Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 1-3. Sizing proportional to area rather than diameter
Another example of the semantic problem occurs when symbols are used that are only under-
stood by a subset of all the audience members, such as the donkey and elephant icons that
represent the Democratic and Republican parties of the American political system.
The
effectiveness problem
is the “so what?” problem, and it might be the most important. If
everything falls into place, and the message is perfectly encoded, transmitted, decoded, and
understood, but the recipient doesn't care, or doesn't take the desired action, then the com-
munication ultimately failed.
Six Principles of Communicating Data
In order to address these three types of communication problems, I'd like to propose six prin-
ciples to consider when communicating data. They are numbered in the general order that
they transpire, though it's fully recognized that this process is highly iterative and rarely pro-
ceeds in a straight line. Communicating is a creative process—one that involves crafting and
refining a message—and as such it will necessarily involve many loops:
1. Know your goal
2. Use the right data
3. Select suitable visualizations
