2.1. Advantages of the visual form of information presentation

Verbal language and verbal categories contain extremely primitive means for constructing space, interpreting it, or doing something with it. This goal is served by the language of images and the system of perceptual actions, with the help of which a person builds an image. surrounding reality and orientate itself in it. This system is called perception. Perception is defined as a holistic image that reflects the unity of the structure and properties of an object. The objects of visual perception are objects, processes and phenomena of the surrounding world, which can be divided and described in terms of space, movement, shape, texture, color, brightness, etc. When perceiving objects, the image more or less fully reflects the object or situation in which there is a person.

Images based on visual perception have more associative power than words. Perhaps that is why they are perfectly stored in memory. Even after a single viewing of several thousand paintings, observers are able to correctly identify about 90% of them. The visual image is very plastic. This property is manifested in the fact that in terms of the image, a quick transition is possible from a generalized assessment of the situation to detailed analysis its elements. Various kinds of movements of objects reflected in the image, their shifts, rotations, as well as enlargement, reduction, perspective distortions and normalization are possible. This peculiar manipulative ability of the visual system allows us to present the situation both in direct and in reverse perspective. Manipulation of images, their completion are the most important means of productive perception and visual thinking.

Many studies indicate that there are mechanisms in the visual system that ensure the birth of a new image. Thanks to them, a person is able to see the world not only as it really exists, but also as it can (or should) be. This means that visual images are necessary condition, even more than that - an instrument of mental activity. They are more directly related than symbols and speech, with human environment subject reality. An image is not only and not so much a contemplation as a recreation of reality. It, this reality, can be recreated in the form (or close to it) in which the object actually exists. But it is also possible to destroy the object, situation and recreate its new version or variants. On the basis of this image, changed in comparison with reality, a person again turns to objective reality and rebuilds it in his practical activity. it is impossible to prepare a creatively thinking specialist without developing his figurative representation, imagination and thinking. A tangible benefit in this matter is provided by the universal apparatus of projection schematism. One of the most important projection modeling tools used to form spatial representations is geometric interpretation. The objects of interpretation are graphic models in the form of a combination of drawings, diagrams, text, diagrams, etc. Graphic models involve displaying information in the form of a set of means for graphical representation of information: lines, symbols, mnemonic signs used in accordance with the rules for constructing graphic models. When perceiving information in this form, it is necessary to enter a higher dimensional operational space than when perceiving a text. The degree of accuracy when comparing an information object with its model depends on the completeness of information about the projection apparatus, which took place during the modeling. Figure 2.1 shows one of the possible classifications of graphical models. Pictographic model- a graphic model compiled using conditional graphic images (pictograms) denoting objects, actions or events. Ideographic model- a graphic model compiled using ideograms - conventional written signs denoting concepts.

The issue of the effectiveness of the transfer and assimilation of information is one of the main ones for recent decades. The main means of communication in the world at the beginning of the 21st century is the visualization (visual form of transmission) of information. The largest number information (about 80-90%) a person perceives visually. "The dominant importance of the visual system for humans is explained by the fact that it is the most powerful source of information about the outside world, has the greatest range and stereoscopic sensory functions" .

Efficiency, advantage graphic way transmission of information, compared with motor or sound (Figure 2.2), is that visual perception the information transmitted by a person and the creation of a mental image by him occur so quickly that a person perceives this process as “instant”. This explains the effect of simultaneity, or simultaneity, based on the property of human perception of information: created mental images when perceiving information and transmitted graphic models are very close in form.

Information visualization

According to the already established tradition, let's start with a definition.

Information visualization– presentation of information in the form of graphs, diagrams, block diagrams, tables, maps, etc.

ecsocman.edu.ru

Why visualize information? "Stupid question!" the reader will exclaim. Of course, text with pictures is perceived better than "gray" text, and pictures with text are perceived even better. No wonder we all love comics so much - because they allow us to literally grasp information on the fly, it would seem, without the slightest mental effort! And remember how well you remembered during your studies the material of those lectures that were accompanied by slides!

