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Visualizing Reasoning: Wednesday, October 27, 2010

The document discusses best practices for visualizing data and reasoning. It recommends using charts and graphs to appeal to different learning styles, provide visual reinforcement of data, and restate arguments. Basic graph types like column charts, bar charts, line graphs, scatter plots and pie charts are presented. The document emphasizes keeping visualizations simple, avoiding distortion, distraction and ambiguity. It also discusses theoretical aspects like using visuals to make ethical arguments and choosing visual genres based on the type of variables and argument.

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kakennedy
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415 views71 pages

Visualizing Reasoning: Wednesday, October 27, 2010

The document discusses best practices for visualizing data and reasoning. It recommends using charts and graphs to appeal to different learning styles, provide visual reinforcement of data, and restate arguments. Basic graph types like column charts, bar charts, line graphs, scatter plots and pie charts are presented. The document emphasizes keeping visualizations simple, avoiding distortion, distraction and ambiguity. It also discusses theoretical aspects like using visuals to make ethical arguments and choosing visual genres based on the type of variables and argument.

Uploaded by

kakennedy
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Visualizing Reasoning

Wednesday, October 27, 2010


Practical aspects:

Wednesday, October 27, 2010


Why charts and graphs?

• Appeal to different learning styles


• Provide visual reinforcement
• Restate your data

Wednesday, October 27, 2010


These are arguments.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010


You can chart or graph
anything.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010


You can also make
anything visually
comprehensible.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010


Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Stay simple.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010


Don’t do this:

Wednesday, October 27, 2010


Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Basic graph types:

Wednesday, October 27, 2010


Column Charts
A B

40

30

20

10

0
2002 2003 2004 2005

Wednesday, October 27, 2010


Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Bar Charts
# Students

2010

2009

2008

2007

0 50 100 150 200

Wednesday, October 27, 2010


Line Graphs

Wednesday, October 27, 2010


Scatter graph

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Pie Charts
Female Male

30%

70%

Wednesday, October 27, 2010


Consider context

Wednesday, October 27, 2010


Keep it simple.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010


Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Avoid distortion.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010


Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Avoid distraction

Wednesday, October 27, 2010


Avoid ambiguity

Wednesday, October 27, 2010


Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Theoretical Aspects

Wednesday, October 27, 2010


Visuals must make an
argument.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010


That argument must be

Wednesday, October 27, 2010


ethical.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010


Numbers become
evidence by
being in relation to.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010


The question is always

Wednesday, October 27, 2010


“Compared with what?”

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Wednesday, October 27, 2010
See page 44.

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Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Cholera

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Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Right now:

Wednesday, October 27, 2010


250 dead

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3,000 sickened

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The 1854 Cholera
Epidemic in London

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500 dead in 10 days

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Wednesday, October 27, 2010
The logic of display
design must reflect the
logic of the analysis.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010


Descriptive narration is
not causal explanation.

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Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Page 30-31

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Choose genre based of
variables and type of
argument.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010


Consider granularity

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Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Consider clarity

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Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Charts need legends.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010


Legends must be
clear and simple.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010


Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Avoid chartjunk.

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Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Consider order.

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Tufte’s 6 Principles

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1. Document the sources
and characteristics of the
data.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010


2. Enforce appropriate
comparisons.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010


3. Demonstrate mechanisms
of cause and effect.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010


4. Express those mechanisms
quantitatively.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010


5. Recognize the multivariate
nature of analytic problems.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010


6. Inspect and evaluate
alternative explanations.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

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