Evaluating Graphics Tufte’s rules Cleveland’s principles Carr’s modifications Wainer’s analysis Friendly’s gallery Our criteria

Approach to creating criteria: Begin by examining the guidelines for constructing graphics and work these into criteria for evaluating graphics.

1

Tufte’s RulesShow the data Induce the viewer to think about the data

Avoid distorting what the data have to say Present many numbers in a small space

Make large data sets coherent Reveal the data at several levels of detail

Serve a reasonably clear purpose Be closely integrated with the statistical and verbal descriptions of the data

2

What is the data in this picture?

Show the data

Source: http://xxi.ac-reims.fr/fig-st-die/actes/actes_2000/thouez/t13.gif

3

Address of people who died from cholera Location of water pumps

!

Map of London !

De-emphasize the map to raise the focus on the data

Data

Support

..................Improvements

4

Data-ink ratio

Divide the total ink used to draw the data by the total ink used to draw the graphic.

How do you calculate this? Not easily!

5

Avoid distorting the dataWhat’s the data? How is it represented?

Year Time line

Fuel economy standard Line segment

6

Size of effect shown in graphicSize of effect in data

Lie Factor (Tufte)

Fuel economy example

27.5-18.018.0

x100 = 53%Data

Graphic 5.3-0.60.6

x 100 = 783%

Lie factor = 78353 = 14.8 >>> 1 Huge!

Should be close to 1

7

Avoid distorting the data

4

4

4

32

2

3

3

3

2

456

5

56

3 2

BCD A

1

1

Self colours

Title

Print

Quad Royal Tube Map Version 2 Date

Size

1/9/2005

4 Colour Process + 4 Self Colours S/S

Pantone®

485 CPantone®

470 CPantone®

235 CPantone®

072 C

Process colours

River Thames

River Thames

A

B

C

D

E

F

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

A

B

C

D

E

F

Tubemap

D2 Acton CentralD2 Acton TownD6 AldgateD7 Aldgate EastD8 All SaintsB2 AlpertonA1 AmershamC6 AngelB5 ArchwayA6 Arnos GroveB6 Arsenal

C4 Baker Street F4 BalhamD6 BankC6 BarbicanC9 BarkingB9 BarkingsideD3 Barons CourtC3 BayswaterE9 Beckton

D9 Beckton ParkC9 BecontreeB5 Belsize ParkD6 BermondseyC7 Bethnal GreenD5 BlackfriarsB7 Blackhorse RoadD8 BlackwallC4 Bond StreetE6 BoroughD1 Boston ManorA6 Bounds GreenC8 Bow ChurchC7 Bow RoadB4 Brent CrossF5 Brixton C8 Bromley-by-BowB3 BrondesburyB3 Brondesbury ParkA8 Buckhurst Hill A4 Burnt Oak

B6 Caledonian RoadB6 Caledonian Road

& BarnsburyB5 Camden RoadB5 Camden TownD7 Canada WaterD8 Canary WharfD8 Canning TownD6 Cannon StreetB7 CanonburyA3 Canons ParkA1 Chalfont & LatimerB5 Chalk FarmC5 Chancery LaneD5 Charing CrossA1 CheshamA9 ChigwellD2 Chiswick ParkA1 ChorleywoodF4 Clapham CommonF4 Clapham North F4 Clapham SouthA6 Cockfosters 

A4 ColindaleF4 Colliers WoodD5 Covent GardenE8 Crossharbour

& London ArenaA2 CroxleyD9 Custom HouseF8 Cutty SarkD9 Cyprus

B9 Dagenham EastB9 Dagenham HeathwayB7 Dalston KingslandA8 DebdenF7 Deptford BridgeC8 Devons RoadB3 Dollis Hill

C1 Ealing BroadwayD2 Ealing CommonD3 Earl's CourtC2 East ActonA2 EastcoteA5 East Finchley

