Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Data visualization is the multi-talented, boundary-spanning trendy kid that has
seen many esteemed people over the past few years, such as Hal Varian, forecasting
this as one of the next big things.
Anyone considering data visualization as a passing fad or just another vacuous
buzzword is short-sighted; the need to make sense of and communicate data to
others will surely only increase in relevance. However, as it evolves from the
next
big thing to the
current
big thing, the field is at an important stage of its diffusion and
maturity. Expectancy has been heightened and it does have a certain amount to prove;
something concrete to deliver beyond just experimentation and constant innovation.
It is an especially important discipline with a strong role to play in this modern age.
To help frame this, let's first look at the data side of things.
Take a minute to imagine your data footprint over the past 24 hours; that is, the
activities you have been involved in or the actions you have taken that will have
resulted in data being created and captured.
You've probably included things such as buying something in a shop, switching
on a light, putting some fuel in your car, or watching a TV program: the list can
go on and on.
Almost everything we do involves a digital consequence; our lives are constantly
being recorded and quantified. That sounds a bit scary and probably a little too
close for comfort to Orwell's dystopian vision. Yet, for those of us with an analytical
curiosity, the amount of data being recorded creates exciting new opportunities to
make and share discoveries about the world we live in.
Thanks to incredible advancements and pervasive access to powerful technologies
we are capturing, creating, and mobilizing unbelievable amounts of data at an
unbelievable rate. Indeed, such is the exponential growth in digital information, in the
last two years alone, humanity has created more data than had ever previously been
amassed (
http://www.emc.com/leadership/programs/digital-universe.htm
).
Data is now rightly seen as an invaluable asset, something that can genuinely
help change the world for the better or potentially create a competitive goldmine,
depending on your perspective. "Data is the new oil", first voiced in 2006 and
attributed to Clive Humby of Dunnhumby, is a term gaining traction today.
Corporations, government bodies, and scientists, to name but a few, are realizing
the challenges and, moreover, opportunities that exist with effective utilization of
the extraordinary volumes, large varieties, and great velocity of data they govern.
However, to unlock the potential contained within these deep wells of ones and
zeros requires the application of techniques to explore and convey the key insights.
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