The Zen of Visual Analysis

Andy Cotgreave

@acotgreave

I . CHARTS

BAD CHARTS

5 steps…

1. Why viz?

Consider these numbers…

Consider these numbers…

Property Value Mean of x 9

Variance of x 11

Mean of y 7.5 (to 2 dp)

Variance of y 4.122 (to 3 dp)

Correlation 0.816 (3dp)

Linear regression y=3+.5x (3dp)

Consider these numbers…

Blue Orange

Green Red

Consider these numbers…

Orange

Green Red

Consider these numbers…

Green Red

Consider these numbers…

Red

Consider these numbers…

Consider these numbers…

2. Don’t fool your eyes

From the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Change blindness

http://www.cs.ubc.ca/~rensink/flicker/download/Airplane.mov

Spot the difference!

The answer…

Grey screen: explain importance of Change Blindness

Grey screen: explain importance of Change Blindness

http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/colours-in-cultures/

http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/colours-in-cultures/

What colour do Asians associate with Purity?

http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/colours-in-cultures/

What colour do Asians associate with Purity?

1

http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/colours-in-cultures/

What colour do Asians associate with Purity?

2

http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/colours-in-cultures/

What colour do Asians associate with Purity?

3

http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/colours-in-cultures/

What colour do Asians associate with Purity?

4

http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/colours-in-cultures/

What colour do Asians associate with Purity?

5

http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/colours-in-cultures/

What colour do Asians associate with Purity?

6

http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/colours-in-cultures/

What colour do Asians associate with Purity?

Beautiful? Functional?

http://vizcandy.blogspot.ca/p/tableau-8-redoux.html

3. Exploit the power of the visual system

From the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired

In the following slides, which is bigger: B, C or D?

4. Engage with value, not candy

http://graphics-info.blogspot.hk/2012/09/malofiej-20-look-at-our-participation.html (Simon Scarr)

http://graphics-info.blogspot.hk/2012/09/malofiej-20-look-at-our-participation.html (Simon Scarr)

It is possible to make functional charts that are also beautiful

5. What’s your message?

http://graphics-info.blogspot.hk/2012/09/malofiej-20-look-at-our-participation.html

The message is delivered by the title, the colour and the axis going down: A Smear Of Blood

http://graphics-info.blogspot.hk/2012/09/malofiej-20-look-at-our-participation.html

Let’s change the message without changing the data

http://graphics-info.blogspot.hk/2012/09/malofiej-20-look-at-our-participation.html

Iraq: Deaths on the decline

http://graphics-info.blogspot.hk/2012/09/malofiej-20-look-at-our-participation.html

Iraq: Deaths on the decline

Now the message is more optimistic

“When I am working on a problem, I never think about beauty. I only think about how to solve the problem. But when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong.”

- R. Buckminster Fuller

@acotgreave www.gravyanecdote.com

5 steps…

@acotgreave www.gravyanecdote.com