Boris Gorelik, Ph.D.

boris@gorelik.net

http://data.blog
Data visualization —
why, what and how?
Why?
Competition
What?
Why?
What?
How?
What?
Why?
What?
How?
Who?
Boris Gorelik, Ph.D.

boris@gorelik.net

http://data.blog
WooCommerce, Jetpack, Simplenote,
Longreads, VaultPress, Akismet, Gravatar,
Polldaddy, Cloudup
Past
Present
https://automattic.com/work-with-us/
What?
Why?
What?
How?
From "Show me the numbers” by Stephen C. Few &

From “Trees, Maps & Theorems” By Jean-luc Doumont
http://bit.ly/1RHf2nd
http://bit.ly/1RHf2nd
From “Trees, Maps & Theorems” By Jean-luc Doumont
From “Trees, Maps & Theorems” By Jean-luc Doumont
From “Trees, Maps & Theorems” By Jean-luc Doumont
Division/Department Headcount
G&A
Finance 15
Purchasing 5
Information Systems 17
Sales
Field Sales 47
Sales Operations 10
Engineering
Product Development 22
Product Marketing 5
From “Trees, Maps & Theorems” By Jean-luc Doumont
Hans Rosling
1948-2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVimVzgtD6w
Jamie Oliver
https://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver
What?
Why?
What?
How?
Visual Perception
70%
30%
From "Show me the numbers” by Stephen C. Few
Bandwidth Non-sequential accessContext
What?
Why?
What?
How?
Science? Art?

Matter of taste?
Stimulus Sensory Organ
EyeEyeEye
Brain
Perceptual Organ
Iconic Memory Working Memory Long-term Memory
Sensation
(Physical Process)
Perception
(Cognitive Process)
Stimulus Sensory Organ
EyeEyeEye
Brain
Perceptual Organ
Iconic Memory Working Memory Long-term Memory
Sensation
(Physical Process)
Perception
(Cognitive Process)
Preattentive attributes
987349790275647902894728624092406037070570279072
803208029007302501270237008374082078720272007083
247802602703793775709707377970667462097094702780
927979709723097230979592750927279798734972608027
From "Show me the numbers” by Stephen C. Few
From "Show me the numbers” by Stephen C. Few
From "Show me the numbers” by Stephen C. Few
987349790275647902894728624092406037070570279072
803208029007302501270237008374082078720272007083
247802602703793775709707377970667462097094702780
927979709723097230979592750927279798734972608027
From "Show me the numbers” by Stephen C. Few
From "Show me the numbers” by Stephen C. Few
What?
Why?
What?
How?
Stimulus Sensory Organ
EyeEyeEye
Brain
Perceptual Organ
Iconic Memory Working Memory Long-term Memory
Sensation
(Physical Process)
Perception
(Cognitive Process)
Preattentive attributes
Edward Tufte

http://edwardtufte.com

Above all,

show data
Data-ink ratio
Truth, all truth, and nothing but the truth
http://fdschneider.github.io/blog/2014/graphical_parsimony/
http://fdschneider.github.io/blog/2014/graphical_parsimony/
http://fdschneider.github.io/blog/2014/graphical_parsimony/
Data, enough data, and mostly data
Jean-luc Doumont
http://www.principiae.be/
Information layers
From “Trees, Maps & Theorems” By Jean-luc Doumont
From “Trees, Maps & Theorems” By Jean-luc Doumont
From “Trees, Maps & Theorems” By Jean-luc Doumont
line vs. dots
colorline width
From “Trees, Maps & Theorems” By Jean-luc Doumont
Information channels
line vs. dots
colorline width
From “Trees, Maps & Theorems” By Jean-luc Doumont
Information redundancy
line vs. dots
colorline width
From “Trees, Maps & Theorems” By Jean-luc Doumont
Useful redundancy
line vs. dots
colorline width
From “Trees, Maps & Theorems” By Jean-luc Doumont
http://www.treesmapsandtheorems.com/
What?
Why?
What?
How?
Gestalt principles
Interplay between the parts and the whole
Kurt Koffka (1886 – 1941)
The whole is “other” than 

the sum of its parts
Figure-background articulation
Proximity
Common fate
Similarity
Continuity
Past experience
Proximity
Proximity
Proximity
Proximity
Proximity
graph area

text body
data label





event remark
Proximity
graph area

text body
data label





event remark
Continuity
http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Gestalt_principles
Continuity
Continuity
0
10,000
1 2 3 4 5
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
100,000
Salaries
(U.S. $) Female vs. Male Salary Distributions
Pay Grades
110,000
0
10,000
1 2 3 4 5
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
100,000
Salaries
(U.S. $) Male vs. Female Salary Distributions
Pay Grades
110,000
From "Show me the numbers” by Stephen C. Few
What?
Why?
What?
How?
Science? Art?

Matter of taste?
Boris Gorelik

boris@gorelik.net


Data visualization — why, what and how