Data visualization
Data visualization represents data through visual forms such as charts, maps, and diagrams to reveal patterns, comparisons, relationships, or changes.
Visual encoding: The mapping of data values to visual properties such as position, size, color, or shape. It explains how a dataset becomes a visual display.
Visual channel: A visual property, such as position or color, used to encode information. Channels differ in how accurately viewers can compare encoded values.
Bar chart: A chart that represents values with rectangular bars whose lengths are proportional to those values. Bar lengths make comparisons among discrete categories direct.
Data table: A structured arrangement of data in rows and columns. Tables preserve exact values, while charts emphasize visual patterns.
Data type: A classification of values by properties such as category, order, or numerical magnitude. The type of data constrains which visual comparisons are meaningful.
Gestalt psychology: A psychological approach describing how people organize visual elements into perceived wholes and patterns. Grouping principles shape how marks are read as related or separate.
Scatter plot: A plot that positions observations by the values of two numerical variables. It exposes associations, clusters, and outliers between measurements.
Infographic: A designed visual communication that combines graphics, text, and data to explain a subject. Infographics mix data displays with narrative and illustrative elements.
Chart: A visual representation of data using marks, axes, or other organized graphical elements. Charts are the familiar family of forms used to display data visually.
Graphical perception: The study of how accurately people interpret quantitative information from visual displays. It helps explain why some chart encodings support more reliable judgments.