Introduction

Graphs and charts are used for many different reasons. We are first introduced to them at ages as young as elementary school. A bar, line, and pictograph are some of the most common examples of the first graphs we were introduced to. As you ascend in age it becomes clear that graphs and charts are used for more than just learning in class. They can be used as companion pieces to articles, to show results of a store, or even for fun when trying to explain something to another person. These charts and figures surround our world, but there is so much more to them than what merely meets the eye. It is a more analytical way to view them if you know what exactly you are looking for. In this booklet you will learn the proper way to complete graphs, as well as how to spot the signs of a poorly designed one. In addition to this you will learn a new way to combine your knowledge of graphics with information to form a new feature, Information Graphics.

Labeling
Before we get into the actual graphs and their importance labeling must be discussed. Labeling your visuals is the most important part of creating, because without it there is no point of making it. How can the reader understand a graph if they dont know what it represents? They cant. Your labels should always be bold and big. Make them eye catching and clear so the reader will know that it is important. It sets the tone for the rest of the information it stands for. A misleading graph can lead to confusion and misleading visual. The title and other labels should be the clearest feature on your visual.

Gantt chart
Time management is a major importance in college. While joggling multiple assignments it can become easy to lose track of a proper time schedule. A Gantt chart is one of the best options for college students in managing their time for assignments. It allows you to delegate the tasks that are needed to complete your assignment. The chart will show the start to finish dates that will create deadlines to finish each task. Summary elements give a breakdown of how long the assignment should take and the proper steps needed to finish it the best way possible. A Gantt chart is the best option for college students when completing projects.

See back for example

Pictograph
` A pictograph is a way to display data through images.

Example

Pie Chart
Pie charts are one of the most frequently used charts to represent many different categorizers. The chart gives a visual breakdown of slices that when put together they make up a whole. It gives one fact about all others with a minimum of visual cues. The relationship of each slice represents the parts and the entire pie. They are great for depicting polls, statistics, money, and data. Pie charts are a simple way to display information to others for multiple presentation purposes.

Multi Bar Graph

Multi Bar graphs shows the comparison of 2 or more bars. Horizontal and vertical axes represent what the bars are showing which is usually broken up into quantity and a specific feature about the category. Just as with the Pie chart, the Multi Bar graph is simple to read and

great for presentations and explaining data. Understanding it only consist of height and/or length to determine value.

Misleading Charts & Visuals

Charts and visual aids are very useful and can be very essential to a successful plan. As with most things though if not managed in the proper way it can cause confusion and mislead those who use them for references. Most chart and graph designers arent even aware of the errors that have led to this confusion. There is multiple reason that can lead to a misleading visual aid. Some can be as simple as a mislabeled piece, however other can be a lot less obvious if you do not know where to look for them.

The first example of a misleading a chart comes from a bar graph view point. A bar graphs axis not starting with zero is the first step to reading it wrong. The absence of a zero forces the observer to judge the value of the bars by their length. In result, a person may believe that a value is much larger than it is due to the length of one bar to another; when in reality they are actually closer than the graph shows. All bar graphs should have a zero to start off their axis, but if they do not pay close attention to the data and the marks.

Another common mistake of a graph deals more with pictographs or visual aids that uses images to represent data. The images can have no to the data that is trying to be proven. For example in Erickson Times a Pictograph is used to show the number of medals each country holds. The graph places the countries in order from greatest to least, however the correlation between the images used and actual medals earned is unclear. Two medals almost equal 500 for Germany, but four medals only represents 615 for Britain. This is an example of a graph not drawn to scale. See below for graph.

Visual aids that use more dimensions than variables in data that they are plotting can become very confusing for the reader as well. Shapes are frequently used to show the change in a single variable, but it is usually unclear which element of the shape has the data. For example a circle could be used for either the area or the diameter. Designers must be clearer on which element is supposed to give the information to the reader.

Labels on graphs not being properly spaced out can also lead to misleading information for the reader. This error is most likely to be seen on a bar graphs horizontal axis. The labels can be placed either to close together or not even spread out. This can lead to the reader assuming the wrong bar is representing a certain variable. The graph from Privco showing Facebooks valuations is a good example of labeling can cause a major problem. See graph below for example.

Lastly, a misleading tactic can be the intervals that a graph goes up. A line graph for instance can give the illusion of jumping a large amount, but in reality this isnt the case. The vertical axis not going up in proportionate steps can cause a reader to mess up their data. A good way to avoid this from happening is to take the scale up evenly, for example by twos, fives, or tens if the results are close enough together.

Ted
David McCandless gives a speech on TED.com entitled the beauty of data visualization. In the video he takes complex data information and turns them into simple visual aids that can be understood by an audience. He shows that the most complex data can be turned into a simple form, if you turn them into well-organized and simple visuals. He states that data is the soil, which means that data is vast forms of information that can be turned into something useful if you work with it. Like soil it must be nurtured and give the right tools to grow. In this particular case, those tools would be visuals. As he talks he expands to the combination of data and visuals, which is Information Graphics.

Information Graphics
This is an Information Graphic (Info Graphic for short). Info Graphics are used to express a large amount of information by using visual aids and charts. Their job is to relay information in a simple and fun way with maps, charts, graphs, and any other visual aids. It is more complex than it seems to make a proper Info Graphic.

