When you work with data visualizations all day every day, it is very easy to end up in a relationship with them (some relationships are smoother than others). And because today is Valentine’s Day, I asked the data visualization lovers around me at the UNC Charlotte Vis Center and Visual.ly what makes data visualizations so attractive to them. In no particular order, here are some of the things we love about our field of work.
- Data visualization can make connections easier to understand. Like this interactive visualization of the relationships between high-rank executives and board members in corporate America.
Funny thing is, after staring at visualizations for hours, your brain starts seeing patterns everywhere—even in places they absolutely weren’t meant to be. I remember catching myself tracing imaginary network graphs in my coffee stains one morning. Not particularly meaningful, but it says something about how much this way of thinking seeps into everything you do.
There’s also this satisfying element of play involved, especially when you’re working with interactive charts or maps. You drag a slider, and suddenly the story changes, or a weird outlier pops up and you can’t help poking at it until you figure out why. It’s almost like solving a puzzle that keeps getting reshaped by new bits of data coming in. The delight comes less from finishing the puzzle and more from realizing it never really ends.
Why do you love data visualization? Drew Skau is a PhD Computer Science Visualization student at UNCC, with an undergraduate degree in Architecture.
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