Data has always been important in any aspect of life we could imagine. It helps guide our business decisions, and subconsciously we process data to make informed decisions as individuals almost constantly. Data in the digital world has only grown more important and visualizing that data has changed. For example, real time data can be collected and visualized graphically instantly. While data visualization used to be static in the past, having digital data visualization means seeing data visualization evolve as the data is interpreted and shown. “Advanced data visualization tools offer new ways to view data through rich visuals such as bubble charts, word clouds and geo spatial heap maps etc. Some of the graphs and reports can be built in practically minutes from one or few data sources benefiting the business users instantly”. (Chandra)
One of the most instantly recognizable visualizations of data are charts. They take on many different forms, but the best chart make data accessible and easy to understand for a general audience. Much like UX itself focuses on user experience, charts should be designed to help those reading them easily comprehend the data that is being displayed. “take into account who and what your graphs and charts are for, and design accordingly. You might design a graphic to be super-detailed for a poster that people can stare at for hours. But if it’s for a presentation, you should keep the words to a minimum”. (Yau)
Personally speaking, charts that have strong data organization, and are made to lay out the data as simply as possible for easy access are visuals I respond well to. Certain data sets can become very complex and it takes thought in order to create visuals that break that data down in simple terms that people can understand without spending a lot of time trying to figure out what is being shown. Any chart or data visualization that achieves this has done its job in my opinion.
Resources
Chandra. Pros and Cons of a Data Visualization Strategy. 22 Feb. 2017, www.katlisttech.com/single-post/2017/01/01/5-Ways-to-improve-your-bottom-line.
Yau, Nathan. “7 Basic Rules for Making Charts and Graphs.” FlowingData, flowingdata.com/2010/07/22/7-basic-rules-for-making-charts-and-graphs/.
Design By Angel Vazquez 