Database Reference
In-Depth Information
shows an example of using the height of buildings to represent a measure. An
interactive version of this is available at www.pwinfographics.net .
FIgu R e 2-21 A column chart implemented using buildings instead of columns
Other ways of using shapes in visualizations are similar to the ways you can
use color: as ways to differentiate between series; as ways to illustrate a point
along an axis; or as a quick way to differentiate crossing a threshold. Figures
2-22, 2-23, and 2-24 show an example of each of these.
Although this seems similar to the use of color, it's important to note that
the number of discrete values, often called the set of domain values, which
is available to us when using shapes is much less than when using colors.
For instance, the human eye struggles to differentiate between a septagon
(seven sides) and a nonagon (nine sides), whereas nine different shades of
green are easy to differentiate. The number of different shapes that allow for
ranges—such as equilateral polygons, stars, and crosses—is also much smaller
than the number of colors.
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