Beautiful Data

Data Visualization

Once data is collected, uploaded, and processed, users need to be able to access, evaluate, and explore their data. The main design goal behind YFD and PEIR was to make personal data understandable to nonprofessionals. Data has to be presented in a way that is relatable; it has to be humanized. Oftentimes we get caught up in statistical charts and graphs, which are extremely useful, but at the same time we want to engage users so that they stay interested, continue collecting data, and keep coming back to the site to gauge their progress in whatever they are tracking. Users should understand that the data is about them and reflect the choices they make in their daily lives.

I like to think of data visualization as a story. The main character is the user, and we can go two ways. A story of charts and graphs might read a lot like a textbook; however, a story with context, relationships, interactions, patterns, and explanations reads like a novel. This is not to say that one or the other is better. There are plenty of interesting textbooks, and probably just as many—if not more—boring novels. We want something in between the textbook and novel when we visualize personal data. We want to present the facts, but we also want to provide context, like the who, what, when, where, and why of the numbers. We are after emotion. Data often can be sterile, but only if we present it that way.

PEIR

In the case of PEIR, we were met with the challenge of presenting scientific data—carbon ...