3 ways to design better data visualization

Plain charts everywhere, oh, how so terribly boring.

Now that I have grabbed your undivided attention. Let’s talk about data visualization and the design aspect of it.

“Data visualization is a graphical representation of information and data. By using visual elements like charts, graphs, and maps,”

I have recently become “woke” to the fact — we are constantly bombarded with visual representations of data everywhere, it has become ingrained and mundane. I refer to these as “machine visualization”. — just as the machine is automated, emotionless, eliciting no response, and simply 1s and 0s.

Perhaps, this is follows human’s nature of lazyness and tendency to be clouded with unconcious biases. or maybe I’m thinking too deeply and these are the after-effects of simplying and filtering data.

As a programmer, I would instinctively just draw a simple chart using a tool, present a narrative and ta-da. It’s done.

The designer approach introduces the concept of aesthetic response. An aesthetic response gives context, meaning, it spurs an experience (whether it’s emotional, intellectual or psychological or political).

It goes beyond presenting a focused narrative and leaves room for new questions and ideas to be explored and finally, it brings the human and personal aspects to the machine visualization.

A good (design) data visualization could be…