Johanna Drucker’s article Humanities Approaches to Graphical Display discusses the importance and usage of data visualizations in Digital Humanities—in particular, why we need a humanities approach to the “graphical expression of interpretation.” Visualizing data allows the viewer to actually see and understand data instead of just looking at numbers on a spreadsheet. Drucker continues by explaining the difference between data and capta. Drucker wants us to “reconceive all data as capta…Capta is “taken” actively while data is assumed to be a ‘given’ able to be recorded and observed.” This distinction is important because it leads to how we represent and display this capta. Drucker explains, “The representation of knowledge is as crucial to its cultural force as any other facet of its production. The graphical forms of display…and the common conception of data in those forms need to be completely rethought for humanistic work.”
An issue presented with data visualization is the desire for it to “look cool”. The person creating an infographic can become side tracked in the hopes of creating an interesting looking image that they forget to actually convey any information. In the image above, “Top 10 Salaries at Google,” the graphic designer attempted to display the salary ranges for those who work at Google. While trying to make the data appear more interesting by using a pie-chart format and crazy colors, the chart actually obscures the data, making it inaccessible. Although a table format is boring, it is more efficient, in this case, in making the data understandable for everyone. Making the data appear more interesting doesn’t necessarily make it easier to understand.
Tiffany Farrant-Gonzalez, in her article, “All That Glitters Is Not Gold: A Common Misconception About Designing With Data,” gives an alternate example of what the data could look like. Her version is a much better representation. Gonzalez explains, “With the linear organization, the viewer can understand at a glance what the data is showing, without having to work too hard. In stark contrast to the original, this graph makes the data instantly accessible, allowing for easy comparison between the jobs.” Her version might not be as visually appealing as the original, but it definitely makes a lot more sense.
Works Cited:
Johanna Drucker, “Humanities Approaches to Graphical Display,” Digital Humanities Quarterly5, no. 1 (2011)
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2013/07/29/common-misconception-designing-data/