Data Visualization: A Successful Design Process

At the root of visual perception knowledge is the understanding that our visual functions are extremely fast and efficient processes whereas our cognitive processes, the act of thinking, is much slower and less efficient. How we exploit these attributes in visualization has a significant impact on how effectively the design will aid interpretation

statistics, but one of the key foundations of the subject comes through an understanding of cognitive science and in particular the study of visual perception.

The science behind visualization comes in many shapes. I've already mentioned the presence of computer science, mathematics, and statistics

he art side of the field refers to the scope for unleashing design flair and encouraging innovation,

One of the other most influential founding studies about visual perception emerged from the Gestalt School of Psychology in the early 1900s, specifically in the shape of the Laws of Perceptual Organization

data visualization could be described as an intersection of art and science

The greatest value of a picture is when it forces us to notice what we never expected to see.

Antoine de Saint-Exupery:

"You know you've achieved perfection in design, not when you have nothing more to add, but when you have nothing more to take away."

QlikView (http://www.qlikview.com/uk), TIBCO Spotfire (http://spotfire.tibco.com/), Grapheur (http://grapheur.com/), and Panopticon (http://www.panopticon.com/).

You will also find that there are many chart production tools available online. Google has created a number of different ways to create visualizations through its Chart Tools (https://developers.google.com/chart/) and Visualization API (https://developers.google.com/chart/interactive/docs/reference) environments. While you can exploit these tools without the need for programming skills, the API platforms do enable developers to enhance the functional and design options themselves.

Additionally, Google Fusion Tables (http://www.google.com/drive/start/apps.html) offers a convenient method for publishing simple choropleth maps, timelines, and a variety of reasonably interactive charts.

To help, you can find an up-to-date, curated list of the many technology options in this field by visiting http://www.visualisingdata.com/index.php/resources/.