Functional Aesthetics for Data Visualization

Functional Aesthetics for Data Visualization

by Vidya Setlur, Bridget Cogley
Released September 2022
Publisher(s): Wiley
ISBN: 9781119810087

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Book description

What happens when a researcher and a practitioner spend hours crammed in a Fiat discussing data visualization? Beyond creating beautiful charts, they found greater richness in the craft as an integrated whole.

Drawing from their unconventional backgrounds, these two women take readers through a journey around perception, semantics, and intent as the triad that influences visualization. This visually engaging book blends ideas from theory, academia, and practice to craft beautiful, yet meaningful visualizations and dashboards.

How do you take your visualization skills to the next level? The book is perfect for analysts, research and data scientists, journalists, and business professionals. Functional Aesthetics for Data Visualization is also an indispensable resource for just about anyone curious about seeing and understanding data. Think of it as a coffee book for the data geek in you.

https://www.functionalaestheticsbook.com

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Acknowledgments
  4. About the Authors
  5. About the Technical Editor
  6. Foreword
  7. Introduction
    1. A Fiat, Food, and Finding Commonality
    2. This Book at a Glance
    3. Reader Support for This Book
  8. PART A: Perception
    1. CHAPTER 1: The Science Behind Perception
      1. Seeing and Understanding Imagery
      2. Color Cognition
      3. Saccade and Directed Attention
      4. The Notion of Space and Spatial Cognition
      5. Diagramming the World
      6. Summary
    2. CHAPTER 2: Perception in Charts
      1. Visualization and Task
      2. Chart as an Informational Unit
      3. Unboxing Functional Aesthetics in the Physical World
      4. Recursive Proportions
      5. The Digitized Space: Creating Experiences on the Screen
      6. Summary
    3. CHAPTER 3: Charts in Use
      1. The First Charts
      2. Standardizing Visualization
      3. The Shifting Role of Data Visualization
      4. Maturity within the Profession
      5. Summary
  9. PART B: Semantics
    1. CHAPTER 4: Coming to Terms
      1. Statistical Graphics Are Inherently Abstract
      2. Flattening the Curve
      3. Toward Meaningful Depictions
      4. Situating with Semiotics
      5. Summary
    2. CHAPTER 5: Vagueness and Ambiguity
      1. How Tall Is Tall?
      2. Spicy or Hot—What's the Difference?
      3. Clarification, Repair, and Refinement
      4. Iconicity of Representation
      5. The Art of Chart
      6. Summary
    3. CHAPTER 6: Data Literacy
      1. Navigating Data Literacy
      2. The Impact of Writing
      3. Data Orality
      4. Changing Exposition Styles
      5. Data Literacy Democratization
      6. Summary
    4. CHAPTER 7: Data Preparation
      1. Hairy Dates
      2. Common Transformations
      3. Clarity in Conversation
      4. Shaping for Intent
      5. Prepping for the Future
      6. Data Enrichment
      7. Summary
    5. CHAPTER 8: Scaling It Down
      1. Generalization
      2. Natural Sizes
      3. Fat Fingers and Small Screens
      4. Color as a Function of Size
      5. Thumbnails and Visual Summaries
      6. Summary
    6. CHAPTER 9: Cohesive Data Messages
      1. Cohesion in Designing Visualizations
      2. Analytical Conversation
      3. Summary
    7. CHAPTER 10: Text and Charts
      1. Medium Being the Message
      2. Types of Text
      3. Balancing Text with Charts
      4. Chart and Text Agreement
      5. Text in Analytical Conversation
      6. Making Data More Accessible
      7. Text for Supporting Reading Fluency
      8. Summary
  10. PART C: Intent
    1. CHAPTER 11: Defining and Framing
      1. Analytical Intent
      2. Register
      3. Repair and Refinement
      4. Pragmatics
      5. Practicing Intent
      6. Summary
    2. CHAPTER 12: Visual Communication
      1. Do What I Mean, Not What I Say
      2. Register in Charts
      3. Registers in Composition
      4. Mood and Metaphor
      5. Beyond Language Communication
      6. Expansion and Contraction
      7. Summary
    3. CHAPTER 13: Scaffolds
      1. Visualization Scaffolding
      2. Scaffolding Data Discovery
      3. Scaffolding Natural Language Recommendations
      4. Analytical Conversation to Repair and Refine
      5. Summary
    4. CHAPTER 14: Balancing Emphasis
      1. Individual Choices
      2. Collective Choices
      3. Correcting Common Problems
      4. View Snapping
      5. Summary
    5. CHAPTER 15: Mode
      1. Navigate Like a Local
      2. Revisiting Analytical Chatbots
      3. Video Killed the Radio Star
      4. Beyond the Desktop
      5. Future Forward
      6. Summary
  11. PART D: Putting It All Together
    1. CHAPTER 16: Bringing Everything Together
      1. Addressing the Paper Towel Problem
      2. Crafting Recipes for Functional Aesthetics
      3. Summary
    2. CHAPTER 17: Close
      1. Data in Everything and Everywhere
      2. New Tools and New Experiences
      3. Sign-off
  12. Technical Glossary
  13. Index
  14. Copyright
  15. Dedication
  16. End User License Agreement

Product information

  • Title: Functional Aesthetics for Data Visualization
  • Author(s): Vidya Setlur, Bridget Cogley
  • Release date: September 2022
  • Publisher(s): Wiley
  • ISBN: 9781119810087