In this weeks lesson we looked at data visualisation, how we can organise this information, and the types of data that can be organised.
Nikolas Felton is a infographic designer, between 2005 and 2014 he documented his everyday life including what he ate, where he ate, where he travelled etc. every year he produces a personal annual report called the Feltron Annual Report ,which include maps, graphs, statistics etc. He was also the creator of Facebooks iconic timeline and now currently works for Apple. Nikolas talent at visualising data is admirable, after looking at some of the documents the level of detail and also the design layout is so incredible. I really appreciate his effort of making the data and the and design for visualisation just as important as each other. I particularly like 2009’s report, I really like the data visualisation and the use of typography, a Swiss Style Typography making it as readable as can be and highlighting important data. This will be something I will implement within my dashboard, another thing is the traveling report, I really like the way he has presented his movements similar to a CSI pin board this just shows the clearest understanding of his whereabouts. This is also something I will consider within my dashboard.
Data can be found everywhere in our daily lives. From bus timetables to weather forecast, to political elections to a business sales. Data is all around us and to understand data it needs to be organised and constructed so the board doesn’t just consist of numbers, as the eye can understand an image quicker.
We must also ensure that the data we are presenting, is not made or manipulated to look a certain way. The data must be fully visible and not hidden for example some 3D graphs can make certain data look bigger than it actually is creating a false idea in the users head. It is important to tell the right story when presenting data as it is suppose to be representing true statistics.
In class we were asked to complete another master apprentice task to familiarise ourselves with charts and visualising data. This was really helpful as I can understand how to design data visually and know the amount of colours that should be used to make it as straightforward and understandable as possible. Below are the two master apprentice tasks I completed.
Overall, I think I have a good starting point as far as information goes, I have been inspired by Nikolas Felton to prioritise design, data and typography within my dashboard, I have a better understanding of how data should and shouldn't be presented from looking at other infographic designers during the lecture which will support me when creating my dashboard.
The master apprentice task was a great exercise to start us of with, I feel like the typography is slightly off, however the rest looks accurate and has allowed me to understand the importance of layout and ease of visualising data. I am considering using the circular chart within my dashboard.