Uncertainty Visualization Study Group Notes – 12/4/2012

Zuk and Carpendale, 2006, “Theoretical analysis of uncertainty visualizations”

• Evaluation of 8 visualizations according to 3 perceptual/cognitive frameworks (Bertin, Tufte, Ware)
• Bertin:
  • Two planar visual variables: x-axis, y-axis
  • Six variables embedded on the plane created by the above:
    • size
    • value
    • grain
    • color
    • orientation
    • shape
• Tufte:
  • Graphical excellence
    • Greatest number of ideas in the shortest amount of time
  • 6 principles of graphical integrity
    • Avoid deception/misrepresentation
  • Data-ink maximization
  • Small multiples
• Ware: cognition/perception
  • preattentive processing
  • gestalt laws
  • words with images–text is often superior for abstract ideas, logic, etc.
  • thinking with visualization
• Methodology: Heuristic evaluation
  • Bertin, Tufte, and Ware representing all perceptual/cognitive typologies
  • 8 visualizations representing all visualization