What happens when a researcher and a practitioner spend hours crammed in a Fiat discussing data visualization? Beyond creating beautiful charts, they found greater richness in the craft as an integrated whole.
Drawing from their unconventional backgrounds, these two women take readers through a journey around perception, semantics, and intent as the triad that influences visualization. This visually engaging book blends ideas from theory, academia, and practice to craft beautiful, yet meaningful visualizations and dashboards.
How do you take your visualization skills to the next level? The book is perfect for analysts, research and data scientists, journalists, and business professionals. Functional Aesthetics for Data Visualization is also an indispensable resource for just about anyone curious about seeing and understanding data. Think of it as a coffee book for the data geek in you.
Author(s): Setlur, Vidya;Cogley, Bridget;; Bridget Cogley
Year: 2022
Language: English
Commentary: visualization skills, understanding data, for analysts, research and data scientists, journalists, and business professionals
Tags: visualization skills, understanding data, for analysts, research and data scientists, journalists, and business professionals
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Contents
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
About the Technical Editor
Foreword
Introduction
A Fiat, Food, and Finding Commonality
This Book at a Glance
Part A Perception
Chapter 1 The Science Behind Perception
Seeing and Understanding Imagery
Color Cognition
Saccade and Directed Attention
The Notion of Space and Spatial Cognition
Diagramming the World
Summary
Chapter 2 Perception in Charts
Visualization and Task
Chart as an Informational Unit
Unboxing Functional Aesthetics in the Physical World
Recursive Proportions
The Digitized Space: Creating Experiences on the Screen
Summary
Chapter 3 Charts in Use
The First Charts
Standardizing Visualization
The Shifting Role of Data Visualization
Maturity within the Profession
Summary
Part B Semantics
Chapter 4 Coming to Terms
Statistical Graphics Are Inherently Abstract
Flattening the Curve
Toward Meaningful Depictions
Situating with Semiotics
Summary
Chapter 5 Vagueness and Ambiguity
How Tall Is Tall?
Spicy or Hot—What’s the Difference?
Clarification, Repair, and Refinement
Iconicity of Representation
The Art of Chart
Summary
Chapter 6 Data Literacy
Navigating Data Literacy
The Impact of Writing
Data Orality
Changing Exposition Styles
Data Literacy Democratization
Summary
Chapter 7 Data Preparation
Hairy Dates
Common Transformations
Clarity in Conversation
Shaping for Intent
Prepping for the Future
Data Enrichment
Summary
Chapter 8 Scaling It Down
Generalization
Natural Sizes
Fat Fingers and Small Screens
Color as a Function of Size
Thumbnails and Visual Summaries
Summary
Chapter 9 Cohesive Data Messages
Cohesion in Designing Visualizations
Analytical Conversation
Summary
Chapter 10 Text and Charts
Medium Being the Message
Types of Text
Balancing Text with Charts
Chart and Text Agreement
Text in Analytical Conversation
Making Data More Accessible
Text for Supporting Reading Fluency
Summary
Part C Intent
Chapter 11 Defining and Framing
Analytical Intent
Register
Repair and Refinement
Pragmatics
Practicing Intent
Summary
Chapter 12 Visual Communication
Do What I Mean, Not What I Say
Register in Charts
Registers in Composition
Mood and Metaphor
Beyond Language Communication
Expansion and Contraction
Summary
Chapter 13 Scaffolds
Visualization Scaffolding
Scaffolding Data Discovery
Scaffolding Natural Language Recommendations
Analytical Conversation to Repair and Refine
Summary
Chapter 14 Balancing Emphasis
Individual Choices
Collective Choices
Correcting Common Problems
View Snapping
Summary
Chapter 15 Mode
Navigate Like a Local
Revisiting Analytical Chatbots
Video Killed the Radio Star
Beyond the Desktop
Future Forward
Summary
Part D Putting It All Together
Chapter 16 Bringing Everything Together
Addressing the Paper Towel Problem
Crafting Recipes for Functional Aesthetics
Summary
Chapter 17 Close
Data in Everything and Everywhere
New Tools and New Experiences
Sign-off
Technical Glossary
Index
EULA
