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Discussion Post: Effective Data Visualization 

The first article I reviewed is ‘’Effective Data Visualization’’. Kurtis Pykes wrote the article in April 2020. The article focuses on the tips for developing effective data visualizations. Human brains attempt to identify patterns that help them learn and store information. However, they find it difficult to understand vital information mainly presented in the large text without the help of visual data (Pykes, 2020). Pykes states two important points to remember on the purpose of data visualization. These points are; data is to be presented, and visuals should easily present and summarize information. Pykes, in his article, lists three tips on how to make effective visualization. These tips include;

• Being specific on questions that require visualization
• Choosing the correct charts when representing data
• Emphasizing the essential information when representing data, such as using shapes, colors, size, and scale.

The second article I reviewed is ‘’The three elements of successful data visualization.’’ Jim Stikeleather wrote the article in April 2013. The article focuses on three elements of visualizing data that most designers look at. It provides that various things facilitate successful visualization, such as aesthetics (Stikeleather, 2013). The following are the elements of successful visualization provided by the article;

• Visualization should understand the target audience, their expectations, and their role.
• It should provide a clear framework for easy understanding; for instance, it should use colors, sizes, and shapes.
• It should tell a story; visuals should provide compelling stories to the readers.

I have noticed some similarities in the key points I identified from these two articles. For instance, using colors, shapes and sizes when representing data provides a clear framework for the readers.

The following graphs are an example of effective data visualization.