Mark P. Baldwin

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Data Graphics And Typography
Mark P. Baldwin Northwest Research Associates,
USA Cargese UTLS Summer School, 6 Oct. 2005
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A very interesting talk
for Climate System Research

• Data Graphics and
• Scientific Communication

Mark Baldwin Northwest Research, Bellevue, WA,
USA Visitor, Department of Meteorology
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1) Typography 2) Graphs plots 3) Color
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Typography
sans serif font (Arial)
Abcjy Abcjy
serif font (Times New Roman)
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How should you judge whether your typographic
choice (e.g., type, type size, leading, number of
columns) is a good one?
a) You judge whether it looks appealing b) You
base your decision on studies of reading
comprehension
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Justified
Is the stratosphere important for predicting
changes in weather and climate? Although the role
of the stratosphere has not been emphasized until
recently, observations and models both indicate
that the stratosphere acts to integrate
high-frequency forcing from below, with
long-lasting feedback effects.
Ragged right
Is the stratosphere important for predicting
changes in weather and climate? Although the role
of the stratosphere has not been emphasized until
recently, observations and models both indicate
that the stratosphere acts to integrate
high-frequency forcing from below, with
long-lasting feedback effects.
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Leading
Font Size
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80
Sans Serif Font
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Graphs Plots
Minimize non-data ink No chartjunk (e.g.,
gratuitous 3-D) Avoid lying with data Bank to 45º
Edward R. Tufte
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• Maximize Data-ink Minimize non-Data Ink
• Edward Tufte defines the data ink ratio as
• Data Ink Ratio (data ink)/(total ink in the
  plot)
• The goal is to make this as large as is
  reasonable. To do this you
• Avoid heavy grids
• Replace enclosing box with an x/y grid
• Prune graphics by replacing bars with single
  lines, erasing non-data ink eliminating lines
  from axes starting x/y axes at the data values
• Avoid over busy grids, excess ticks, redundant
  representation of simple data, boxes, shadows,
  pointers, legends.

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Chartjunk
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Chartjunk
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Chartjunk
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Chartjunk
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Proportion Survived
Drug A
Drug B
Drug C
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From Baldwin and Gray, 2005
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Bank to 45
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From The Visual Display of Quantitative
Information by Edward R. Tufte.
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Color Tables
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What colours do you see?

• 92 99.6
• 6 0.25
• deuteranopic
• 2 0.10
• protanopic
• http//www.vischeck.com

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Can you see a difference?
I cant! Nor can 6 of the male population
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Can you see a difference?
6 of the male population cant.
www.vischeck.com
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Displaying data well

• Be accurate and clear.
• Let the data speak.
• Show as much information as possible, taking care
  not to obscure the message.
• Science not sales.
• Avoid unnecessary frills esp. gratuitous 3-D.

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Chartjunk Chartjunk consists of decorative
elements that provide no data and cause confusion
(e.g., fake 3-D). Elements in close proximity
cause a visible interaction. Such interactions
can be very fatiguing (e.g., moiré patterns,
optical vibration) and can show information that
is not really there. In major science
publications we see 2 to 20 moiré vibration.
For example, in recent statistical and computer
publications chartjunk ranges from 12 to 68.
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From Baldwin and Dunkerton, 2001
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Composite surface maps for high and low AO
index. (From Thompson and Wallace, Science 2001)
gt0.9C
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Avoid visual puzzles.
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Example 2

• Distribution of genotypes
• AA 21
• AB 48
• BB 22
• missing 9

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Example 2
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Example 2
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Example 2
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Example 2
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Example 2
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A very interesting talk
for Climate System Research

• Conclusions

1) Pay attention to typography 2) Work to
improve graphs and plots 3) Avoid chartjunk 4)
Maximize data ink 5) Avoid visual puzzles 6) Use
easy-to-decode color tables 7) See my Web site
for references
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Conclusions
1) Pay attention to typography 2) Work to improve
graphs and plots 3) Avoid chartjunk 4) Maximize
data ink 5) Avoid visual puzzles 6) Use
easy-to-decode color tables 7) Try to make the
message in your graphic immediately apparent