Functional Aesthetics for Data

338 Pages·2022·24.387 MB·English

by  Setlur,Vidya, Cogley , Bridget

Functional
Aesthetics
for data visualization
Vidya Setlur
Bridget Cogley
Copyright © 2022 by Vidya Setlur and Bridget Cogley. All rights reserved.
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.
Published simultaneously in Canada and the United Kingdom.
978-1-119-81008-7
978-1-119-81010-0 (ebk.)
978-1-119-81007-0 (ebk.)
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In memory of Kelly Martin, who knew true beauty and laughter.
(VS)
To Amod—my support and life partner
and
Naren and Narsim—whose unconditional love constantly helps me be a
good mother and a better person
(BC)
To Mike—the ultimate dancer, driver, and super- spouse
and
Dominic—who gives me new eyes to the world and the freedom to play

Contents
Acknowledgments ix
About the Authors xi
About the Technical Editor xii
Foreword by Pat Hanrahan xiii
Introduction xv
Part A: Perception ............................................................................1
Chapter 1: The Science Behind Perception 3
Seeing and Understanding Imagery 3
Color Cognition 6
Saccade and Directed Attention 10
The Notion of Space and Spatial Cognition 11
Diagramming the World 13
Summary 20
Chapter 2: Perception in Charts 21
Visualization and Task 23
Chart as an Informational Unit 24
Unboxing Functional Aesthetics in the Physical World 27
Recursive Proportions 28
The Digitized Space: Creating Experiences on the Screen 31
Summary 34
Chapter 3: Charts in Use 35
The First Charts 36
Standardizing Visualization 40
The Shifting Role of Data Visualization 43
v
vi CoNTeNTS
Maturity within the Profession 49
Summary 56
Part B: Semantics ..........................................................................57
Chapter 4: Coming to Terms 59
Statistical Graphics Are Inherently Abstract 60
Flattening the Curve 63
Toward Meaningful Depictions 65
Situating with Semiotics 68
Summary 69
Chapter 5: Vagueness and Ambiguity 71
How Tall Is Tall? 71
Spicy or Hot—W hat’s the Difference? 76
Clarification, Repair, and Refinement 78
Iconicity of Representation 80
The Art of Chart 82
Summary 85
Chapter 6: Data Literacy 87
Navigating Data Literacy 89
The Impact of Writing 90
Data Orality 92
Changing Exposition Styles 96
Data Literacy Democratization 97
Summary 99
Chapter 7: Data Preparation 101
Hairy Dates 102
Common Transformations 103
Clarity in Conversation 107
Shaping for Intent 109
Prepping for the Future 110
Data Enrichment 113
Summary 115
Chapter 8: Scaling It Down 117
Generalization 118
Natural Sizes 119
Contents vii
Fat Fingers and Small Screens 120
Color as a Function of Size 123
Thumbnails and Visual Summaries 124
Summary 128
Chapter 9: Cohesive Data Messages 129
Cohesion in Designing Visualizations 131
Analytical Conversation 144
Summary 152
Chapter 10: Text and Charts 153
Medium Being the Message 154
Types of Text 155
Balancing Text with Charts 161
Chart and Text Agreement 163
Text in Analytical Conversation 166
Making Data More Accessible 168
Text for Supporting Reading Fluency 170
Summary 171
Part C: Intent ...............................................................................173
Chapter 11: Defining and Framing  175
Analytical Intent 176
Register 178
Repair and Refinement 179
Pragmatics 181
Practicing Intent 182
Summary 185
Chapter 12: Visual Communication 187
Do What I Mean, Not What I Say 189
Register in Charts 192
Registers in Composition 194
Mood and Metaphor 197
Beyond Language Communication 197
Expansion and Contraction 200
Summary 201
viii CoNTeNTS
Chapter 13: Scaffolds 203
Visualization Scaffolding 206
Scaffolding Data Discovery 210
Scaffolding Natural Language Recommendations 213
Analytical Conversation to Repair and Refine 217
Summary 221
Chapter 14: Balancing emphasis 223
Individual Choices 224
Collective Choices 225
Correcting Common Problems 228
View Snapping 232
Summary 238
Chapter 15: Mode 239
Navigate Like a Local 241
Revisiting Analytical Chatbots 247
Video Killed the Radio Star 249
Beyond the Desktop 251
Future Forward 255
Summary 257
◼    Part D: Putting It All Together .......................................................259
Chapter 16: Bringing everything Together 261
Addressing the Paper Towel Problem 263
Crafting Recipes for Functional Aesthetics 267
Summary 286
Chapter 17: Close 287
Data in Everything and Everywhere 288
New Tools and New Experiences 295
Sign- off 297
Technical Glossary 299
Index 305