C8 East HamD8 East IndiaE3 East PutneyA4 EdgwareC4 Edgware Road (Bakerloo)C4 Edgware Road

(Circle/District/H&C)E5 Elephant & CastleB9 Elm ParkF7 Elverson RoadD5 EmbankmentA8 EppingC5 EustonC5 Euston Square

B9 FairlopC6 FarringdonA5 Finchley CentralB4 Finchley RoadB4 Finchley Road & FrognalB6 Finsbury ParkE3 Fulham Broadway

E9 Gallions Reach

B8 Gants HillD3 Gloucester RoadB4 Golders GreenD3 Goldhawk RoadC5 Goodge StreetB5 Gospel OakA9 Grange Hill C5 Great Portland StreetB1 GreenfordF7 GreenwichD4 Green ParkE2 Gunnersbury

B7 Hackney CentralB7 Hackney WickA9 HainaultD3 HammersmithB5 HampsteadB5 Hampstead HeathC2 Hanger LaneB3 HarlesdenA3 Harrow & Wealdstone B2 Harrow-on-the HillE1 Hatton Cross

E1 Heathrow Terminals 1, 2, 3

E1 Heathrow Terminal 4A4 Hendon CentralD8 Heron QuaysA5 High BarnetB6 Highbury & IslingtonA5 HighgateD3 High Street KensingtonA1 HillingdonC5 Holborn C3 Holland ParkB6 Holloway RoadB7 HomertonB9 HornchurchE1 Hounslow CentralD1 Hounslow EastE1 Hounslow WestD4 Hyde Park Corner

A1 IckenhamE8 Island Gardens

E5 Kennington

B3 Kensal GreenB3 Kensal RiseD3 Kensington (Olympia)B5 Kentish TownB5 Kentish Town WestA3 KentonE2 Kew GardensB4 KilburnC3 Kilburn ParkB3 KingsburyC5 King’s Cross St. PancrasD4 Knightsbridge

C3 Ladbroke GroveE5 Lambeth NorthC4 Lancaster GateC3 Latimer RoadD5 Leicester SquareF7 LewishamB8 LeytonB8 LeytonstoneD7 LimehouseC6 Liverpool StreetD6 London Bridge

A8 Loughton

C3 Maida ValeB6 Manor HouseD5 Mansion HouseC4 Marble ArchC4 MaryleboneC7 Mile EndA5 Mill Hill EastD6 MonumentC6 MoorgateA2 Moor ParkF4 MordenB5 Mornington Crescent E8 Mudchute

B3 NeasdenB9 Newbury ParkF7 New CrossF7 New Cross GateC2 North ActonC2 North EalingD1 NorthfieldsD8 North Greenwich

A2 North HarrowB1 NortholtB3 North WembleyB3 Northwick ParkA2 NorthwoodA2 Northwood HillsE9 North WoolwichC3 Notting Hill Gate

A6 OakwoodC6 Old StreetD3 OlympiaD1 OsterleyF5 Oval C4 Oxford Circus

C3 PaddingtonC2 Park RoyalE3 Parsons GreenC1 PerivaleD5 Piccadilly CircusE4 PimlicoA2 PinnerC8 Plaistow

D8 PoplarB3 Preston RoadD9 Prince RegentC8 Pudding Mill LaneE3 Putney Bridge

A3 QueensburyB3 Queen’s ParkC3 Queensway

D3 Ravenscourt ParkB2 Rayners LaneB8 RedbridgeC4 Regent’s ParkE2 RichmondA1 RickmansworthA8 Roding ValleyD7 RotherhitheD9 Royal AlbertC3 Royal OakD9 Royal VictoriaA1 RuislipB1 Ruislip GardensA2 Ruislip Manor

C5 Russell Square

D4 St. James’s ParkC4 St. John’s WoodC6 St. Paul’sB7 Seven SistersD7 ShadwellC3 Shepherd’s Bush

