Which skill would you like to enhance: Creating or Interpreting data visualizations?

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Which skill would you like to enhance: Creating or Interpreting data visualizations?

Creating data visualizations
79%
Interpreting data visualizations
21%
28 votes

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Matt J
Matt J on 19 Feb 2025 at 11:17
I might need an example of the second category. Don't you interpret a visualization just by looking at it?
Adam Danz
Adam Danz on 3 Mar 2025 at 19:22 (Edited on 3 Mar 2025 at 19:24)
That's a great question.
Here's an example I just threw together. Someone presents these anual projections in a meeting and suggests that the projected anual growth seems to be slowing down between 2026 and 2028.
  • Does the data support this claim?
  • Between what two years did the projections double?
  • (my favorite question to ask) What data isn't shown?
I don't think you'd have trouble answering these questions, but I'm curious about the types of questions and challenges people generally face when reading and inspecting data presented graphically.
There is extensive literature on creating data visualizations and some on detecting manipulations within them. However, there seems to be much less content on data visualization literacy, a skill I believe is more commonly needed than creating data visualizations.
I'm considering a blog article on this topic.
KSSV
KSSV on 19 Feb 2025 at 3:09
I would opt both...
Adam Danz

Adam Danz

Software engineer at MathWorks with a Ph.D. in neurophysiology from the University of Rochester (NY). Specialized in visual and vestibular systems, multisensory integration, sensory-motor and control systems, steering, and navigation. Former member o...
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