Comments on: Graphical perception – learn the fundamentals first http://flowingdata.com/2010/03/20/graphical-perception-learn-the-fundamentals-first/ Strength in Numbers Sun, 12 Feb 2012 04:57:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: links for 2010-06-05 « Onlinejournalismtest's Blog http://flowingdata.com/2010/03/20/graphical-perception-learn-the-fundamentals-first/#comment-45285 links for 2010-06-05 « Onlinejournalismtest's Blog Sat, 05 Jun 2010 14:03:03 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=6319#comment-45285 [...] Graphical perception – learn the fundamentals first When we (the designers) visualize data, we encode the quantitative information in shapes, color, position, etc. The viewers then have to decode that information. Cleveland and McGill studied what people are able to decode most accurately and ranked them in the following list. Position along a common scale e.g. scatter plot Position on identical but nonaligned scales e.g. multiple scatter plots Length e.g. bar chart Angle & Slope (tie) e.g. pie chart Area e.g. bubbles Volume, density, and color saturation (tie) e.g. heatmap Color hue e.g. newsmap (tags: visualisation research infographics) [...] [...] Graphical perception – learn the fundamentals first When we (the designers) visualize data, we encode the quantitative information in shapes, color, position, etc. The viewers then have to decode that information. Cleveland and McGill studied what people are able to decode most accurately and ranked them in the following list. Position along a common scale e.g. scatter plot Position on identical but nonaligned scales e.g. multiple scatter plots Length e.g. bar chart Angle & Slope (tie) e.g. pie chart Area e.g. bubbles Volume, density, and color saturation (tie) e.g. heatmap Color hue e.g. newsmap (tags: visualisation research infographics) [...]

]]> By: Area vs length « Mike Love’s blog http://flowingdata.com/2010/03/20/graphical-perception-learn-the-fundamentals-first/#comment-42550 Area vs length « Mike Love’s blog Thu, 22 Apr 2010 10:52:09 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=6319#comment-42550 [...] ago, Cleveland and McGill showed that people are better at comparing length than at comparing areas, but still you’ll [...] [...] ago, Cleveland and McGill showed that people are better at comparing length than at comparing areas, but still you’ll [...]

]]> By: Data & Stuff » Blog Archive » Spotted: March 25th – April 14th http://flowingdata.com/2010/03/20/graphical-perception-learn-the-fundamentals-first/#comment-42021 Data & Stuff » Blog Archive » Spotted: March 25th – April 14th Wed, 14 Apr 2010 21:06:04 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=6319#comment-42021 [...] Graphical perception – learn the fundamentals first | FlowingData – When it comes to visualization, especially on the Web, you have to be open-minded, and you should be willing to try new things. There’s no advancing otherwise. However, before you dive into the advanced stuff – like just about everything in your life – you have to learn the fundamentals before you know when you can break the rules. Tags: analytics, animation, anywhere, chart, charts, concept, Data, design, excel, forthesite, foursquare, free, gowalla, graphics, guardian, hovercards, howto, infographics, information, presentation, prototype, reference, resources, sxsw, sxsw2010, SXSWi, theory, tools, tutorial, twitter, usability, Visualisation, visualization [...] [...] Graphical perception – learn the fundamentals first | FlowingData – When it comes to visualization, especially on the Web, you have to be open-minded, and you should be willing to try new things. There’s no advancing otherwise. However, before you dive into the advanced stuff – like just about everything in your life – you have to learn the fundamentals before you know when you can break the rules. Tags: analytics, animation, anywhere, chart, charts, concept, Data, design, excel, forthesite, foursquare, free, gowalla, graphics, guardian, hovercards, howto, infographics, information, presentation, prototype, reference, resources, sxsw, sxsw2010, SXSWi, theory, tools, tutorial, twitter, usability, Visualisation, visualization [...]

]]> By: links for 2010-04-12 « Daniel Harrison's Personal Blog http://flowingdata.com/2010/03/20/graphical-perception-learn-the-fundamentals-first/#comment-41972 links for 2010-04-12 « Daniel Harrison's Personal Blog Tue, 13 Apr 2010 02:02:43 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=6319#comment-41972 [...] Graphical perception – learn the fundamentals first (tags: ux) [...] [...] Graphical perception – learn the fundamentals first (tags: ux) [...]

]]> By: Four short links: 8 April 2010 | Lick My Chip ! http://flowingdata.com/2010/03/20/graphical-perception-learn-the-fundamentals-first/#comment-41864 Four short links: 8 April 2010 | Lick My Chip ! Thu, 08 Apr 2010 15:32:51 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=6319#comment-41864 [...] Graphical Perception: Learn the Fundamentals First (Flowing Data) — a list of visual cues ordered by how well people perceive them, and examples of how they’re used in visualizations. Visualization isn’t just art, there’s science behind it and just as great artists know the science behind their medium, great data artists understand the cognitive science behind their techniques. [...] [...] Graphical Perception: Learn the Fundamentals First (Flowing Data) — a list of visual cues ordered by how well people perceive them, and examples of how they’re used in visualizations. Visualization isn’t just art, there’s science behind it and just as great artists know the science behind their medium, great data artists understand the cognitive science behind their techniques. [...]

