Data Visualization Dos and Don’ts

connor
Tue, 11 Oct 2022 03:10:57 +0000
Week 4, connor, data visualization, graphs, Reflective Blog Post

An honest, unbiased, and not at all intentionally poor graph of gun violence deaths in Florida

My high school statistics teacher always said that “anyone who shows you a graph is lying in one way or another”, and after learning about just a few of the techniques used to visualize data, I understand what he meant much more clearly. Whether out of incompetence, the unavoidable reality that visual representations of data are inherently simplifications of much more complex systems, or just sheer bad intent, no graph, chart, etc. is perfect. It is therefore our responsibility to get as close to perfection as possible or risk “lying” to our audience through bad figures. This is especially relevant in the digital humanities, where much of the work done is based around increasing accessibility of information.

Edward Tufte’s least favorite graph ever

Looking at the posted example under “Keeping it Honest: How Not to Lie with Pictures” taught me a number of important lessons about data presentation. First, a colorful, somewhat stylized graph is generally preferable to readers over a dull one, but stylistic choices should always be examined from the perspective of someone completely separated from the project. While the use of red, green, blue, yellow, and white along with a 3D effect may have made the graph more interesting to the people who made it, it looks ridiculous and confusing to someone who was not involved in those creative decisions. After the confusion this graph caused me, I will not be prioritizing style and flashiness over conciseness and clarity any time soon. Second, a graph should use the least possible ink in order to convey the most information it can. The example graph is twice as tall as it should be because, for some reason, it includes two lines that say the exact same thing. There is absolutely no reason to plot out the percent of college enrollment that is under 25 and the percent that is over 25, because these represent the same data. In this instance, what was likely an attempt to prove a point more clearly than was necessary did nothing but muddy the waters. Finally, axes should not be altered twice in one graph. As with the previous two choices, it is more confusing than helpful.