defining data visualization, the data visualization process, and formulating your brief.

defining data visualization, the data visualization process, and formulating your brief.

Introduction

Andy Kirk has published several articles and books that would enhance our skills in Data Visualisation. This article specifically will review one of his publications on the subject matter. Handbook for data visualization second edition by Andy Kirk. The report will specifically offer a review of the first three topics, defining data visualization, the data visualization process, and formulating your brief.

Handbook Content

The text is accessible in online platform through http://book.visualisingdata.com/chapter/0. The title of the book is “Data Visualisation: A Handbook for Data-Driven Design.” The text has ten chapters that address matters of the definition of terms, visualization process, design formulation, data management, and establishing content to cover. The last five topics include issues related to data transformation, interactivity, citation and annotations, fonts and color, and lastly, composition. Andy’s handbook is a resourceful text on the data visualization process for all users. Content covered, the language used, and the structure of the text facilitate use by all categories of users who meet basic requirements on the subject. The online version also offers links to other publication which can provide added information and value to content captured in the text (Kirk, nd).

Chapter 1: Defining Data Visualisation

Andy Kirk has been very efficient and effective in engaging the audience through content and organization. The author starts to explore his topic with the most conventional approach to academic research. The first requirement in scientific research is to define your problem and establishing a viable research question. The research question ‘what is data visualization?’ also serves as the topic title for the chapter. Andy, in a quest to define the simple but complex term ‘data visualisation’ as used in data management, research, and computer application context. Key reference material used by Andy in this topic and text include

Eager Eye’s definition, O’Reilly Video published by Jeff Heer ACM Digital Library Paper’ Preattentive processing in vision’ and Datavis article on entitled ‘Milestones in charts, graphics, and statistics.’ Other reference materials used in editing the second edition include Havard paper Proceedings of InfoVis 2013, Computer Society publication by Michelle, IEEE, Zoya, Wook Kim, Bainbridge, Yeh, Borkin, and others entitled ‘Visualization Recognition and Recall.’ The author has also gathered crucial information Visual Complexity from one of the sign posts, which is recognized by many as a useful blog post known as ‘Information visualization manifesto.’ The last reference material used in the text is from @visualisingdata (Kirk, nd).

The significance of identifying the most useful sources in academic research is that it increases the scope of ideas. Ideologies and knowledge gathered from other enhance the author’s capacity to offer the most relevant content to the subject matter in many ways (Chen, Hardle, & Unwin, 2008). First, Andy would use the information to hybrid his material, and through citation, he has offered a definition/s that capture the broad scope of ideologies and discipline.

The chapter has the six sub-topics that Andy uses to engage readers and in acquitting knowledge and context of data visualization definition. The subtopic is; distinctions, exercise, visualization in real-life, critical evaluations, and figures. On the award, Andy identifies the difference between data visualization and infographics, as established in Eager’s article. The terms converge in that both involve the presentation of information in the form of images. Variation occurs in infographics where there are multiple images, and data visualization has one diagram of the model. Besides, infographic content has narratives that communicate to the user, and they are necessary to identify the images. It is important to note different authors have also defined the term, and thus Andy state many terms can be used and have been used to determine the process. The definition of the word depends on discipline and author context of ideology. Term and definition should always be evaluated on the background of use and intended goal.

The second phase of the chapter led the reader to a brainstorming and contemplation session. Andy engages the reader by posting a question that captures purpose ‘why are you here!’ goals and objectives are the first key factors that determine the outcome. Reasonable goals and objectives have good results. Objectives and goals should be realistic and sustainable. Some of the content can be complex to some while to advanced professional it may offer added value. Each user should evaluate their purpose based on capacity and material.

Andy notes and brings to the attention of the reader the scope of tools and processes that can be used in data visualization and infographic. People have preference and choice hence likes and dislike in data visualization. The principle of one shoe for all does not apply in data management. Andy state, despite the procedure used, a sustainable reason and compatible process should be the guiding rule. Some of the users would prefer to use some graphics, tools, and applications while they have a different opinion of others. Implementation of a process will also be restricted by the nature of the data, objective, and tools used, which extends to software and hardware.

Chapter 2: The Visualization Design Process

Data visualization is an essential process in data management, sharing, and communication. Raw data stored in information need to be coded and displayed in the manner it would communicate essential and understandable information to the user. One of the ways to achieve a user-friendly phase is through Data Visualisation. Principles of Data Visualisation requires technical skills that the author must apply to achieve the best results for information they analyze and process (Stefanowski, 2013).