The first thing that comes to mind when we hear the word "visualization" is ϶ᴛᴏ graphs and diagrams (that's the power of associations!). On the other hand, only numerical data can be visualized in this way, no one has yet been able to build a graph based on coherent text. For the text, we can build a plan, highlight the main thoughts (theses) - make brief summary. We will talk about the shortcomings and dangers of taking notes a little later, but now we will say that if we combine the plan and a short summary - "hang" the theses on the branches of a tree, the structure of which corresponds to the structure (plan) of the text͵ - then we will get an excellent block diagram text͵ which will be remembered much better than any abstract. In this case, the branches will play the role of those "tracks" - paths that connect the concepts and theses that we talked about earlier.

Remember how we built UML diagrams based on the description of the designed software system received from its future users? The resulting pictures were perceived by both clients and developers much easier and faster than a text description. In the same way, you can "depict" absolutely any text, not only the terms of reference for the development of the system. The approach described above allows us to visually present absolutely any text - be it a fairy tale, terms of reference, lecture, fantasy novel or the results of the meeting - in the form of a convenient and easy-to-read tree. You can build it as you like - if only you get a clear and understandable diagram, which it would be nice to illustrate with drawings that are appropriate in meaning.

Such schemes are also convenient to use in communication when discussing any issues and problems. As practice shows, the lack of clear notation standards creates absolutely no communication difficulties for the participants in the discussions. On the contrary, the use of non-verbal forms of information presentation allows you to focus on the key points of the problem. Τᴀᴋᴎᴍ ᴏϬᴩᴀᴈᴏᴍ, visualization is one of the most promising areas for improving the efficiency of analysis, presentation, perception and understanding of information.

Wow, finally we are done with the tedious description of scientific theories, methods and techniques used to process, systematize and visualize information! The previous part of the chapter greatly tired both the author and the readers, and nevertheless, it was necessary: ​​as a result, we saw that the features of our brain are already actively used by scientists in various fields of science, many things that seem familiar to us, – personal computers, user interfaces, knowledge bases, etc. – were originally built taking into account the associative nature of human thinking and its tendency to hierarchical representation and visualization of information. But the pinnacle and natural graphical expression of human thought processes is mind mapping, which we are finally discussing. And at the same time we will try to expand our understanding of the principles of visual thinking.

Information visualization - concept and types. Classification and features of the category "Information visualization" 2017, 2018.

visual content

Visual content is everything visual information, which accompanies the text: photographs, drawings, diagrams, videos, graphic design, logos and more. The active use of visualization tools is not only a tribute to the times (few people will read undiluted text today), it is also real opportunity attract and retain consumers.

Basic visualization tools

Visual content placed on a printed or Internet page draws the attention of the reader in the first place. Image captions, titles, and subtitles are then looked at. And if all this could interest the reader, he will pay attention to the main text. Studies prove that our brain perceives visual information 60 times faster than textual information, and the duration of stay on a website page increases 10 times due to pictures and photos. The advantage of visual content over text content is increasingly being proven social networks, in which users prioritize photos and videos. This fact is confirmed by the high popularity Instagram projects and Pinterest.

Means of visual communication and the place of visual content in them.

Consider below what elements of visual communication can be used as visual content:

Photos, including collages.

Drawings.

Videos, animations, including presentations, flash animations and gif animations (a video sequence created by changing photos).

Infographics: tables, graphs, charts, maps and author's illustrations with the inclusion of text comments.

Page design, corporate identity.

Visualization tools include fonts, as well as color design.

Each element of visual content has its own impact on the reader's experience, to the extent that the basic colors create a mood for certain information and mood (for example, green corresponds to the theme of nature or finance).

Tools and functions of visual content

Features of visual content in comparison with text

Easy assimilation of visual information and the requirements of the modern media market make visualization a necessary attribute of advertising and PR.

1) Photos, videos, infographics are easily and quickly copied, and therefore the most efficient in publication, which gives them advantages over texts, allows them to be distributed faster in the media.

2) Graphic content is perfectly reproduced by modern electronic devices (smartphones, tablets), more convenient for perception on a small screen than text. As an example, 75% of smartphone owners watch videos from these devices.

3) High-quality visual content, especially charts, infographics, greatly simplifies and speeds up the understanding of complex and lengthy information.

5) Many companies have their own social media accounts, and the most visited profiles are distinguished by rich, but at the same time organic visual content that attracts users with aesthetics, usefulness, and originality. So, Starbucks (photo above), Fanta, Coca Cola, Corner Of Art design studio (photo below) successfully designed their Facebook pages.

