Data Visualizations: An Opportunity Converted into a Border Wall
May 18, 2020
I read “Understanding Uncertainty: Visualizing Probabilities.” The information in the article is useful. Helpful examples make clear how easy it is to create a helpful representation of certain statistical data.
The opportunity today is to make representations of numeric data, probabilities, and “uncertainty” more easily understandable.
The barrier is that “good enough” visualizations can be output with the click of a mouse. The graphic may be attractive, but it may distort the information allegedly presented in a helpful way.
But appearance may be more important than substance. Need examples. Check out the Covid19 “charts”. Most of these are confusing and ignore important items of information.
Good enough is not good enough.
Stephen E Arnold, May 18, 2020