(Central)D3 Shepherd’s Bush

(Hammersmith & City)C7 Shoreditch E9 SilvertownD4 Sloane SquareB8 SnaresbrookD2 South ActonD2 South EalingE3 SouthfieldsA6 SouthgateB2 South HarrowD4 South KensingtonB3 South KentonE8 South QuayB1 South Ruislip

E5 SouthwarkF4 South WimbledonB8 South WoodfordD2 Stamford BrookA3 StanmoreC7 Stepney GreenF5 StockwellB3 Stonebridge ParkC8 StratfordB2 Sudbury HillB2 Sudbury Town E7 Surrey QuaysB4 Swiss Cottage

D5 TempleA8 Theydon BoisF4 Tooting BecF4 Tooting BroadwayC5 Tottenham

Court RoadB7 Tottenham HaleA5 Totteridge &

WhetstoneD7 Tower Gateway

D6 Tower HillB5 Tufnell ParkD2 Turnham Green A6 Turnpike Lane

B9 UpminsterB9 Upminster BridgeC9 UpneyC8 Upton ParkA1 Uxbridge

E4 VauxhallD4 Victoria

B7 Walthamstow CentralB8 WansteadD7 WappingC5 Warren StreetC3 Warwick AvenueE5 WaterlooA2 WatfordB3 Wembley CentralB3 Wembley ParkC2 West Acton

C3 Westbourne ParkD3 West BromptonD7 WestferryA5 West FinchleyC8 West HamB4 West HampsteadB2 West HarrowD8 West India QuayD3 West KensingtonD5 WestminsterA1 West RuislipC7 WhitechapelC3 White CityB3 Willesden GreenB3 Willesden JunctionE3 WimbledonE3 Wimbledon ParkA8 WoodfordA6 Wood GreenA5 Woodside Park

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A

B

C

D

F

G

H

I

K

L

M

N

O

Q

P

R

S

T

V

W

U

E

Grid Stations Zones Grid Stations Facilities Zones

Grid Stations Facilities Zones Grid Stations Facilities Zones Grid Stations Facilities Zones Grid Stations Facilities Zones Grid Stations Facilities Zones Grid Stations Facilities Zones Grid Stations Facilities Zones Grid Stations Facilities Zones Grid Stations Facilities Zones Grid Stations Facilities Zones Grid Stations Facilities Zones Grid Stations Facilities Zones Grid Stations Facilities ZonesIndex to stations

Sponsored by

Travel information

Step-free accessStations displaying this symbolin the index have step-freeaccess between the street andplatforms. This facility is usefulfor passengers with luggage,shopping or buggies as well asfor wheelchair users

To plan a journey in a wheelchair,see our leaflet ‘Tube access guide’ or call

0845 330 9880

For journey planning and travel advice call

µ

Station facilitiesThe index on this map also shows

Other RailwaysFor a map of all Railways in Greater London, consult the High Frequency Services Map nearby

‰ Car parksBicycle parking

Stations with toilets on siteor nearby

Á

∑Travel Information Centres∏

Facilities

Transport for London

Key to lines and symbols

Central

Bakerloo

District

Circle

East London Docklands Light Railway

Northern

Metropolitan

Piccadilly

Victoria

Waterloo & City

National Rail

Connections withNational Rail

Connection withTramlink

Airport interchange

Connections withriverboat services

Interchange stations

Poster 09.05

OpensDecember 2005

020 7222 123424 hour travel information

020 7918 3015Textphone

www.tfl.gov.ukWebsite

020 7918 3015Textphone

www.tfl.gov.ukWebsite

Jubilee

Hammersmith & City

Covent Garden station gets very busy at weekends and in the evenings, but you can avoid the crowds by walking there from Holborn, Leicester Square or Charing Cross. The short walk is clearly signposted above ground and maps are on display at each station.