It requires the designer to analyze and to crunch numbers and make things flow. An important thing to remember is that the graphics are supposed to tell a story through the data. The reader should be able to follow a pattern to help understand it better. Next, is to make sure that all your information is organized and placed in a proper sequence. The data must be split up in small amounts, which makes it easier for the reader to retain the information. Another, important factor is to make sure that your Info Graphic completes two task. The first being that it can be understood at a quick glance. The other is that it be able to analyze further for more data retrieval. Graphs should always be drawn to scale, because as stated earlier they can cause a lot of confusion. Finally, it should be well designed and appealing to the reader. Make sure that you use appropriate colors and images that will bring an interesting feel. It is always good to remember that Information Graphics are very nice to be added to an article or another form of

work, but they are initially meant to stand on their own. It is important to keep this in mind when making one, so you place enough information in them.

The Infographic above was taken from styleandflow.com and shows the Mobile Browser Market Share. This graph is a great example for the tips that were just given above. It first places all of its information on an appealing canvas that appeals to its topic. The background of the countries is a perfect eye catching tool that will show the reader what it is even about. It is clear at a first glance what is being conveyed by the graphic and can be easily understood. The arrows and color schemes prove to hold a concrete understanding of what it represents. In addition to a quick understanding, it also can be analyzed further to gather important data.

This graphic gives a breakdown of the browser usage of each major mobile device maker. Using the world flat map as a background has allowed an easy understanding of which pie chart is for which country. The pie charts that are used are clear and precise. They depict that in majority of the countries Apple Inc. has the highest amount of usage, except in China where Nokia is favored. The charts show the top 4 mobile devices for browsing. This can be discovered further after analyzing the graphic further. Making it work on two different levels. The first being a surface one and the other a deep one that takes thought and analyzing.

As simple as this visual aid is it still contains a good portion of data that can stand on its own. It is important that these type of graphs can be used for actual main pieces rather than just companion ones. Enough information can be drawn from this chart to gain knowledge. A reader can learn not only what devices are most important but also which country has the best supply of these devices and the where they might be. This information can be learned at a faster rate than if a wordy paragraph was used. This is the purpose of these graphics in the first place.

Mobile browsing is a very common feature in todays world, so it is clear why this graphic was even made. In the US for instance the iPhone is the most popular cellular device on the market. Finding out that Apple products hold the largest percentage of browser usage is not a shock. Nokia, a Asian made product, is more popular in China than any other country in the world. This graph conveys that the maker of the product plays a major role in how popular it is in that country.

Comparison Info graphics

The chart below was taken from pinintrest.com. This fun graph shows the evolution of the super hero character The Incredible Hulk. This graph compares and contrasts how the Hulk has changed in multiple ways since 1962 to 2013. The first notable difference is his appearance. The Hulk went from a grayish color to a green skin tone with a much more detailed body structure. The next data pertains to the cultural changes over time and the prices that go along with that. These have been broken down into four categories; education, residence, lifestyle, and clothing.

It begins with education and how the price for his scientific background would cause for a greater cash out. It explains how an advanced science degree in1962 would cost $11,080, but today that would increase to $183,560. A major difference in price that can be clearly read. The next is the residence he lived in. In the original comic the character lived on campus as staff, which cost $12,700. Switching to today it was changed to a single motel room, which would run him $21,600. Lifestyle changes were made because of the cultural differences that have taken place since 1962, such as group therapy retreat has been replaced with yoga, a popular relaxation technique. Lastly, the clothing rates he would change as well for this destructive hero. In 1962 it would run him $420 every time he ruined his outfit, but in todays economy that number would sky rocket to $4,160. This particular Information Graph is a simple and fun way to understand the growth of both the character as well as the economy.

It begins with education and how the price for his scientific background would cause for greater cash out. It explains how an advanced science degree in 1962 would cost $11,080, but today that would increase to $183,560. A major difference in price that can be clearly read. The next is the residence he lived in. In the original comic the character lived on campus as staff, which cost $12, 700. Switching to today it was changed to a single motel room, which would run him $21,600. Lifestyle changes were made because of the cultural differences that have taken place since 1962, such as group therapy retreat has been replaced with yoga, a popular relaxation technique. Lastly, the clothing rate he would change as well for this destructive hero. In 1962 it would run him $420 every time he ruined his outfit, but in todays economy t hat number would sky rocket to $4,160. This particular Information Graph is a simple and fun way to understand the growth of both the character as well as the economy.

Coca Cola http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5g--vwrTU

This link shows a short but informative video about the impact Coca Cola has on the world and the success of its business. This Info Graph uses cute cartoons to display data about the company. The eye-catching scenes and the lighthearted music keep the audiences attention. This particular example was good; because it hides the fact that viewer is actually learning something.

Conclusion
Visuals surround our world in multiple aspects. They allow us to understand information that we would otherwise struggle with. Combining your childhood graph knowledge with your mature understanding of data can now give you the tools needed to take your work to the next level. Now, you should be able to form a strong visual aid wither it is for a major class assignment or to explain something to someone in a simple manner. You will also be able to spot the tricky graph misleadings with ease and little confusion. Now, go add these facts and tips to your skill list and present the data youve learned with a great visual, your smile.