an introduction to data visualization

Laboratorio di Metaprogetto 2015-2016

An introduction to Data Visualization

Milano 19.11.2015 / Scuola del Design

1. Why2. How3. Resources

1. Why

Lab. di Metaprogetto 2015-2016 / An introduction to Data Visualization / 4

Visualizing the complexity

The practise of transforming numbers into images to tell a story has a long tradition in science and design, that spans from the figurative maps of the 19th century to today’s data visualizations.

In the 2nd half of the 20th century, artists from different spheres started to create an information aesthetic, in which data became an instrument for representation and subjective exploration.

- “Big Bang Data” exhibition, Barcelona 2014


Big Data & Open Data

Big Data

Non-public datafor marketing,

business analysis, national security

Public data from the government, business data(ie. consumer complaints)

Largedatasets

(ie. research, SM, govt.)

Open Data

- “Big data and open data: what’s what and why does it matter?”, The Guardian


The revelation of the complex

Visual representation is a way to synthesize and translate research insights in order to make them more tangible, and so, sharable.

- R. Tassi, Frog Design


Principles

Substance + Statistics + Design,Clarity + Precision + Efficiency.- E. R. Tufte


Aesthetics VS Exactitude

To my mind exactitude means three things above all:

1. A well-defined and well-calculated plan for the work in question;2. An evocation of clear, incisive, memorable images;3. A language as precise as possible both in choice of words and

in expression of the subtleties of thought and imagination.

- Italo Calvino, “Six Memos for the Next Millenium”

2. How


Visits to Piemonte: datasheet Available on dati.piemonte.it


Visits to Piemonte: visualization


The Data Visualization process

Gathering Aggregation

Selection Formalisation Metaphor (optional)

Bee icon By Matt Brooks, US


Common design patterns

Bar ChartRankings

ScatterplotConcentration

VennSets

TreemapProportions

Diagram mapNetwork

SankeyCorrespondence

Line ChartTrend

MatrixQuantity

Tag cloudKeywords


Bar chart Rankings

Mc Donald’s

World Cup


Newsmap

Tree mapProportions


Line chart Trend

Ritmi circadiani

Umore personale


Scatterplot Concentration

Crime spotting

Energy consumption


Diagram map Network Rock’n’roll map

We Wired


MatrixQuantity Iraq casualties


Venn Sets

Superheroes movie rights


Sankey Correspondence

Co.Meta


Tag cloudKeywords

Italy

Obama’s speech


Stop using pie charts!

330 pt 325 pt 242 pt

Slices of a pie are difficult to measure: they communicate poorly.

330 pt325 pt242 pt


...but rules are made to be broken.

20152014

YamahaHonda

3. Resources


Tools

Structured dataraw.densitydesign.orginfogr.amIBM Watson Analytics

Simple dataminisimpli.com/viz

Tag cloudswordle.net

Iconsthenounproject.com


Online archives

The Guardian theguardian.com/data

Visually visual.ly

Data Visualization datavisualization.ch

Vizualize vizualize.tumblr.com

Visual Complexity visualcomplexity.com

Infosthetics infosthetics.com

Density Design densitydesign.org

Stamen stamen.com

Stanford vis.stanford.edu


The Visual Miscellaneum D. McCandless

Data Flow R. Klanten, N. Bourquin, S. Ehmann, F. van Heerden

The Visual Display OfQuantitative InformationE. R. Tufte

Information GraphicsS. Rendgen,J. Wiedemann

Show Me The NumbersS. Few

Books

[email protected]

@davidegenco

Thank you.

an introduction to data visualization

Data & Analytics