This diagram is an evolution of the original design conceived in 1931 by Harry Beck

Bermondsey

SouthwarkWaterloo East

Chalfont &Latimer

Moor Park

NorthwoodNorthwoodHills

PinnerEastcote North Harrow

Maida Vale

Queen's ParkKensal Green

Neasden

Dollis Hill

Willesden Green

KilburnWestHampstead

Swiss CottageSt. John's Wood

Finchley Road

Amersham

Ruislip Manor

Chesham

Chorleywood

Rickmansworth

Watford

Croxley

Harrow-on-the-Hill

PrestonRoad

Hillingdon Ruislip

Rayners Lane

West Harrow NorthwickPark Wembley

Park

Ealing Common

EalingBroadway

GreatPortland

StreetBakerStreet

FarringdonBarbican

Moorgate

Aldgate

EustonSquare

ActonTown

ChiswickPark

TurnhamGreen

WestActon

EastActon

Shepherd'sBush

StamfordBrook

RavenscourtPark

Hammersmith

WestKensington

West Brompton

Fulham Broadway

Parsons Green

Putney Bridge

East Putney

Southfields

Wimbledon Park

Wimbledon

VictoriaSouthKensington

GloucesterRoad

Embankment

Blackfriars

MansionHouse

Temple

Cannon Street

Bank

Monument

BaronsCourt

Fenchurch Street

Whitechapel

TowerGateway

TowerHill

AldgateEast

Stepney Green

Mile End

BowRoad Bow

ChurchBromley-by-Bow

West HamPlaistow

Upton Park

East Ham

Becontree

DagenhamHeathway

Elm Park

Upney

DagenhamEast

Hornchurch

UpminsterBridge

Upminster

High StreetKensington

NottingHill Gate

Bayswater

Kensal Rise Brondesbury

EdgwareRoad

St. James'sPark

SloaneSquare

Westminster

Barking

Latimer Road

Westbourne Park

Finchley Road& Frognal

Ladbroke Grove

Royal Oak

Shepherd'sBush

Goldhawk Road

West Ruislip

Greenford

RuislipGardens

SouthRuislip

Northolt

HangerLane

Perivale

NorthActon

WhiteCity

HollandPark

Paddington

Paddington

ChanceryLaneBond

StreetOxfordCircus

TottenhamCourt Road

St. Paul'sMarbleArch

Queensway

LancasterGate

BethnalGreen

Stratford

Leyton

Leytonstone

Snaresbrook

SouthWoodford

Woodford

Epping

Theydon Bois

DebdenLoughton

Buckhurst Hill

Redbridge

ChigwellRodingValley

Hainault

Fairlop

BarkingsideNewbury

Park

GrangeHill

Wanstead GantsHill

South Ealing

Knightsbridge

Hyde ParkCorner

Green Park

PiccadillyCircus

LeicesterSquare

RussellSquare

Caledonian Road

CaledonianRoad &

Barnsbury

DalstonKingsland

Homerton

Holloway Road

Arsenal

Manor House

Turnpike Lane

Wood Green

Bounds Green

Arnos Grove

Southgate

Oakwood

Cockfosters

Uxbridge Ickenham

ActonCentral

Waterloo

Morden

Colliers Wood Tooting Broadway

South Wimbledon

Tooting BecBalham

Clapham South ClaphamCommon

Clapham NorthClapham High Street 100m

StockwellOval

Kennington

Borough

SouthActon

Old Street

Angel

GoodgeStreet

Euston

MorningtonCrescent

Camden Town

Chalk Farm

Regent’s Park

Belsize Park

Hampstead HampsteadHeath

GospelOak

CanonburyHackneyCentral

HackneyWick

KentishTown West

CamdenRoad

Hendon Central

Colindale

BurntOak

Mill Hill East

High Barnet

Totteridge & Whetstone

Woodside Park

West Finchley

Finchley Central

East Finchley

Highgate

Archway

Tufnell Park

KentishTown

CanadaWater

Canary Wharf

Elverson Road

Deptford Bridge

Harrow &Wealdstone

Kenton

Stanmore

Canons Park

Queensbury

Kingsbury

South KentonNorth Wembley

