We’ve been creating and managing data for centuries, and the recent improvements in technology make more data readily available to more people. This wealth of data can help us make better decisions, understand complex phenomena, and communicate effectively, but only when used appropriately. Visualization is one of the best ways to tell stories from data, but visualizations can also mislead and confuse. In this presentation, I’ll introduce a few exercises you can use with your students to help them learn to design effective information visualizations. We will use real-world data and a variety of software tools to create visualizations that inform, persuade, and illuminate.

1. TEACHING STUDENTS
TO LIE, MISLEAD, AND
MANIPULATE WITH
INFORMATION
VISUALIZATION
Libby Hemphill, PhD
Illinois Institute of Technology

2. ASSUMING …
Data literacy is important so that we
can
• Tell compelling stories that others are
more likely to repeat, remember, and
act on
• Determine when someone else is
trying to mislead using visualizations

3. http://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/graph-36-how-many-charts-there-are-right-here

4. INFORMING,
PERSUADING,
AND
ILLUMINATING

5. BUILDING A
VISUALIZATION
1. Determine the story you want to tell
or question you want to answer
2. Find or collect the data you need
3. Sketch your design
4. Annotate your sketch
5. Construct your visualization

6. BUILDING A
VISUALIZATION
1. Determine the story you want to tell
or question you want to answer
2. Find or collect the data you need
3. Sketch your design
4. Annotate your sketch
5. Construct your visualization

7. LYING,
MISLEADING,
AND
MANIPULATING

8. TRUNCATED AXES

9. TRUNCATED AXES

10. DECEPTIVE
DIMENSIONS
CIRCUMFERENCE AREA
http://www.vox.com/2014/8/20/6040435/als-ice-bucket-challenge-and-why-we-give-to-charity-donate

11. HARD TO READ
FORMATS
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/08/12/apple-diversity-white-asian-male/
13951329/http://www.storytellingwithdata.com/2014/08/design-with-audience-in-mind.html

12. SPURIOUS
RELATIONSHIPS
http://www.tylervigen.com/

13. SPECIOUS MEASURES

14. YOUR TURN …
http://www.visualisingdata.com/index.php/2014/04/the-fine-line-between-confusion-and-deception/

15. PRACTICE

16. KEYS TO GOOD
VISUALS

17. EXERCISE ONE
COMPUTER
SCIENCE
DEGREE
CONFERRALS

18. RAW DATA
http://bit.ly/hemphill_wpi_data

19. DATA HERO
http://www.datahero.com

20. EXERCISE TWO
DIVERSITY IN
TECH
COMPANIES

21. RAW DATA
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/08/12/apple-diversity-white-asian-male/13951329/

22. EXCEL

23. EXERCISE THREE
TWEETS OVER
TIME

24. TABLEAU

25. THANK YOU
Contact Info:
libby.hemphill@iit.edu
@libbyh
http://libbyh.com
Resource List:
http://bit.ly/hemphill_wpi_notes
Slides:
http://slideshare.net/libbyh

26. SUPPLEMENTAL
SLIDES

27. MORE
CLASSROOM
ACTIVITIES

28. CAPTION THIS …
http://flowingdata.com/2014/07/02/jobs-charted-by-state-and-salary/

29. TELL A STORY ABOUT
WORDS …
https://books.google.com/ngrams

30. CHECK YOUR
ASSUMPTIONS…
https://apps.facebook.com/namegenweb/

31. MORE
EXAMPLES OF
GOOD
VISUALIZATIONS

32. HIERARCHIES
http://newsmap.jp

33. TIME
http://www.babynamewizard.com/voyager

34. NETWORKS

35. TIME
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/07/31/business/20080801-metrics-graphic.html?_r=0

36. NETWORKS
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/05/02/weekinreview/02marsh.html