Week 3 Reading and Lecture

Please Read: Chapter 5 “Marks and Channels”

• This, to me, is the most interesting and meaningful topic in data visualization. Please do a detailed reading of this particular chapter.

Please Read/Skim: Automating the Design of Graphical Presentations of Relational Information by Jock Mackinlay (PDF)

• This seminal paper from 1986 shows a slightly different angle on the Marks and Channels concept, particularly the rankings. Please pay special attention to figures 14 and 15. This work eventually became Tableau.

If you did get a copy of "Semiology of Graphics"

• Have a look through Chapter II. "The Properties of the graphic system". I recommend speed-reading this in the first pass, spending a few seconds on each page and taking in all the graphics.

Please watch:

• Tamara Munzner Keynote from 8:30 - 27:24 (19 min)
  • This lecture, which predates the book, uses hand-drawn diagrams and is more influenced by the Semiology of Graphics. I really love this one because it shows her thought process while working on the book.
• Tamara Munzner Lecture from 22:22 - 39:11 (17 min)
  • This segment of lecture is after the book was published, and some of her ideas are more solidified.
• Udacity - Visual Encodings (4 min)
  • This short video puts Hans Rosling's work into context of marks and channels.