Wembley CentralStonebridge Park

Harlesden

Willesden Junction

Kilburn ParkWarwick Avenue

EdgwareRoad

BrondesburyPark

Marylebone

LambethNorth

Elephant & Castle

King's CrossSt. Pancras

CharingCross

Covent Garden

Highbury &Islington

BlackhorseRoad

SevenSisters

WalthamstowCentral

TottenhamHale

FinsburyPark

Pimlico

Brixton

Shoreditch

Wapping

Rotherhithe

Surrey Quays

New CrossNew Cross Gate

Vauxhall

Limehouse

Westferry

DevonsRoad

PuddingMill Lane

West IndiaQuay

Cutty Sarkfor Maritime Greenwich

Greenwich

Lewisham

Blackwall

EastIndia

Warren Street

Edgware

All Saints

Heron Quays

South Quay

Crossharbour &London Arena

Mudchute

Island Gardens

Shadwell

No service between Woodford - Hainault

after 2000 hours

Gunnersbury

Richmond

Kew Gardens

Poplar

London Bridge

Change atChalfont & Latimer

on most trains

No Piccadilly line serviceUxbridge - Rayners Lane

in the early mornings

Special fares apply forprinted single and return

tickets to and from this station

Also served byPiccadilly linetrains early

mornings andlate evenings

100m

100m

Euston 200m

150m

Charing Cross 100m

200m

HeathrowTerminals

1, 2, 3

Hounslow Central

Osterley

Northfields

Boston ManorHounslow

East

HounslowWest

LiverpoolStreet

No Hammersmith & City line serviceWhitechapel - Barking early mornings,late evenings or all day Sundays.

Mondays - Fridays open0700 - 1030 and 1530 - 2030

Saturdays closedSundays open 0700 - 1500

No entry from the streeton Sundays 1300 - 1730

(exit and interchange only)

Waterloo & City lineMondays - Fridays 0615 - 2130

Saturdays 0800 - 1830Sundays closed

At off-peak times most trains run to/from Morden via the Bank branch.To travel to/from the Charing Cross branch please change at Kennington.

Open Mondays -Saturdays

200m

South Harrow

Sudbury Hill

North Ealing

Park Royal

Alperton

Sudbury Town

Mondays - Saturdaysopen 0700-2345

Sundaysopen 0800-2345

Kensington(Olympia)

Earl'sCourt

Holborn

King George V

LondonCityAirport

WestSilvertown

PontoonDock

Opens

December 2005

Opens December 2005

Silvertown

North Woolwich

Royal Victoria

Custom Housefor ExCeL

Prince Regent

Royal Albert

Beckton Park

Cyprus

GallionsReach

Beckton

Canning TownBus to London City Airport

OpenMondays - Fridays

until 2100 onlySaturdays 0730 - 1930

Golders Green

Brent Cross

HeathrowTerminal 4

Hatton Crossfor Heathrow Terminal 4

Bus s

ervic

e

Improvement work to tracks and stations mayaffect your journey, particularly at weekends.

For help planning your journey look forpublicity at stations, call 020 7222 1234

or visit www.tfl.gov.uk

Closed until May 2006

Sudbury Hill Harrow150m

Station in Zone 11

Station in Zone 2

3

456

Station in Zone 3

Station in Zone 5

Station in Zone 6

2

Station in Zone 4

A Station in Zone A

B Station in Zone B

C Station in Zone C

D Station in Zone D

Station in Zone 6 and Zone A

Station in both zones

Station in both zones

Explanation of zones

TM Quad 2n Version 2 1/9/05 4 Colour Process + 4 Self Colours

NorthGreenwich

This is clearly a distorted view of the famous London Underground (The Tube)! !BUT... What’s the data? !

