Data Visualization
What is Data Visualization?
“Data visualization is the graphical representation of information and data. By using visual elements like charts, graphs, and maps, data visualization tools provide an accessible way to see and understand trends, outliers, and patterns in data.”
Raw data can be very unappealing to the eye. Cold black and white statistical numbers on spreadsheets don’t carry the same emotional impact or interest as colorful visuals do. Colors, patterns, and graphs draw our attention and not only keep us interested, but they help the data to be easier to comprehend, as well as making trends and outliers noticeable. Your data is only as good as the interpretation of it. If you are conveying an important statistical message in a way no one can comprehend, your data is not doing any good. Once you can turn your data into an understandable visual, you can deliver your message more efficiently.
Examples of Common Data Visualization
Data visualization is everywhere. We see these things in our everyday lives, probably without even thinking too much about it. Some common examples are:
Bar Charts
Pie Charts
Line Charts
Area Charts
Scatter Plots
Bubbler Charts
Maps
Tables
Graphs
Infographics
Adding Creativity
As important as those common types of visualization are, adding other elements such as photography to your graphics can add an entirely new impactful element to your data. It can make it more playful and creative, or striking and thought-provoking. There are many great creators of real-world infographics, such as Oliver Uberti or Sarah Illenberger.
Creating a Narrative
Data tells stories. Adding a visual to the data can help display it in a creative and unique manner. A successful visualization combines information (data), story (concept), goal (function), visual form (metaphor). All of these elements together help a data visualization tell a complete story.
A narrative can be achieved through graphics alone, photography, or a combination of the two. You can add motion, videos, and more. The only limit is your own creativity. It is important to remember to connect your graphics to your data and ensure all the elements work together as a whole to tell the story and have the impact you are looking for.
My Data Visualization
Here I have combined photography with graphics to create my data visualization. I chose a topic that is very important to me, which is shelter animals. I used data from the ASPCA and put it together with visuals to tell a story. I took a photograph of my cat and dog and displayed the data over top of them. I used them as a pie chart to show the percentage of cats and dogs that are adopted, euthanized or returned to owners. Both of my pets were rescues and I think it is so important that this information is known. There are 6.5 million cats and dogs that enter US shelters every year. Without people willing to adopt them, they might never find a loving home. When looking for a new furry addition to the family, animal shelters should be the first stop instead of breeders or pet stores. When the shelters are crowded there is nowhere else for these animals to go. There are too many animals euthanized due to overpopulation and that is heartbreaking. It is so sad that only 50% of cats and not even 50% of dogs get adopted. That number should be much higher and I wanted this data visualization to tell that story through the faces of my little furbabies who have been through the same experiences as the millions of other shelter animals looking for loving homes.
Sources:
“DATA VISUALIZATION 101: HOW TO DESIGN CHARTS AND GRAPHS.” HubSpot, cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/53/file-863940581-pdf/Data_Visualization_101_How_to_Design_Charts_and_Graphs.pdf.
“Information Visualization – A Brief Introduction.” The Interaction Design Foundation, www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/information-visualization-a-brief-introduction.
Matthews, Flynn. “21 Best Real Life Infographics.” FREEYORK, 2 Aug. 2017, freeyork.org/people/21-best-real-life-infographics/.
McCandless, David. “What Makes A Good Data Visualization?” Information Is Beautiful, Information Is Beautiful, 21 Nov. 2020, informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/what-makes-a-good-data-visualization/.
“Sarah Illenberger's Infographics.” ALL MY EYES, allmyeyes.blogspot.com/2010/10/sarah-illenbergers-infographics.html.
“Shelter Intake and Surrender.” ASPCA, www.aspca.org/animal-homelessness/shelter-intake-and-surrender.
Sinar, Evan. “7 Data Visualization Types You Should Be Using More (and How to Start).” Medium, Medium, 15 Feb. 2016, medium.com/@EvanSinar/7-data-visualization-types-you-should-be-using-more-and-how-to-start-4015b5d4adf2.
Tableau. “Data Visualization Beginner's Guide: a Definition, Examples, and Learning Resources.” Tableau, www.tableau.com/learn/articles/data-visualization.
“Visual Mapping – The Elements of Information Visualization.” The Interaction Design Foundation, www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/visual-mapping-the-elements-of-information-visualization.