Andy, in his text, has used various forms and sources of secondary data. In the list are materials from Medium “Feather” Visualization’ & ‘Crafting a custom ‘YouTube ‘Open Source Your Data Design Process’ by Scott Murray and Truth & Beauty’ Project Ukko,’ Scott Murray blog curations. Besides, Andy uses Amazon’s Sketchbook, written by Heller and Rick Landers & ‘Beautiful Visualizations,’ by Illinsky & Steele, blueprint entitled ‘138 years of Popular Science’ and public media like The Guardian. The long list also has C82, ‘Making of the Illustrations of the Natural Orders of Plants’ and Studio Terp, ‘Trees, clouds and waves. Or, how I visualized data on suicide.’ Andy references end Knight Lab 2013 ‘Behind the dialect map interactive and social media where the author cite twit by Apollo 11 @ NatGeo. The scope of the references used shows his skills in doing research. Writers and academicians should maximize resources at disposal, and this has been facilitated by digital technology.

Andy highlights three core ethical and professional requirements in data visualization. Data visualized and published should be; Trustworthy, Accessible, and Elegant. The value of the content to the society at large must be sustained in any academic work or materials to be published for public use. With technology in use and access to many through different gadgets, authors can make their work more accessible through all available options. The most preferred way to publish work today is through online platforms. Online platforms have different platforms that offer a different approach to publish work. For general use, authors can publish through public platforms like Google, blogs, and social media. Authors can also use peer-reviewed journals and organization websites. Another platform that authors can use is commercialized sites that do online marketing and sales. Commercial sites include and not limited to Amazon and Wiley’s library.

The last and also fundamental principle is elegance. Images used should be user-friendly. The clarity of the content should be enhanced. Authors should also use adequate skills that will also portray their competence in the data analyzes and manipulation and utilization of applications available. In essence, the author uses filmographies, which add a lot of elegance to infographics. The visualization process should be entailed in a well-planned and researched design. The design used to determine the final product.

Data visualization in all phases of learning and daily use of information is a collective experience for all people. The information communicated to the audience should be of quality and meaningful. Images used should be analyzed in terms of quality and ethical approach. Excellent image capture relevant data, stimulate critical thinking, and attract the audience. Images should not violate ethical and legal responsibilities. As a closure to the topic, the author offers samples images that serve as the model to the users. Models enhance user capacity to comprehend and internalize the content covered.

Chapter 3: Formulating Your Brief

Content planning, design development, and presentation play a significant role in the final product. Authored and published materials and media are prepared for author users. The content posted by an author should have the capacity to attract and engage the audience. Info-graphics used, and designs should have a hooker, which is enhanced through elegance and colors. Also, short narratives can be incorporated into improved communication. Andy has established for factors that should act as the drive to an author while defining their content. The first drive should be curiosity. To support and give more insight, Andy directs the readers to Alvin S Chang’ Example of a project driven by a fascinating curiosity’ and Roads to Rome publication entitled ‘Example of a project driven by a fascinating curiosity.’ The articles used as the reference advocate for stimulation of inner drive that would help the authors to optimize their skills in infographics. As stated earlier, there are many applications and software available to execute the descriptive transformation of data to tables and charts. The nature of the data, audiences, and objectives should be critical pillars on guiding the most convenient way to transform the data.

The second factor that an author must review and evaluate is the circumstances in which they shall be conducting the process. One of the references used on the subtopic is from the New York Times, which focuses on limited resources and capital that authors must consider in compiling their work. High budget data visualization may be a challenge too many depending on activity, objective, and financial capacity. However, according to one of the article’ Appreciation context: Inuit wood maps’, quality should be retained and must be aligned to the objectives. Nina Mehta’s piece captures the primary goal that must be achieved ‘audience.’ Content should use friendly. Publishing content that the target population cannot access or comprehend despite its elegance is counterproductive.

Equally and notable in the chapter is the use of the diverse source of reference that shows his competence in academic research. The style used by Andy in his second edition exposes the user to many authors. Also, Andy manages to include the most recent research findings and writings that are content relevant. Enclosure Andy presents the readers as the backbone of every project, which is ‘the purpose.’ Purpose dictate project design, data, and visualization procedure. Projects should have well-defined goals and objectives which can be attained with limited resources and realistic.