2. start with… audience  who’s the data display for? who will be looking at, reading, and interpreting it? purpose  what does your audience want? what do you want from them? what’s the most crucial point you need to convey with the particular data display you’re working on? context  in what sort of larger document will your audience experience your data display?

3. physical context  will they use the document onscreen (e.g., computer, PDA, cell phone)? in print (e.g., hard-bound document, spiral-bound document, fold-out, pamphlet)? attitudinal context  will they be frustrated? pissed off? desperate? inquisitive? use context  will they be using this document at work? in their home? for leisure? to achieve a specific task

4. always keep in mind… arrangement emphasis contrast repetition alignment proximity

5. anatomy of a chart 4.0 3.8 3.6 3.4 3.2 3.0 Average Precipitation (Inches) 706050403020 Average Low (Degrees F) Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

6. 4.0 3.8 3.6 3.4 3.2 3.0 Average Precipitation (Inches) 706050403020 Average Low (Degrees F) Axes axis x (value axis) axis y (category axis)

7. Data Points

8. Trend Lines or Plots

9. 4.0 3.8 3.6 3.4 3.2 3.0 Average Precipitation (Inches) 706050403020 Average Low (Degrees F) Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Labels

10. 4.0 3.8 3.6 3.4 3.2 3.0 Average Precipitation (Inches) 706050403020 Average Low (Degrees F) Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Title Weather Data for Cambridge, MA (source: Weather.com)

11. 4.0 3.8 3.6 3.4 3.2 3.0 Average Precipitation (Inches) 706050403020 Average Low (Degrees F) Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec font size in axis labels is too small for a presentation crossing ticks in corners are distracting (“chartjunk”) overlap of label with lines causes an info jumble Clutter

12. represent complex data in columns and rows or as an underlying grid to arrange information tables

16. show pieces of a whole; represent percentages Figure 2: Leading Causes of Death for Youth and Adults (2003) pie charts

20. used to represent one data group simple bar charts

24. used to represent more than one data group complex bar charts

27. used to plot interval data line graphs

29. used to plot data points scatter plots

31. organizational charts used to reflect/show hierarchy

35. follow spatial contours; used to geographically/spatially represent data data maps

37. data represented by pictures pictograms or pictographs

41. bad, bad data displays labels are almost impossible to read arrangement of information makes no sense

42. just because you can does not mean you should… 3D effects and arrangement completely obscure information flattened text is difficult to read and associate with the data

43. pie charts are used to show percentages, but there are no percentages here size of pies makes it difficult to interpret data

44. what’s the point? what is this telling us? if this chart is supposed to reveal trends in overall consumption, a pie chart should be used to reveal percentages if this chart is supposed to compare consumption across the week, a bar chart would work best

45. if this chart is supposed to reveal trends in overall consumption, a pie chart should be used to reveal percentages

46. if this chart is supposed to compare consumption across the week, a bar chart would work best

47. different types of plot lines (i.e., black line and red line) not explained equations clutter the chart is “Surveyor vs. RIPE” the title of the chart? if so, it should be in a different font face and size from the axis labels > there’s no contrast here to cue us in

48. bar chart is absolutely unnecessary scale is too large for data displayed

49. too much data!

50. how to lie with data displays large scales hide changes

51. drastic scaling emphases changes

52. level of detail can obscure or reveal important information

53. good, descriptive labels are crucial to reveal meaning and purpose

54. certain formatting options can visually overemphasize information

55. 1.launch Microsoft Word 2.in a new document, select Insert  Picture  Chart 3.create displays for the following data: –the number of men and the number of women in this class –Available chairs and tables –Some way of combining the data to represent something (up to you) creating data displays

56. a few considerations for module 5… the tasks in this module are tricky—be sure to give yourself the time you’ll need to work on them refer back to this PowerPoint to make sure you’re using the correct display for your data make sure to title and label your data displays appropriately (Word, Excel, and whatever other applications you use might provide some template/help with this, but you might have to access deeper features to add labels not default-offered by the application) all five files are due uploaded to your wikispace page by class time on Tuesday March 15