July
5
2006
Avinash’s post today about data visualization got me thinking…
The visualization he writes about made me wonder about how to score a data visualization (such as a chart) on how effectively it communicates to the viewer. It turns out, although I hadn’t really thought about it before, that I have a very simple (personal) test for chart effectiveness – a litmus test.
Chart Effectiveness Litmus Test:
Can the viewer understand the main point, idea or storyline within 5 seconds?
This can be detailed as two sub-tests:
- Can the viewer gain any main insight, point, idea or storyline in those 5 seconds?
- Is what the viewer understands in those 5 seconds what you intended?
If the answer to either of those questions is ‘No’ then you’ve got some work ahead of you.
It’s not just about pumping up the data density of your visualization, it has to be in the right format and it has to be the right data. Data Visualizations are a shortcut for the viewer, but shortcuts still have to lead to the right place (e.g. thought, idea, action, etc). Put it another way; a picture may be worth a thousand words, but they had better be words that make sense.
Personally, if I can’t puzzle out what a picture/visualization/chart is trying to tell me PDQ I tend to lose focus.
P.S. Avinash, blogging is not vacationing (don’t turn into Scoble, I love his blog but seriously, that man has a tough time taking a break).
Clint: I the test questions are excellent. I particularly like the second one, mostly because that is rarely the case.
The difficulty that most analysts, us, have is that we know so much about the “weeds” that it is hard to just let go with one deep insight. We always struggle with wanting to show more detail and more data because either 1) we are so proud that we know all that sub nuance or 2) we think there is more than one super insight (think shades of grey).
I think we should put our charts to your test and ensure that it passes the Clint high bar.
-Avinash.
PS: For some reason I don’t get trackbacks / pingbacks from your post to my blog, that would be great becuase I would have loved to have this comment on my blog becuase you have added so much value to it.
PPS: What can I say I am addicted to this blogging thing. My wife has reconciled with that fact.
Avinash, blogger does not support trackbacks so that’s the most likely cause. Usually, if there’s no ‘permalink’ link then I just grab the post url from the browser location bar, so it’s also entirely possible that it’s my fault (where do you want me to get the post URL from?)
-Clint