I attended a workshop delivered by a colleague Assoc Prof David Bedford at UTS on data visualisation. Figures are not often used in academic papers – or theses for that matter – so admittedly have slipped off my radar. Why? Maybe, because we don’t know how to use them properly. We have attempted to distil the key points of the workshop into one short post here.
Why visualise data? Put simply, figures can show trends or tell a story and can be much easier for the brain to process. However, the way information is presented can affect both our understanding of the data and the ease at which it can be processed.
In choosing how to present data, consider the point you are trying to make, how best to highlight this point, and how to connect this to the narrative. There are various resources that can help you decide which type of chart is most suited.
Then consider the best way to present this information. When thinking about chart design, consider orientation, labels, scaling and order.
Most importantly, remove clutter – also known as “chart junk”. Anything that is not essential can be removed.
Useful references
- Environmental Computing – Data analysis, organisation and presentation
- Beautiful news – Examples of how graphics can be used to convey information
- Data visualisation using maps – google trends
- Blog – Visualising Data
- From data to Viz | Find the graphic you need (data-to-viz.com)
- Data Viz Project | Collection of data visualizations to get inspired and finding the right type.
Truro Consulting 