Visualization tl;dr

Four Pillars of Visualization*

1. Purpose - why2. Content - what3. Structure - how (shape)4. Formatting - everything else

* And other communication

Visualization Design Done Right

Noah Iliinsky @noahiComplexDiagrams.com

Visualization, and other forms of communication

Start here

… not here.

Four Pillars of Visualization*

1. Purpose - why2. Content - what3. Structure - how (shape)4. Formatting - everything else

* And other communication

Purpose > Content > Structure > Formatting

• Why am I here?• What’s interesting?• Who is my customer?• What do they need to know?• How will this data be

consumed?

Purpose > Content > Structure > Formatting

Purpose > Content > Structure > Formatting

Purpose > Content > Structure > Formatting

Give answers - not just

data

Purpose > Content > Structure > Formatting

"Piecharts". Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 1.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Graph type matters.

Formatting

Structure

Content

Purpose

Because SCIENCE!

http://ComplexDiagrams.com/properties

Color is difficult.

This talk, in much more detail.

• Videos!• Blog posts!• Slide decks!• White papers!• Cheat sheets!http://ComplexDiagrams.com/4pillars

17

A word on 3D: don’t.