Everyday Data Visualization

Radically improve the quality of your data visualizations by employing core principles of color, typography, chart types, data storytelling, and more.

Everyday Data Visualization is a field guide for design techniques that will improve the charts, reports, and data dashboards you build every day. Everything you learn is tool-agnostic, with universal principles you can apply to any data stack.

In Everyday Data Visualization you’ll learn important design principles for the most common data visualizations:

• Harness the power of perception to guide a user’s attention
• Bring data to life with color and typography
• Choose the best chart types for your data story
• Design for interactive visualizations
• Keep the user’s needs first throughout your projects

This book gives you the tools you need to bring your data to life with clarity, precision, and flair. You’ll learn how human brains perceive and process information, wield modern accessibility standards, get the basics of color theory and typography, and more.

Purchase of the print book includes a free eBook in PDF and ePub formats from Manning Publications.

About the technology

Even mundane presentations like charts, dashboards, and infographics can become engaging and inspiring data stories! This book shows you how to upgrade the visualizations you create every day by improving the layout, typography, color, and accessibility. You’ll discover timeless principles of design that help you highlight important features, compensate for missing information, and interact with live data flows.

About the book

Everyday Data Visualization guides you through basic graphic design for the most common types of data visualization. You’ll learn how to enhance charts with color, encourage users to interact and explore data and create visualizations accessible to everyone. Along the way, you’ll practice each new skill as you take a dashboard project from research to publication.

What's inside

• Bring data to life with color and typography
• Choose the best chart types for your data story
• Design interactive visualizations

About the reader

For readers experienced with data analysis tools

About the author

Desireé Abbott has over a decade of experience in product analytics, business intelligence, science, design, and software engineering.

The technical editor on this book was

Michael Petrey.

Table of Contents

PART 1
1 Hello, data viz!
2 How we perceive information
3 It’s all about the data
PART 2
4 Choosing colors
5 Typography
6 Creating a good chart
7 Designing for interactivity
PART 3
8 Research, design, and development
9 Troubleshooting
Appendix

Ebook License

End-User Warranty And License Agreement

1. Grant Of License

Manning Has Authorized The Download By You Of An Unrestricted Number Of Copies Of The Electronic Book (Ebook) In Any Of The Available Formats. Manning Grants You A Nonexclusive, Nontransferable License To Use The Ebook According To The Terms And Conditions Herein. This License Agreement Permits You To Install The Ebook On Any And All Your Devices For Your Personal Use Only.

2. Restrictions

You Shall Not: (1) Share, Resell, Rent, Assign, Timeshare, Distribute, Or Transfer All Or Part Of The Ebook Or Any Rights Granted Hereunder To Any Other Person; (2) Duplicate The Ebook, Except For A Single Backup Or Archival Copy; (3) Remove Any Proprietary Notices, Labels, Or Marks From The Ebook; (4) Transfer Or Sublicense Title To The Ebook To Any Other Party.

3. Intellectual Property Protection

The Ebook Is Owned By Manning And Is Protected By United States And International Copyright And Other Intellectual Property Laws. Manning Reserves All Rights In The Ebook Not Expressly Granted Herein. This License And Your Right To Use The Ebook Terminate Automatically If You Violate Any Part Of This Agreement. In The Event Of Termination, You Must Remove The Original And Any Copies Of The Ebook From All Your Devices.

4. Source Code Supplementary Material

Any Source Code Files Provided As A Supplement To The Book Are Freely Available To The Public For Download. Reuse Of The Code Is Permitted, In Whole Or In Part, Including The Creation Of Derivative Works, Provided That You Acknowledge That You Are Using It And Identify The Source: Title, Publisher And Year.

5. Limited Warranty

Manning Warrants That The Ebook Files, A Copy Of Which You Are Authorized To Download, Are Free From Defects In The Operational Sense That They Can Be Read By A Pdf Reader Or Epub Reader, Or Other. Except For This Express Limited Warranty, Manning Makes And You Receive No Warranties, Express, Implied, Statutory Or In Any Communication With You, And Manning Specifically Disclaims Any Other Warranty Including The Implied Warranty Of Merchantability Or Fitness Or A Particular Purpose. Manning Does Not Warrant That The Operation Of The Ebook Will Be Uninterrupted Or Error Free. If The Ebook Was Purchased In The United States, The Above Exclusions May Not Apply To You As Some States Do Not Allow The Exclusion Of Implied Warranties. In Addition To The Above Warranty Rights, You May Also Have Other Rights That Vary From State To State.

6. Limitation Of Liability

In No Event Will Manning Be Liable For Any Damages, Whether Arising For Tort Or Contract, Including Loss Of Data, Lost Profits, Or Other Special, Incidental, Consequential, Or Indirect Damages Arising Out Of The Use Or Inability To Use The Ebook.

7. General

This Agreement Constitutes The Entire Agreement Between You And Manning And Supersedes Any Prior Agreement Concerning The Ebook. This Agreement Is Governed By The Laws Of The State Of New York.