Today we looked at the different types of charts. Charts are used as a form of visual data, displaying information in diagrammatic form. There are lots of creative ways that data can be displayed, and today we were looking at some of the most iconic pieces that people have created. Diagrammatic data isn’t just limited to graphs and charts, but can be created into almost anything, and today we looked at some examples of this.
Starting from ancient times, people used pictograms to display information. They used techniques such as carving with stones to draw pictures of animals and other things in their surroundings. Humans have always been creative and expressive, so it is interesting to see hoe even with little tools and materials to use, humans found a way to create using drawings to convey information.
The periodic table was a very important and iconic piece of data visualisation. It was a really big task as people had to place the elements that surround us into one cohesive visual. There were many other periodic tables before the one that we use today, so looking back at some of the different ones was interesting. The periodic table was the first time that all the elements were put into one place, so it was really important that they done it right. It was also a difficult task because some elements are similar to others, so they had to find a way to make it understandable and also scientifically correct. Although I don’t know science that well, I can appreciate the periodic table and it’s importance.
Previous periodic table
Previous periodic table
Current periodic table
The London underground map is another piece of data visualisation that we looked at in class today. There is obviously a lot of data on the one visual, so it is the type of data that is best used for a specific purpose. It does it’s purpose very well, which is to show people how to get from one place to another. The different colours display different stations, for example Bakerloo, Hampstead etc. This means that people can look at the colour and know that it is their station or not. I really like how clearly this graph shows data, even though there is so much information on it.
There are a few main charts that get used frequently by designers who are displaying information. The reason why they are used so often is because they are great at doing their job, displaying information clearly, and they look good. These are: