Database Reference
In-Depth Information
FIguRe 2-24
Ticks and exclamation points used to show crossing a threshold
Sizes, on the other hand, are much easier to comprehend, but you must
take care in how the sizes are represented. The use of area versus diameter
to represent sizes could be challenging to read. Look at Figure 2-26 for two
values that are 25 percent apart, using diameter and area. Which looks most
like a 25 percent increase?
It is a good idea to indicate what differentiator you have used when it is
ambiguous. If you have bars increasing in one dimension only—for example,
the lengths are changing—it is not necessary to state what differentiating
characteristic you are using, but when a circle's size is increasing, visually
indicating which dimension is being used is helpful to a user.
FIguRe 2-25:
Doubling
a circle by diameter versus
doubling by area
SuMMARy
In this chapter you learned about the elements to consider when choosing
and designing your visualization, balancing illustrating data by using color and
shape. This knowledge will be used as the basis of the chapters in Part 3 of
this topic, guiding you to choosing a speciic visualization.
