Better data visualizations: a guide for scholars, researchers, and wonks

Introduction Part I: Principles of Data Visualization 1. Visual Processing and Perceptual Rankings 2. Five Guidelines for Better Data Visualizations 3. Form and Function Part II: Chart Types 4. Comparing Categories 5. Time 6. Distribution 7. Geospatial 8. Relationship 9. Part-to-Whole 10. Qualitative 11. Tables Part III: Designing and Redesigning Your Visual 12. Developing a Data Visualization Style Guide 13. Redesigns Conclusion Appendix 1. Data Visualization Tools Appendix 2. Further Reading and Resources Acknowledgments References Index

This book details essential strategies to create more effective data visualizations. Jonathan Schwabish walks readers through the steps of creating better graphs and how to move beyond simple line, bar, and pie charts. Through more than five hundred examples, he demonstrates the do's and don'ts of data visualization, the principles of visual perception, and how to make subjective style decisions around a chart's design. Schwabish surveys more than eighty visualization types, from histograms to horizon charts, ridgeline plots to choropleth maps, and explains how each has its place in the visual toolkit. It might seem intimidating, but everyone can learn how to create compelling, effective data visualizations. This book will guide you as you define your audience and goals, choose the graph that best fits for your data, and clearly communicate your message.