In this chapter, Johanna Drucker argues that data are “capta” and takes the reader through examples of both conventional and unconventional graphs to provide the reader with a greater understanding of the ways in which humans imbue their biases and opinions in data sets that we may perceive as objective.…
One of the points that arose in the first chapter of Drucker’s “Graphesis” that I found interesting was the idea of using computers to draw or present information in graphical form. Specifically, Harold Cohen's work with AARON, in which he worked out a systematic approach to visual composition, is…
In Subtleties of Color, Robert Simmon discusses the importance of color to show patterns and relationships that are otherwise hidden in a mass of numbers. He emphasizes how color is a tool to make visualizations more intuitive and successful. Throughout the series, Simmon discusses several types of data (sequential, divergent,…
1. Misleading Axes on GraphsThis essay focuses on the message that data visualizations can not only bring out important aspects of data but also conceal or mislead. I agree that subtle choices, such as the range of the axes in a bar chart or line graph can have massive impact…
Physical maps order elements by physical location, such as latitude and longitude points.Cartogram types of maps distort reality to convey information. They resize and exaggerate any variable on an attribute value.Density-equalizing cartograms are your traditional cartograms. In density-equalizing cartograms, map features bulge out a specific variable. Even though…