The Functional Art Chapter 9
In Alberto Cairo’s The Functional Art chapter 9, he discusses the rise of interactives and its core values. Interaction designs allows users to be more engaged than when encountering something static because through interaction we receive feedback. In the realm of data visualization, our choices matter when interacting with the graph or chart. Results will vary depending on what you’ve inputted. Whether it is through algorithm generated calculations, the comparison of your answer to popular opinion (often shown in percentages), or simply providing a navigation platform of the subject matter, these are all methods that interactive data visualization can observe for further implementation.
To begin the chapter, he quoted Donald A. Norman from living with complexity. He said “what makes something simple or complex? It’s not the number of dials or control or how many features it has: It is whether the person using the device has a good conceptual model of how it operates.” This quote defines the essence of what a good interaction design should be — by putting the user’s need before the designer’s aesthetic concerns. The more visible the functionality of the design, the easier it is for the users to navigate and explore. It’s important to highlight the interactive elements in order to provide clarity on what can be achieved. Moreover, for every action, readers should perceive a reaction. The reaction can be a visual cue, a sound, or a response that appears on the screen.
When structuring interactive graphics in data visualization, it’s most important to present the topic of interest right up front with an illustration and headline, then display information where readers can dig in for more. Then hopefully arrive at an insight through the observation of the interaction. The four board styles of interactions can be 1) introduction 2)conversation 3) manipulation or 4) exploration. With this in mind, interaction designers can provide visibility and functionality in the data visualization space.