Sequence of stations Interchanges between stations

Originally designed by Harry Beck, 1931

8

Chart junkInterior decoration of graphics that generates a lot of ink but does not tell the viewer anything new.

���9

3 numbers, decorated by the “Rising Sun” in front and a “Star-spangled banner” at back. Add a 3D effect - from Wainer (1997).

9

Chart junk... was the assumption that data graphics were mainly devices for showing the obvious to the ignorant. It is hard to imagine any doctrine more likely to stifle intellectual progress in a field. The assumption led down two fruitless paths in the graphically barren years from 1930 to 1970: First, that graphics had to be ‘alive’, ‘communicatively dynamic’, over-decorated and exaggerated (otherwise all the dullards in the audience would fall asleep in the face of these boring statistics)....

���10

10

More chart junk Why use 3D? To distort the perception of the

pie slices?

11

12

Beyond chart junk: Induce the viewer to think about the data

How do you do this?

13

Cleveland’s principles of graphical construction

Cleveland’s graphical construction concerns primarily statistical plots of data, for a scientific audience. The two over-reaching principles are:

Make the data stand out

Avoid superfluity

14

Cleveland’s principlesTerminology: title, caption, legend/key, data label, reference line, data rectangle, ...

Clear vision/understanding

Use of guides: scales, axes, tick marks, grid lines, legends

Aspect ratio: scale of horizontal to vertical

Extensive captions

Resolution: clarity under re-scaling

15

UK Pig Production

Year

Profit

56

78

1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978

UK Pig Production

Year

Profit

56

78

1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978

Dan Carr: background+pale grid+dark data marks Sets plot off from page, and makes grey scale equivalent to

text block of same size

De-emphasize grids

16

Aspect ratio

UK Pig Production

Year

Profit

56

78

1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978

UK Pig Production

Year

Profit

56

78

1967 1969 1971 1973 1975 1977

Year

Aver

age

num

ber o

f sun

spot

s

050

100

150

1750 1780 1810 1840 1870 1900 1930 1960 1990Banking criterion

difficult to calculate

Banking to 45o - Lines on average are at

Year

Aver

age

num

ber o

f sun

spot

s

050

100

1750 1760 1770 1780 1790 1800 1810 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990

17

Familiarity and surprise

Use of conventions (Tufte, Wainer): familiarity, ease of reading, for example,

!

!

!

Bending conventions - elicit interest

Common types of plots - barchart, pie chart, map, ... Time on the horizontal axis, map with north at top of page, ...

18

Cognate Strategies (Kostelnick & Roberts)

Arrangement (genre, spatial orientation) Emphasis (color, figure-ground contrast) Clarity (perceptual principles) Conciseness (“chartjunk” and other clutter) Tone (technical, subdued, loud) Ethos (credible, relevant to readers)

19

Mapping data to elements

Numeric: points (along a line), area, size, angle Categorical: Color, location on a line Time: lines connecting consecutive points Geography: map coordinates, points along line in special coordinate system

20

Criteria for Evaluating Graphics1. What is the main message? Sub-messages? Story. 2. Why/when was it produced? Does it have Kairos? 3. Who’s the audience?

4. What are the pieces of information? 5. How is the information coded into the graphic? 6. What conventions are used? What is unconventional? 7. Is the data accurately represented? Lie factor,

trustworthiness. 8. What is the ratio of data to ink in the plot? High,

medium, low. 9. What’s missing?

10. How clearly is the information represented? 11. What is emphasized, de-emphasized? 12. How is the viewer drawn in? 13. What is your overall impression, opinion?

