Elements of data graphics
- Visual cues
- position, length, area, etc.
- Coordinate system
- how are the data points organized?
- Scale
- how does distance translate into meaning?
- Context
- Faceting / small multiples
Big idea
Mapping variables to visual cues
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Do’s and don’ts
Do: mind the perceptual heirarchy
- Don’t use color when length will suffice
- Don’t use pie charts!
Don’t use redundant mappings unless you have a reason
Do use context!
Do match data dimensions to visual dimensions
- Don’t map area to a 1D quantity
Tufte’s mantra
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