applied:✦ Place data in appropriate
context to assess cause/effect
✦ Make quantitative comparisons
✦ Consider alternative explanations and contrary cases
✦ Assess possible errors in data
YauYou may need to throw out the rules but these ideas generally apply:✦ Let the type of visual and tool fit
question✦ Visualization is storytelling✦ Entertainment and humor can
be helpful✦ Let data guide design✦ Recognize how interface
interactions with data