]]> By: Things I Learned This Week – #13 | dougbelshaw.com/blog http://flowingdata.com/2010/03/20/graphical-perception-learn-the-fundamentals-first/#comment-41384 Things I Learned This Week – #13 | dougbelshaw.com/blog Sun, 28 Mar 2010 12:02:16 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=6319#comment-41384 [...] to a 1984 paper cited by Nathan Yau at FlowingData, scatter charts are the easiest to decode in terms of representations of quantitative data. Bar [...] [...] to a 1984 paper cited by Nathan Yau at FlowingData, scatter charts are the easiest to decode in terms of representations of quantitative data. Bar [...]

]]> By: Naomi B. Robbins http://flowingdata.com/2010/03/20/graphical-perception-learn-the-fundamentals-first/#comment-40882 Naomi B. Robbins Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:36:09 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=6319#comment-40882 The standard example for position along a common scale is a dot plot - see http://www.b-eye-network.com/view/2468. In fact, the dot plot was introduced by Cleveland and his colleagues at Bell Labs as a result of the experiments described in this blog post. With a scatter plot we have the position of the x coordinate against the horizontal scale and the y coordinate against the vertical scale. The example you refer to adds a third variable that is coded by color and has nothing to do with position. You ask if a bar chart or pie chart isn't easier to understand. Bar and pie charts are appropriate with a categorical variable and a quantitative variable while scatter plots are used with two quantitative variables, so as you pointed out, bar and pie charts are not for the data in the depth vs date data. The article in the link of the last paragraph shows advantages of the dot plot over a bar chart. The standard example for position along a common scale is a dot plot – see http://www.b-eye-network.com/view/2468. In fact, the dot plot was introduced by Cleveland and his colleagues at Bell Labs as a result of the experiments described in this blog post. With a scatter plot we have the position of the x coordinate against the horizontal scale and the y coordinate against the vertical scale. The example you refer to adds a third variable that is coded by color and has nothing to do with position.

You ask if a bar chart or pie chart isn’t easier to understand. Bar and pie charts are appropriate with a categorical variable and a quantitative variable while scatter plots are used with two quantitative variables, so as you pointed out, bar and pie charts are not for the data in the depth vs date data. The article in the link of the last paragraph shows advantages of the dot plot over a bar chart.

]]> By: Nathan Yau http://flowingdata.com/2010/03/20/graphical-perception-learn-the-fundamentals-first/#comment-40878 Nathan Yau Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:16:52 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=6319#comment-40878 yeah, that's not the best example. i probably should look for something more clear. the thing to remember is that basic perception was tested with basic charts. the examples provided are like the advanced counterparts. yeah, that’s not the best example. i probably should look for something more clear. the thing to remember is that basic perception was tested with basic charts. the examples provided are like the advanced counterparts.

]]> By: Captain Oblivious http://flowingdata.com/2010/03/20/graphical-perception-learn-the-fundamentals-first/#comment-40875 Captain Oblivious Tue, 23 Mar 2010 14:47:10 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=6319#comment-40875 Wow, the "Position along a common scale (e.g. scatter plot)" example is supposed to be EASY to decipher? I found it took quite a bit of puzzling over colors and axes before I understood what they were trying to say (and even then I didn't really grasp the point of the chart)... isn't a bar chart or pie chart easier to understand? (not necessarily suitable for the oxygen-vs-depth-vs-date data, just easier) Wow, the “Position along a common scale (e.g. scatter plot)” example is supposed to be EASY to decipher? I found it took quite a bit of puzzling over colors and axes before I understood what they were trying to say (and even then I didn’t really grasp the point of the chart)… isn’t a bar chart or pie chart easier to understand? (not necessarily suitable for the oxygen-vs-depth-vs-date data, just easier)

]]> By: michaelgalloy.com » Fundamentals of graphical perception http://flowingdata.com/2010/03/20/graphical-perception-learn-the-fundamentals-first/#comment-40831 michaelgalloy.com » Fundamentals of graphical perception Mon, 22 Mar 2010 17:43:11 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=6319#comment-40831 [...] has a great post about learning the fundamentals of graphical perception. In particular, the common techniques for encoding quantitative information are ordered by how [...] [...] has a great post about learning the fundamentals of graphical perception. In particular, the common techniques for encoding quantitative information are ordered by how [...]

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