Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 16
Design
Great visualization requires design. The use of standard forms and visual
mappings can deliver reasonable results, but you can achieve greater
effectiveness by tailoring visual representations to the data and the
information sought.
Many people make the mistake of thinking that design is simply the cosmetic
process of taking something and making it pretty. Great visualization design
is about maximizing human performance. Effectiveness of visualization is
about communicating the best possible information more fully, more clearly,
and more quickly. Different forms are ideal for different problems. Choosing
visual representations and interactions for data elements can make a
significant difference in how accurately, easily, and quickly the viewer can
perceive information. Information visualization design is the art of making
those choices.
Design is both an art and a science. For example, many of the decisions made
indesigninganoperahouseinvolveagreatdealofscienceabouthowhumans
interact with and in a built environment. Yet, no two opera houses look the
same, and it would be inconceivable to think of fully automating the design of
one. That's where the art of design comes in.
Visualization design is guided by principles of human perception and
cognition, the specific information-seeking goals and experience of a user
community, and the characteristics of data. Synthesis of a system that
satisfies all of these complex factors is an art.
Many of the tools for graph visualization and analysis in this topic offer very
little in the way of design support. They tend to offer a lot in the way of
low-level customization, but very little in the way of higher-level patterns
and structures. Choosing graph type and layout were covered earlier in this
book. This chapter consolidates principles and techniques used in previous
chaptersandassemblestheminaconcise,structuredformasareference that
you can use to help you design a graph.