Photo tasks

Photographic images are the most common type of visual content in the media and on web pages. In addition to the fact that a successful photo attracts the attention of the audience, and, accordingly, gives more chances to read your text, the photo also performs other tasks.

Product photos give buyers the opportunity to better imagine the company's products.

Photos of real employees of the company on its website additionally attract users to view the resource: people are interested in knowing the brand in person.

Photo images in business are rarely placed without processing: it allows you to pay attention to individual details (enlargement of the image), hide or, if necessary, emphasize flaws.

Experts point out that when choosing a photo for text content, its information content is very important. The more useful information a photo contains for the audience, the more visitors will stay on your page.

The LPgenerator platform publishes the results of comparing the page traffic of two online stores - Pottery Barn and Amazon. On the page of the larger retail chain - Amazon - there are fewer photo views than on Pottery Barn. There are two reasons for this: the TV image gives less information than the bookcase photo; photos in the Amazon store are more generalized, which makes it easier to work with a large mass of them, while Pottery Barn has a smaller assortment and the possibility of posting more detailed shots.

Infographic features

The main task of infographics is to simplify the presentation of complex material. If visual content developers use enough imagination and ingenuity, then data that could make up a complex and boring text will turn into a capacious drawing with little verbal commentary. With a successful implementation of the idea, your infographic is simply doomed to a lot of views and copies in media resources. In other words, "an image that tells the whole story is easier to copy than an all-text article." According to some data, users get acquainted with information transmitted in the form of infographics 30 times more often than with any other. Let's bring case in point. In 2012 American company WordStream compared the effectiveness of Facebook and Google's Display Network as advertising platforms. To draw attention to the results of their research, the company designed them in the form of infographics (Photo 6). A few days later, several major American media published this infographic with a link to WordStream: USA Today, CNN, Fast Company, The Economist and others. And a week after the infographic appeared on the company's website, Google found more than 13 thousand articles mentioning WordStream, most of which had this infographic with a link to the source site.

Video popularity secret

Video content is the most effective method transmission of information, since the combination of visual and auditory series is perceived faster and is easier to digest. Not surprisingly, television and online videos remain at the height of their popularity. By the way, 71.6% of users global network watch video content at least once a week. Other statistics show that users spend twice as much time on a site that has a video. And those who watch a video about a product are 85% more likely to make a purchase of the product they see. And, of course, increasing the length of time users stay on your site raises its position in search engines.

"Information is beautiful" is how one can translate the theme of David McCandles' speech at the TED conference, who is convinced that the future belongs to visual information and data:

We are confident that we have given enough examples to convince our readers of the high effectiveness of visual content in preparing various kinds of PR and informational messages. We emphasize once again that visualization is the most efficient, capacious and effective way to convey the necessary data to the audience, as well as the most popular.

Every day, every person is bombarded with a huge amount of information. We are faced with new situations, objects, phenomena. Some people have no problem coping with this flow of knowledge and successfully using it to their advantage. Others have a hard time remembering anything. In many respects, this situation is explained by the belonging of a person to a certain type according to the way of perception of information. If it is submitted in a form that is inconvenient for a person, then its processing will be extremely difficult.

What is information?

The concept of "information" is abstract meaning and much of its definition depends on the context. Translated from Latin this word means "clarification", "presentation", "familiarization". Most often, the term "information" is understood as new facts that are perceived and understood by a person, and also recognized as useful. In the process of processing this information for the first time, people receive certain knowledge.

How is information received?

The perception of information by a person is an acquaintance with phenomena and objects through their impact on various sense organs. Analyzing the result of the impact of a particular object or situation on the organs of vision, hearing, smell, taste and touch, the individual receives a certain idea about them. Thus, the basis in the process of perceiving information is our five senses. At the same time, actively involved past experience person and prior knowledge. Turning to them, one can attribute the information received to already known phenomena or separate it from the general mass into a separate category. Ways of perception of information are based on some processes associated with the human psyche:

• thinking (having seen or heard an object or phenomenon, a person, starting to think, realizes what he is faced with);
• speech (the ability to name the object of perception);
• the senses ( different kinds reactions to objects of perception);
• will to organize the process of perception).

