Visualizing data is an art
perthirtysix.com
Visualizing data is an art
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Re: Visualizing data is an art
#2Ignoring the actual argument to focus on the object level example of pie-charts:
Pie Charts are good for showing relative proportions of a whole for a relatively small number of items. Donut charts are better because humans tend to misread area slightly in pie charts.
Re: Visualizing data is an art
#3Ignoring the actual argument to focus on the object level example of pie-charts: Pie Charts are good for showing relative proportions of a whole for a relatively small number of items. Donut charts are better because humans tend to misread area slightly in pie charts.
Author of the article here! Yes you're completely right. I think they also have other underrated properties, like they fit neatly in a square which can be helpful for laying out a dashboard. And for some reason, in my experience, people just like them.
But when done poorly, they can be a mess. Like any other chart.
Re: Visualizing data is an art
#4Damn the coffe shop tracking ha
Re: Visualizing data is an art
#5this makes me nostalgic for the days when d3.js and observable made it regularly to HN front page...
Re: Visualizing data is an art
#6this makes me nostalgic for the days when d3.js and observable made it regularly to HN front page...
Be the change you wish to see in the world!
Re: Visualizing data is an art
#7Ignoring the actual argument to focus on the object level example of pie-charts: Pie Charts are good for showing relative proportions of a whole for a relatively small number of items. Donut charts are better because humans tend to misread area slightly in pie charts.
Author of the article here! Yes you're completely right. I think they also have other underrated properties, like they fit neatly in a square which can be helpful for laying out a dashboard. And for some reason, in my experience, people just like them. But when done poorly, they can be a mess. Like any other chart.
People also like misusing them: My favorite pie chart to hate on is a pair/sequence of pie charts showing proportions over time: Pie chart for 2020, 2021, 2022,2023, etc... 100% scaled stacked barchart is an option in every tool I've ever seen that can make a pie chart...
Re: Visualizing data is an art
#8I don’t love the “me against the world” framing, but maybe I’ve just been blessed with good teachers — this is a great summation of what the HCI faculty at GaTech espouse! If it’s not a consensus yet, it should be.
If the author pops by, I’ve just gotta say: you’re killin it with the cute illustrations, especially the dials one. Very inspiring stuff!
Thanks for sharing, OP.
EDIT: if I had to pick out any one idea for a casual reader to learn about, I’d definitely highlight “Cognitive Load”. It’s used as part of a broader discussion here, but when looked at in a certain light it can capture a whole lot of diverse factors in one consistent framework!
Re: Visualizing data is an art
#9I don’t love the “me against the world” framing, but maybe I’ve just been blessed with good teachers — this is a great summation of what the HCI faculty at GaTech espouse! If it’s not a consensus yet, it should be. If the author pops by, I’ve just gotta say: you’re killin it with the cute illustrations, especially the dials one. Very inspiring stuff! Thanks for sharing, OP. EDIT: if I had to pick out any one idea for…
Thank you! Yeah, I hear you on the framing. I don't have a formal education on data viz myself (I guess not many people do?), but I've gotten into the world over the last few years. A lot of the literature I've seen has come across as dogmatic to me, which is what sparked this article. That's great to hear that your experience is more aligned with this way of thinking.
And thanks for the nice words about the animations! Glad to hear that work doesn't go unappreciated haha
Re: Visualizing data is an art
#10During the rise of the generative AI backlash, I once saw a take along the lines of "data visualization doesn't count as art because you write it with code: art only counts if you put sweat and tears and labor into it."
I was too baffled to respond.