This lecture pod introduced the idea of data visualisation and the importance it has on audiences for understanding the world around us.
As data visualisation is an essential part of the communication process, it demands that designers consider:
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- aesthetics
- forms, and;
- politics of data presentation.
Its primary goal is to communicate information clearly and efficiently, so an understanding of the audience is vital. Data alone carries no meaning, it is values of qualitative or quantitative variables. So when shown in visual form it must have context applied so it can be interpreted and take on meaning.
The lecture pod also addresses information visualisation and data visualisation, and the difference between the two. It is the fact that not all visualised information comes from a set of data, but all visualised data sets convey information.
As an introduction to the unit, the lecture pod emphasised that effective visualisation must help users analyse data and evidence. It makes complex data more accessible, understandable, and usable.
Chantelle's Visualising Data 