Functional Aesthetics for Data Visualization

What happens when a researcher and a practitioner spend hours crammed in a Fiat discussing data visualization? Beyond creating beautiful charts, they found greater richness in the craft as an integrated whole. Drawing from their unconventional backgrounds, these two women take readers through a journey around perception, semantics, and intent as the triad that influences visualization. This visually engaging book blends ideas from theory, academia, and practice to craft beautiful, yet meaningful visualizations and dashboards. How do you take your visualization skills to the next level? The book is perfect for analysts, research and data scientists, journalists, and business professionals. Functional Aesthetics for Data Visualization is also an indispensable resource for just about anyone curious about seeing and understanding data. Think of it as a coffee book for the data geek in you. https://www.functionalaestheticsbook.com Cover Title Page Copyright Page Contents Acknowledgments About the Authors About the Technical Editor Foreword Introduction A Fiat, Food, and Finding Commonality This Book at a Glance Part A Perception Chapter 1 The Science Behind Perception Seeing and Understanding Imagery Color Cognition Saccade and Directed Attention The Notion of Space and Spatial Cognition Diagramming the World Summary Chapter 2 Perception in Charts Visualization and Task Chart as an Informational Unit Unboxing Functional Aesthetics in the Physical World Recursive Proportions The Digitized Space: Creating Experiences on the Screen Summary Chapter 3 Charts in Use The First Charts Standardizing Visualization The Shifting Role of Data Visualization Maturity within the Profession Summary Part B Semantics Chapter 4 Coming to Terms Statistical Graphics Are Inherently Abstract Flattening the Curve Toward Meaningful Depictions Situating with Semiotics Summary Chapter 5 Vagueness and Ambiguity How Tall Is Tall? Spicy or Hot—What’s the Difference? Clarification, Repair, and Refinement Iconicity of Representation The Art of Chart Summary Chapter 6 Data Literacy Navigating Data Literacy The Impact of Writing Data Orality Changing Exposition Styles Data Literacy Democratization Summary Chapter 7 Data Preparation Hairy Dates Common Transformations Clarity in Conversation Shaping for Intent Prepping for the Future Data Enrichment Summary Chapter 8 Scaling It Down Generalization Natural Sizes Fat Fingers and Small Screens Color as a Function of Size Thumbnails and Visual Summaries Summary Chapter 9 Cohesive Data Messages Cohesion in Designing Visualizations Analytical Conversation Summary Chapter 10 Text and Charts Medium Being the Message Types of Text Balancing Text with Charts Chart and Text Agreement Text in Analytical Conversation Making Data More Accessible Text for Supporting Reading Fluency Summary Part C Intent Chapter 11 Defining and Framing Analytical Intent Register Repair and Refinement Pragmatics Practicing Intent Summary Chapter 12 Visual Communication Do What I Mean, Not What I Say Register in Charts Registers in Composition Mood and Metaphor Beyond Language Communication Expansion and Contraction Summary Chapter 13 Scaffolds Visualization Scaffolding Scaffolding Data Discovery Scaffolding Natural Language Recommendations Analytical Conversation to Repair and Refine Summary Chapter 14 Balancing Emphasis Individual Choices Collective Choices Correcting Common Problems View Snapping Summary Chapter 15 Mode Navigate Like a Local Revisiting Analytical Chatbots Video Killed the Radio Star Beyond the Desktop Future Forward Summary Part D Putting It All Together Chapter 16 Bringing Everything Together Addressing the Paper Towel Problem Crafting Recipes for Functional Aesthetics Summary Chapter 17 Close Data in Everything and Everywhere New Tools and New Experiences Sign-off Technical Glossary Index EULA This is a visually engaging book with a blend of interdisciplinary ideas for creating data-created interfaces, such as interactive dashboards and visualizations. We refer to this collection of principles as Functional Aesthetics based on cognitive psychology, design, information retrieval, and visualization to explore ways in which information can be presented to humans that is both meaningful and delightful. Supported heavily by practical examples and research, the book showcases how functional aesthetics makes data easier to see and understand. Key topics include: Visual perception including color, movement, and design The importance of semantics and how they are employed as a way to express meaning in visual artifacts Data visualization linguistics The influence of culture and language on semantics What is the intent for seeing and understanding a dataset and how is that intent expressed visually and analytically Bringing together all of the pieces to work with chart sizing for specific views, layout with consideration for order and reading patterns, movement and interaction, visual flow Innovation and what's next in AI and smart interfaces