Tutorial: Data Visualization

THIS IS AN IN-PERSON EVENT AT SEC LL2.229 CLASSROOM. A ZOOM LINK WILL NOT BE PROVIDED. 

RSVP to reserve your ticket. Tickets are limited. If tickets are sold out, please email Sarah at sarah_mccullough@harvard.edu to be added to the waitlist.

Abstract:

The amount and complexity of information produced in science, engineering, business, and everyday human activity is increasing at staggering rates. The goal of this workshop is to expose you to visual representation methods and techniques that increase the understanding of data. Through a set of hands-on activities and a team-based design process you will learn how to effectively visualize data for improved comprehension, communication, and decision making.

After completion of this workshop, you will be able to:

• Evaluate and critique visualization designs
• Apply principles of effective visualizations
• Follow a principled design process
• Pick the right chart type for your data

Schedule:

The tutorial will be conducted in three consecutive sessions with short breaks in-between. Participants are expected to attend all of the sessions. This is an active learning class with several activities. Please bring your laptop or a tablet and (electronic) pen.

Session 1 (1:00-2:10)

• Welcome and Introduction
• Design Sprint Overview
• Map - What is the question?
• Who is the audience?
• What is effective?

Break (2:10-2:25)

Session 2 (2:25-3:35)

• Graphical Integrity & Keep It Simple
• Sketch
• Design Sprint

Break (3:35-3:50)

Session 3 (3:50-5:00)

• Perception
• Choose the right Chart & Mini-Case Studies
• Wrap-Up

Instructors:

Hanspeter Pfister, Ph.D.

• Academic Dean of Computational Sciences and Engineering and An Wang Professor of Computer Science, Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
• Affiliate Faculty Member, Harvard Center for Brain Science

Johanna Beyer, P.h.D.

• Research Associate and Lecturer, Visual Computing Group at Harvard University
• Former Postdoctoral Fellow, Geometric Modeling and Scientific Visualization Center at KAUST