Context (Rhetoric)

Content (Aesthetic)

Perception (Perceptual)

21

Myanmar

Hungary

Kazakhstan

Latavia

France

Spain

LithuaniaCzech Rep

MoldovaMoldova

Romania

Russia FedRussia Fed Poland

PortugalEngland

Ireland

Belguim

Germany Italy

Switzerland

Slo

veni

a

Yugo

Crotia

Bos

nia/

Her

z

Austria

Bulgaria

Ukraine

FinlandGreece

Norway

Albania

BARBADOS

TRINIDAD/TOBAGO

ARGENTINA

BOLIVIA

CHILE

COLOMBIACOLOMBIA

COSTA RICACOSTA RICA

ECUADORECUADOR

EL SALVADOREL SALVADORGUATEMALA

GUYANA

NICARAGUA

PANAMAPANAMA

PARAGUAY

PERU

SURINAMESURINAME

URUGUAYURUGUAY

VENEZUELAVENEZUELA

Sweeden

CANADA

MEXICO

CHILE

BOLIVIA

SURINAME

BARBADOS

NICARAGUA

GUATEMALA

Romania

Kazakhstan

SOUTHAFRICA

LESOTHO MADAGASCAR

MOZAMBIQUE

ZIMBABWE

NAMIBIA

ZAMBIA

MALAWI

CONGO

TANZANIA

KENYA

BURUNDI

IVORYCOAST

GHANA

CONGOREP.

SENEGAL

GAMBIAGUINEA-BISSAU

GABON

RWANDA

CAMEROON

NIGER

NIGERIA

BURKINAFASO

MALIMOROCCO

MAURITANIA

ALGERIA LIBYATUNISIA

UGANDA

CHAD

SUDAN EGYPT

SPAIN

FRANCE

ITALY

BRITAIN

UKRAINERUSSIA

KAZAKHSTANAFGHANISTAN

IRELAND

ETHIOPIA

DJIBOUTI

ERITREA

GER.

BAHAMAS

BARBADOS

CUBA

JAMAICA

TRINIDAD, TOBAGOGUYANA

HONDURAS

SURINAME

VENEZUELA

HAITI

BRAZIL

UNITED STATES

ARGENTINA

BOLIVIA

CHILE

COLOMBIA

COSTA RICA

ECUADOR

EL SALVADOR

GUATEMALA

NICARAGUA

PANAMA

PARAGUAY

PERU

URUGUAY

CANADA

MEXICO

BELIZE

CHINA

SOUTHKOREA

MONGOLIA

INDIA

INDONESIA

MALAYSIA

SINGAPORE

PAPUANEW

GUINEA

MYANMAR

AUSTRALIA

NEWZEALAND

CAMBODIA

THAILAND

JAPAN

LAOS

PHILIPPINES

BANGLADESH

SRI LANKA

NEPAL

SWAZILANDBOTSWANA

ANGOLA

TOGO

LIBERIA

SIERRALEONE

GUINEA

BENINCENTRALAFRICANREPUBLIC

PORTUGALDOMINICANREPUBLIC

PAKISTAN

VIETNAM

NETHERLANDS

DENMARK

BELGIUMAUSTRIA

CZECH REP.

POLAND

BELARUS

ESTONIA, LATVIA, LITHUANIA

FINLANDSWEDENNORWAY

MIDDLEEAST

BALKANS

In many countries, reliable statistics on AIDS are hard to obtain. Unaids, the United Nations AIDS agency, relies on these numbers. Each square on the grid represents 2,500 people with AIDS.

…And on a Global Scale

North Africa and the Middle East

Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Sub-Saharan Africa

Southern and Eastern Asia

Latin America and the Caribbean

Highly Industrialized Countries

0

5

10

15

20

25

Source: UNAIDS

The estimated number of people living with H.I.V./AIDS has exploded in sub-Saharan Africa while staying relatively level in highly industrialized countries.

Living With AIDS

million

million

million

million

million

HIGHLY INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

’80 ’82 ’84 ’86 ’88 ’90 ’92 ’94 ’96 ’98 ’000

1

2

3

4

Source: UNAIDS

The estimated number of new HIV/AIDS cases in highly industrialized countries has decreased slightly since the 1980’s but has continued growing in sub-Saharan Africa.

