Let's do some thinking about data visualisation thinking
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Transcript of Let's do some thinking about data visualisation thinking
LET’S HAVE A THINK ABOUT DATA VISUALISATION THINKING
Andy Kirk
@visualisingdata
Data visualisation specialist: Trainer, lecturer, researcher, author, design consultant, speaker, twitterer...
Theories and techniques
Real-world practice
TALENT
TALENT
THINKING
5 ATTRIBUTES OF GOOD VISUALISATION
THINKING
#1 ORGANISED
Sequenced thinking
1. Establish the visualisation’s purpose
2. Acquire, familiarise with and prepare your data
3. Determine the editorial focus of your subject matter
4. Conceive your design: data representation and presentation
5. Construct and complete your design solution PR
ACTIC
AL
CREA
TIVE
Recommended talk/project...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMB_6OeCEP8
Process but not procedure
“There's a strand of the data viz world that argues that everything could be a bar chart. That's possibly true but
also possibly a world without joy”
Amanda Cox, New York Times
“There's a strand of the data viz world that argues that everything could be a bar chart. That's possibly true but
also possibly a world without joy”
Amanda Cox, New York Times
http://blogs.hbr.org/hbr/hbreditors/2013/03/power_of_visualizations_aha_moment.html
Framework for thinking rather than rules for learning
Framework for thinking rather than rules for learning
Where to begin? What pathway to take?
http://www.mattneuman.com/maze.gif
Cohesion and flow of thinking
The most effective and efficient way to sequence your thinking.
Organised thinking for visualisation
#2 CONTEXTUAL Framing our thinking
Boring!
YOU ARE KAYAKING ALONG THE COAST OF GREENLAND AND YOU
NEED A ‘CHART’ TO NAVIGATE
The influence of context
(HT to Mark Daggett @heavysixer)
Three options: Which is best?
http://www.visualisingdata.com/index.php/2013/03/tactile-visualisations-inuit-wood-maps/
It needs to cope with being wet
http://www.visualisingdata.com/index.php/2013/03/tactile-visualisations-inuit-wood-maps/
It needs to float
http://www.visualisingdata.com/index.php/2013/03/tactile-visualisations-inuit-wood-maps/
It needs to work in the dark
http://www.visualisingdata.com/index.php/2013/03/tactile-visualisations-inuit-wood-maps/
Needs to work without cellular signal
http://www.visualisingdata.com/index.php/2013/03/tactile-visualisations-inuit-wood-maps/
It shouldn’t be cumbersome to use
http://www.visualisingdata.com/index.php/2013/03/tactile-visualisations-inuit-wood-maps/
We can’t rely on anything that needs power
http://www.visualisingdata.com/index.php/2013/03/tactile-visualisations-inuit-wood-maps/
It is too cold to work without gloves
http://www.visualisingdata.com/index.php/2013/03/tactile-visualisations-inuit-wood-maps/
Final score
http://www.visualisingdata.com/index.php/2013/03/tactile-visualisations-inuit-wood-maps/
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0123740371/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=visuadata-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0123740371
“...this example reinforces my thesis that in order to design a tool, we must make our best efforts to
understand the larger social and physical context within which it is intended to function.”
Bill Buxton, “Sketching User Experiences”
“...this example reinforces my thesis that in order to design a tool, we must make our best efforts to
understand the larger social and physical context within which it is intended to function.”
Bill Buxton, “Sketching User Experiences”
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0123740371/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=visuadata-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0123740371
What’s the best visualisation solution? It always depends.
Contextual thinking for visualisation
#3 IMAGINATIVE Harnessing instincts
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/01/what-you-get-when-30-people-draw-a-world-map-from-memory/282901/
Our instincts offer a unique perspective
Our instincts offer a unique perspective
http://www.visualisingdata.com/index.php/2013/06/a-short-essay-about-interpretation-doodling-perceptions-and-people/
http://visualizing.org/galleries/peoples-choice-visualizing-london-2012-olympic-games
Our instincts offer a unique perspective
Importance of sketching
http://www.monumentvalleygame.com/img/screenshot2.jpg
Influence and inspiration
http://www.visualisingdata.com/index.php/2012/05/the-fine-line-between-plagiarism-and-inspiration/
Influence and inspiration
EXERCISE Audience participation
ANALYSIS ABOUT THE IMPACT OF PSYCHOTHERAPY TREATMENT ON
PATIENTS IN ALASKA, 2013
What keywords and imagery come to mind?
