Data Visualization Midterm Study Guide (ch 1-5)

Wednesday, October 29th

Data Storytelling combines

quantitative evidence with narrative clarity to inform, persuade, and inspire action.

Which type of analysis is used to discover insights from data.

Exploratory

Which type of analysis is used to communicate specific findings to the audience.

Explanatory

Who–What–How Framework is a method for establishing

context, which includes audience identification, key takeaway, and communication mechanism.

3-Minute Story is a technique for

summarizing a message succinctly.

The Big Idea is a

one-sentence statement expressing the main point and what’s at stake.

Gestalt Principles of Visual Perception are a set of principles that describe

how humans naturally group and interpret visual information.

Elements in design that make interaction intuitive, like arrows that indicate direction.

Affordances

Simplicity in Design is the principle that

every extra element in a visual adds cognitive load and should be removed for clarity.

Focus in Visuals

Deliberately guiding viewers’ attention to key points using design elements.

______ ensures visuals are legible, color-blind safe, and readable at different scales

Accessibility

The design principle stating that the appearance of a visual should support its purpose.

Form Follows Function

Tools can generate visuals, but only the ______ can give them meaning

Communicator

The first step in successful communication is ____

Context

Definition: Context is ____

who the audience is, what message needs to be delivered, and how it should be conveyed

Metaphor: Context is ____

the compass of communication

The goal of choosing a visual type is ____

to simplify interpretation rather than complicate it

When only one or two numbers are central ________ can be the most direct choice

simple text 

For multiple metrics or mixed units _____ are effective

tables (especially when readers need to look up specific values)

Heatmaps enhance _____ by using…

tables by using color gradients to emphasize patterns or magnitude

Graphs communicate patterns quickly and should be selected based on purpose like lines for ____

trends

Graphs communicate patterns quickly and should be selected based on purpose like bars for ____

categorical comparisons

Graphs communicate patterns quickly and should be selected based on purpose like scatterplots for ____

relationships

It is advised against using which type of charts

pie charts and 3D effects (distorts perception and adds no analytical value)

Visuals should be tool-agnostic which means that

good design principles apply regardless the platform used to create them

A well-chosen visual reduces ____

cognitive effort

A well-chosen visual highlights _____

key comparisons

A well-chosen visual builds _____

credibility in your analysis

One of the most important design principles is ____

simplicity

What are the 5 principles of Gestalt’s Principles of Visual Perception

proximity, similarity, enclosure, closure, and continuity

Knaflic encourages communicators to take a ____ approach

Less is more

Preattentive attributes is when

our brains process certain attributes instantly

Preattentive attributes examples

color, size, orientation, position, and shape

choose one ____ ____ to emphasize the focal data, use ____ ____ for context, and ensure ____ for those with color vision deficiencies

accent color, neutral tones, accessibility

focus is not ____, it is ____

accidental, designed

Aesthetics (Professional Polish) improves ____

readability and comprehension, not just beauty

Audience acceptance is _____

key (test prototypes and drafts with peers)

An effective design is both ___

functional and empathetic

How does proximity affect what we perceive as a group?

Elements placed close together are seen as related.

When do objects feel like they “belong together”?

When they look similar (color, shape, size, texture)

What does drawing a box around items tell the viewer?

It is perceived as one group (enclosure)

Why do we “see” shapes that aren’t fully drawn?

Our brains fill in the gaps to create complete, familiar forms (closure)

How does our eye decide which path to follow in a design?

We follow smooth, continuous lines and patterns rather than abrupt changes. (continuity)

_____ are qualitative, categorical data types

Dimensions

_____ are quantitative data types

Measure

The ____ field represents continuous data

Green

The ____ field represents discrete data

Blue

Continuous fields definition

forming an unbroken whole, without interuption

Discrete fields definition

Individually separate and distinct

Using discrete fields will create

multiple columns or rows

Using continuous fields will create

one row or column as an axis