Presentation of information

According to this parameter, information can be divided into the following types:

• Text. It is represented in the form of all kinds of symbols, which, combined with each other, allow you to get words, phrases, sentences in any language.
• Numeric. This is information represented by numbers and signs that express a certain mathematical action.
• Sound. This is directly oral speech, thanks to which information from one person is transmitted to another, and various audio recordings.
• Graphic. It includes diagrams, graphs, drawings and other images.

Perception and presentation of information are inextricably linked. Each person tries to choose exactly the option of presenting data that will provide the best understanding of them.

Ways of perception of information by a person

A person has several such methods at his disposal. They are determined by the five senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell. In this regard, there is a certain classification of information according to the method of perception:

• visual;
• sound;
• tactile;
• taste;
• olfactory.

Visual information is perceived through the eyes. Thanks to them, various visual images enter the human brain, which are then processed there. Hearing is necessary for the perception of information coming in the form of sounds (speech, noise, music, signals). responsible for the possibility of perception. Receptors located on the skin make it possible to assess the temperature of the object under study, the type of its surface, and the shape. Taste information enters the brain from receptors on the tongue and is converted into a signal by which a person understands what product it is: sour, sweet, bitter or salty. The sense of smell also helps us in understanding the world around us, allowing us to distinguish and identify all kinds of smells. main role vision plays a role in the perception of information. It accounts for about 90% of the acquired knowledge. The sound way of perceiving information (radio transmission, for example) is about 9%, and the rest of the senses are responsible for only 1%.

Perception types

The same information received by any in a certain way is perceived differently by each person. Someone after a minute reading one of the pages of the book can easily retell its content, while the other will remember almost nothing. But if such a person reads the same text aloud, he will easily recall what he heard in his memory. Such differences determine the characteristics of the perception of information by people, each of which is inherent in a certain type. There are four in total:

• Visuals.
• Audials.
• Kinesthetics.
• Discrets.

It is often very important to know what type of perception of information is dominant for a person and how it is characterized. This significantly improves mutual understanding between people, makes it possible to quickly and fully convey the necessary information to your interlocutor.

visuals

These are people for whom the main sense organ in the process of cognition of the surrounding world and the perception of information is vision. They remember very well new material if they see it in the form of text, pictures, diagrams and graphs. In the speech of visuals, there are often words that are somehow related to the characteristics of objects by their outward signs, the very function of vision (“let's see”, “light”, “bright”, “it will be visible”, “it seems to me”). Such people usually speak loudly, quickly, and actively gesticulate at the same time. visuals great attention pay attention to their appearance, the environment.

Audials

For auditory people, it is much easier to learn what they have heard once, and not seen a hundred times. The peculiarities of the perception of information by such people lie in their ability to listen and remember well what was said both in conversation with colleagues or relatives, and at a lecture at an institute or at a workshop. Audials have a big vocabulary, it's a pleasure to talk to them. Such people know how to perfectly convince the interlocutor in a conversation with him. They prefer quiet activities to active pastime, they like to listen to music.

kinesthetics

Touch, smell and taste play important role in the process of perception of information by kinesthetics. They seek to touch, feel, taste the object. Significant for kinesthetics and physical activity. In the speech of such people, there are often words that describe sensations (“soft”, “according to my feelings”, “grab”). For a kinesthetic child, bodily contact with loved ones is necessary. Hugs and kisses are important to him, comfortable clothes, soft and clean bed.

Discrets

Ways of perception of information are directly related to the human senses. The bulk of people with the help of sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste. However, the types of perception of information include the one that is associated primarily with thinking. People who perceive the world similarly, are called discretes. There are quite a few of them, and they are found only among adults, since logic is not sufficiently developed in children. At a young age, the main ways of perceiving information in discretes are visual and auditory. And only with age do they begin to actively reflect on what they have seen and heard, while discovering new knowledge for themselves.

Type of perception and learning

The way people perceive information largely determines the form of learning that will be most effective for them. Of course, there are no such people who would receive new knowledge entirely with the help of one sense organ or a group of them, for example, touch and smell. All of them act as means of perception of information. However, knowing which sense organs are specific person dominant, enables others to quickly bring the necessary information to him, and the person himself allows you to effectively organize the process of self-education.

