P R O D U C T I V I T Y B Y D E S I G N ELIZABETH S. WEBBINK, PH.D. 10 Crestmont Road, 6-M Montclair, NJ 07042 [email protected] Tel.: 973-783-0924

ELIZABETH S. WEBBINK, PH.D.10 Crestmont Road, 6-M Montclair, NJ 07042 [email protected]

Tel.: 973-783-0924 Fax: 973-783-2875 Mobile: 610-216-1414

P R O D U C T I V I T Y B Y D E S I G N

PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENT THROUGH BETTER DATA VISUALIZATION

National Association for Business EconomicsTeleconference

December 4, 2002


THIS IS A DIALOGUE ON DATA VISUALIZATION

So we will attempt to

… visualize, as we verbalize

… consider some principles of good data design and

… compare examples that apply

--and fail to apply--them

N.B.: Always provide handouts

This presentation is designed to be used

as a handout, i.e., put in the hands of the audience,

not as an overhead, i.e., kept out of their reach

Handouts allow the user

- to be in control, going faster or slower than the presenter and

- to participate by engaging with the information provided

THIS IS THE BIBLE OF INFORMATION GRAPHICS

Edward R Tufteis Professor Emeritus at Yale University. His work has been described as "a visual Strunk and White“.

The Visual Display of Quantitative Information

Envisioning Information

Visual Explanations : Images and Quantities, Evidence and Narrative


MAPQUEST

BE CLEAR, BUT NOT SIMPLE

Mapquest’s view of Nantucket is clear, but simple and flat.

Examples of rich, densely packed graphics abound in every port, (illustrated here by a clear but information-rich map of Nantucket Harbor) With permission of Youngs Bicycle Shop, Steamboat Wharf, Nantucket, MA 02554

www.youngsbicycleshop.com/frame.html


GARDEN STATE PARKWAY TOLL BOOTHS

This is definitely not user-friendly Graphic User Interface (GUI) design.

Toll payers contend with several payment options keyed to colored signs. The sign over each booth is (unnecessarily) paired with a smaller number which the driver must match to numbers painted on the approach lanes.

This is further complicated in the Northbound lanes where -- numbers are painted on the road prior to a curve and -- before the numbers are discernible


MINIMIZE MAPPING

Place descriptive information as close as possible to the data it describes

Color code scales with data series

Do not force the viewer to map between legends and data


MINIMIZE MAPPING (cont.)

Common scales facilitate comparison of datasets such as the income by state time series shown here.


WORLD BANK 1969

MINIMIZE MAPPING (cont.)

Color doesn’t represent an improvement if it just adds complexity to the data’s interpretation rather than to its structure

WORLD BANK, 2002


TREE OF LIFE

CROSS-POLLINATE

Look for examples of good design in other fields such as BioInformatics, an integration of Biology and Computer Science

Shown here is a Branch from the Tree of Life. David Hillis, Paul Lewis, and their collaborators are working on new methodologies for the analysis of extremely large data sets. Reprinted with permission of David Hillis, University of Texas, Austin, TX


COMPARE & CONTRAST

A well-organized display can yield unexpected information. For example, researchers arrayed the DNA sequence, in a row, from a type of Leech without blood coagulating capability. They then compared it with DNA sequences, arrayed in columns, from coagulating Leeches. The interruption in the diagonal match of patterns identified the sequence responsible for coagulation.


Keeping the numerator constant in these risk ratios probably had the opposite visual impact from what was intended.


PRESENT DATA ON A COMPARABLE BASIS.

In a ratio, normalize the denominator.


,,, Then again, a simple bar chart might have been clearer.

… Even here, much can be done to focus the viewer on the data, rather than on the capabilities of the graphics application.

MAXIMIZE THE DATA:INK RATIO AND ELIMINATE CHARTJUNK


BRONX ZOO

USE SMALL MULTIPLES TOMAKE A BIG IMPRESSION…as in the zoo’s robin’s egg exhibit

I … In nature you start with 100 robins eggsII … about 74 eggs become hatchlingsIII …approximately 52 hatchlings grow to fledgling stageIV … and roughly 10 fledglings survive to be adult robins -- and make more eggs

Photography by Kate Webbink


L’EGGS HOSIERY

COMBINE MULTIPLES WITH MULTI-DIMENSIONAL ELEMENTS

- rows,- groups of columns and- individual columns within those groups

organize merchandise by

- style- color and- size


"HOMELAND SECURITY: How Infotech can combat homeland insecurity.“ FORTUNE MAGAZINE, Monday, July 22, 2002

OVERLAY DIFFERENT INFORMATION ON A COMMON ELEMENT

REUSING THE BASIC ELEMENT TO DISPLAY NEW INFORMATION

HERE THE BASIC MAP ELEMENT IS USED w/6 TYPES OF INFORMATION


A little creativity can make today’s spreadsheets powerful tools for data visualization and productivity improvement.

USE ELEMENTS LIKE MULTIPLES TO BUILD DATA STRUCTURES FACILITATING

RAPID ASSIMILATION AND ANALYSIS OF LARGE AMOUNTS OF INFORMATION


STANDARDIZE ELEMENTS TO MAXIMIZE THE PRODUCTIVITY GAINS FROM YOUR DATA VISUALIZATION STRUCTURE

INCORPORATE ALGORITHMS TO GENERATE TEXT AND KICK START YOUR ANALYSIS


DON’T USE GRAPHS WHEN THERE ARE

- FEW DATAPOINTS OR

- HIGHLY LOCALIZED COMPARISONS, I.E., A LOT OF VARIABLES RELATIVE TO THE NUMBER OF OBSERVATIONS

-87 Now

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

WHEN NOT TO USE A GRAPH: THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS

NEW NATIONS

GETTYSBURG POWERPOINT PRESENTATION


REVIEW

Use Handouts

Be Clear, but not Simple

Minimize Mapping

Cross-Pollinate

Compare and Contrast

Normalize the data

Maximize the Data:Ink Ratio & Eliminate Chartjunk

Use Multiples to reduce the amount of new information to be filtered

Combine Multiples with Multidimensional Elements

Layer Information

Build data structures that facilitate rapid assimilation and

analysis of large amounts of information

Standardize elements

Integrate words and numbers

DON’T use graphs for few data points or highly localized comparisons

DO enjoy the time savings and productivity improvements

of better graphic design


Productivity improvements don’t have to mean more output; they could mean less time working and more time just enjoying life and developing other interests!

Photography by Greg Webbink

Documents

P R O D U C T I V I T Y B Y D E S I G N ELIZABETH S. WEBBINK, PH.D. 10 Crestmont Road, 6-M Montclair, NJ 07042 [email protected] Tel.: 973-783-0924