Care Help
Support Improvement Deterioration
Healthy Unhealthy
People Individuals
Anonymised Integrity
Authoritative Sensitivity
Transparency
What keywords and imagery come to mind?
http://design-seeds.com/palettes/ArcticLove600.png
What keywords and imagery come to mind?
GRAPHIC TO MARK THE MILESTONE OF THE 500TH EXECUTION IN TEXAS
What keywords and imagery come to mind?
What keywords and imagery come to mind?
What mental visualisations – instinctive keywords and imagery – form when you think about a task, its topic and its data?
Imaginative thinking for visualisation
#4 JOURNALISTIC Harnessing curiosity
http://bklynr.com/block-by-block-brooklyns-past-and-present/
Self-initiated curiosity
http://guns.periscopic.com/
Self-initiated curiosity
http://guns.periscopic.com/?year=2010
Self-initiated curiosity
The journalist-analyst sensibility to find and show
One to watch: Christopher Ingraham, Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/people/christopher-ingraham
“A photo is never an objective reflection, but always an interpretation of reality... I see data visualization as sort of
a new photojournalism – a highly editorial activity.”
Moritz Stefaner
“A photo is never an objective reflection, but always an interpretation of reality... I see data visualization as sort of
a new photojournalism – a highly editorial activity.”
Moritz Stefaner
http://well-formed-data.net/archives/1027/worlds-not-stories
http://i.imgur.com/RmXbrDZ.jpg
Editorial focus: Filtering
http://i.imgur.com/RmXbrDZ.jpg
Editorial focus: Filtering
http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/jul/05/diego-maradona-belgium-famous-photo#_
Editorial focus: Representative angle?
http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/jul/05/diego-maradona-belgium-famous-photo#_
Editorial focus: Representative angle?
https://twitter.com/toddlerlex/status/440393501810118656/photo/1
Editorial focus: Other angles available?
https://twitter.com/toddlerlex/status/440393501810118656/photo/1
Editorial focus: Other angles available?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_Landmesser
Pattern matching, sense-making, sniffing out the story
http://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/latest
Pattern matching, sense-making, sniffing out the story
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/10/19/upshot/peyton-manning-breaks-touchdown-passing-record.html?abt=0002&abg=0
Pattern matching, sense-making, sniffing out the story
What triggers your data-focused curiosity? What ‘photos’ of your data do you need to
convey your message?
Journalistic thinking for visualisation
#5 CRITICAL
Developing the craft
http://eagereyes.org/blog/2014/beyond-the-knee-jerk-reaction
Independent critical thinking
“There is a tendency to just reflexively make fun of certain types of charts, in particular pie charts and
3D charts. While that is often justified, there are also exceptions... we have to suppress the knee-jerk reflex
and give them a moment of thought before ripping them apart.”
Robert Kosara
“There is a tendency to just reflexively make fun of certain types of charts, in particular pie charts and
3D charts. While that is often justified, there are also exceptions... we have to suppress the knee-jerk reflex
and give them a moment of thought before ripping them apart.”
Robert Kosara
http://eagereyes.org/blog/2014/beyond-the-knee-jerk-reaction
Choices: The breadth of critical thinking (136 charts in 34 secs)
http://openvisconf.com/2014/
Choices: The depth of critical thinking
Choices: The depth of critical thinking
https://www.vitsoe.com/gb/about/good-design
Dieter Rams’ ‘10 principles of good design’
“Designers Touching Their Face”
http://dttf.tumblr.com/
“#8 Good design is thorough down to the last detail... Nothing must be arbitrary or left to chance.”
Dieter Rams’ ‘10 principles of good design’
“#8 Good design is thorough down to the last detail... Nothing must be arbitrary or left to chance.”
Dieter Rams’ ‘10 principles of good design’
https://www.vitsoe.com/gb/about/good-design
EXERCISE Team participation
Prizes to be won! Need two teams of 3 people…
http://hint.fm/wind/
Identify as many visualisation design decisions as possible...
How can your resolve the best design choices from the vast range
and depth of options available?
Critical thinking for visualisation
5 ATTRIBUTES OF GOOD VISUALISATION
THINKING
ORGANISED CONTEXTUAL IMAGINATIVE
JOURNALISTIC CRITICAL
Let’s get this little guy working
LET’S HAVE A THINK ABOUT DATA VISUALISATION THINKING
Andy Kirk
@visualisingdata