Visualization

of the data variety

Alan Palazzolo

@zzolo
github.com/zzolo

I make the news more exciting at MinnPost.

With the help of these fine folk

I also founded and organize the Twin Cities (Data) Visualization Group.

We meet on the 3rd Tuesday of every month.

I help found Open Twin Cities, a group of civic hackers.

We meet on the 4th Tuesday of every month.
We are running a hackathon on Feb 23rd.

I am not a data visualization expert.

I am a programmer

image from changearc

I am a coder just getting into Data Visualization and Journalism.

So, what is data visualization?

image from Total Interaction

Simplistically put, its just what it says it is.

It's functional art.

It's the application of design and aesthetics.

It's kind of like

architecture
furniture design
graphic design
fashion design

Fine art is an expression of the artist.
Functional art provides a practical need to others.

They are not mutually exclusive.

image from familygeeks.com

[..] the relationship between visualization and art, which is similar to the linkage of journalism and literature. A journalist can borrow tools and techniques from literature, and be inspired by great fiction writing, but she will never allow her stories to become literature. That notion applies to visualization, which is, above all, a functional art.
- The Functional Art by Alberto Cairo

It's function informing form

It's form AND function

image from stamen

Visualizing is quicker and more impactful.

The coefficient of determination
(how correlated are two things):
R² = 0.98

image from NYT

Explanation and exploration

image from Andrees Allgemeiner Handatlas

image from NYT

It tells a story. It answers questions.