Information visualization : working with screens of experience

Information visualizations have become increasingly popular in the last decade. Viewing data visually has proved helpful in communicating or revealing information in many fields ranging from science to journalism to art. Information is incredibly malleable; given the same data, a group of designers may make wildly different information visualizations. The malleability of an information visualization leads me to believe that there are certain and finite truths in data, but when a designer converts data into information, they pass these truths through a screen of their experience. Additionally, a reader brings their own screen of experience, through which they read an information visualization. These screens of experience create infinite ways to communicate and interpret information. This report reviews some concepts and methods that I have found helpful when creating information visualizations.