New Cases million

million

million

million

HIGHLY INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

’80 ’82 ’84 ’86 ’88 ’90 ’92 ’94 ’96 ’98 ’00

LIVING WITH AIDSNEW CASES

LIVING WITH AIDS

LIVING WITH AIDS

EACH DOT REPRESENTS 2,500 PEOPLE LIVING WITH AIDS

0

5

10

15

20

25

Source: UNAIDS

million

million

million

million

million

HIGHLY INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES

EASTERN EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIANORTH AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

’80 ’82 ’84 ’86 ’88 ’90 ’92 ’94 ’96 ’98 ’00*

SOUTHERN ANDEASTERN ASIA

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

0

1

2

3

4 million

million

million

million

’80 ’82 ’84 ’86 ’88 ’90 ’92 ’94 ’96 ’98 ’00*

HIGHLY INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIESEASTERN EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA

NORTH AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EASTLATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

SOUTHERN ANDEASTERN ASIA

The estimated number of new H.I.V./AIDS cases in highly industrialized countries has decreased slightly since the 1980’s but has continued growing in sub-Saharan Africa.

Source: UNAIDS

* Preliminary numbers* Preliminary numbers

22

Main message: AIDS is a big problem in the continent of Africa. Sub-messages: • New AIDS cases in the highly industrialized world are diminishing. • Number of people living with AIDS in highly industrialized countries is fairly flat now. • Numbers for China and Russia are suspicious.

1.

2,3.Produced by the NY Times for its readership, fairly educated audience. Probably not kairos right now.

Context (Rhetoric)

23

Content (Aesthetic)

Geographic location - xy position in rough map coords Number of AIDS cases - as area

4,5.

7. Has a guide to number=area, accuracy high, although it is in blocks of 2500 people.

8.

6. Map is familiar, sizes are all wrong!

9.

Almost all of the ink is data. There is a lot of text, and subsidiary information.Perhaps population totals of country, to see proportions or rates. Availability of drugs, health care.

24

Perception

Mapping is made clear by legends, and explanations that don’t dominate the graphical elements.

10.

12. Familiar view of shapes of countries draws us in, but wrong sizes elicits interest.

13.

11. Counts of AIDS cases is emphasized.

I love it! There is a huge message and there are multiple levels of detail.

25

In response to “Stunningly Safe?”

In your sensational front page story on Friday’s issue (2/18/05) on the stunning safety of tasers, yourgraphics contributor Megan Steenson has produced an abysmal display. What information are you trying tocommunicate?

If you want to compare the voltage, and hence risk associated with tasers, in relation to other electricitygenerating entities in our world, then the first thing to do would be to get the scales correct. What is thescale on your vertical axis? And where did you get your numbers? This is what we found using the internet:

Electricity source VoltsLow High

socket 110 125electric fence 2000 10000taser 50000 50000stun gun 100 000 775 000lightning bolt 100 000 000 1 000 000 000

It is interesting to also compare the voltage for stun guns. A stun gun or a stun baton has to be in contactwith the victim, unlike the taser, which fires charged wires. Here is what you get if you plot tasers along withlightning on the correct numerical scale (at left). The vertical bar gives the range of voltage, 100 million to1 billion. Compared to lightning tasers don’t register any voltage. If lightning is removed from the display,then tasers have less voltage than stun guns, more than an electric fence, and much more than a standardsocket.

Type of electricity

Volts (

x100m

illio

n)

socket taser lightning bolt

02

46

810

Type of electricity

Volts (

x100 0

00)

socket taser stun gun

01

23

45

67

8

Note also that its not volts that we should be wary of, the real risk measurement comes from amps, andthe exposure time. The amps depends on the volts and the resistance of the object where the electricity isflowing.

But we think you really want to compare the risk of deaths from tasers relative to other common electricshock risks. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer has an interesting plot for data related to your story. In this

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