Visuals, for example, need to represent the entire new information in readable form, in drawings and diagrams. In this case, they remember it much better. Visuals usually thrive in exact sciences. Even in childhood, they perfectly put together puzzles, many know geometric figures, well draw, draw, build from cubes or a designer.

Audials, on the contrary, perceive information received from it more easily. It can be a conversation with someone, a lecture, an audio recording. When learning foreign language for auditory students, audio courses are preferable to printed tutorials. If you still need to remember the written text, it is better to say it out loud.

Kinesthetics are very mobile. They find it difficult to concentrate on anything long time. It is difficult for such people to assimilate the material received in a lecture or from a textbook. The memorization process will go faster if kinesthetic learners learn to connect theory and practice. It is easier for them to learn such sciences as physics, chemistry, biology, in which a specific scientific term or the law can be represented as the result of an experiment carried out in a laboratory.

Discrets take a little longer than other people to take note of new information. They must first comprehend it, correlate it with their past experience. Such people can, for example, record a teacher's lecture on a voice recorder in order to listen to it a second time later. There are many people of science among discrets, since rationality and logic are above all for them. Therefore, in the process of study, they will be closest to those subjects in which accuracy determines the perception of information - computer science, for example.

Role in communication

The types of perception of information also affect how to communicate with him so that he listens to you. Very important for visuals appearance interlocutor. The slightest carelessness in clothing can push him away, after which it will not matter at all what he says. When talking with a visual, you need to pay attention to your facial expressions, speak quickly using gestures, reinforce the conversation with schematic drawings.

In a conversation with an auditory person, there should be words that are close to him (“listen to me”, “sounds tempting”, “this says a lot”). The perception of information by an auditory person depends largely on how the interlocutor speaks. should be calm and pleasant. An important conversation with the auditory is better to postpone if you have a bad cold. Such people also do not tolerate shrill notes in their voices.

Negotiations with kinesthetics should be carried out in a room with a comfortable air temperature, pleasant smell. Such people sometimes need to touch the interlocutor, so they better understand what they hear or see. You should not expect a quick decision from the kinesthetic immediately after the conversation. He needs time to listen to his feelings and understand that he is doing everything right.

Dialogue with discrete should be built on the principle of rationality. It is best to operate with strict rules. For a discrete, the language of numbers is more understandable.

This article was written by a representative of the DevExpress company and published in a blog on HabrHabr.

Medical researchers have found that if there is only text in the instructions for a medicine, a person absorbs only 70% of the information from it. If you add pictures to the instructions, a person will already learn 95%.

Obviously, a person is predisposed to process visual information. In addition to being a great processing tool for our brains, data visualization has several benefits:

• Emphasis on different aspects data

With the help of graphs, you can easily draw the reader's attention to the red indicators.

• Analysis of a large data set with a complex structure
• Reducing a person's information overload and keeping their attention
• Unambiguity and clarity of output data
• Highlighting the relationships and relationships contained in the information

Important data can be easily seen on the chart.

Aesthetic appeal

Aesthetically pleasing graphics make the presentation of data spectacular and memorable.

Edward Tufte, author of some of best books on visualization, describes it as a tool for displaying data; prompting the viewer to think about the essence, not the methodology; avoiding distorting what the data has to say; displaying many numbers in a small space; displaying a large data set in a coherent and coherent whole; prompting the viewer to compare pieces of data; serving sufficiently clear goals: description, research, ordering or decoration ().

How to use data visualization correctly?

The success of visualization directly depends on the correctness of its application, namely on the choice of the type of graph, its correct use and design.

60% of visualization success depends on the choice of the type of chart, 30% on its correct use and 10% on its correct design.

Correct chart type

The graph allows you to express the idea that the data carries in the most complete and accurate way, so it is very important to choose the right type of chart. The choice can be made according to the algorithm:

Visualization goals- this is the implementation of the main idea of ​​\u200b\u200binformation, this is what you need to show the selected data for, what effect you need to achieve - identifying relationships in information, showing the distribution of data, composing or comparing data.

The first row shows graphs with the purpose of showing relationships on the data and the distribution of data, and the second row shows the purpose of showing the composition and comparison of data.

Relationships in data is how they depend on each other, the connection between them. With the help of relationships, you can identify the presence or absence of dependencies between variables. If the main idea of ​​the information contains the phrases “relates to”, “decreases / increases with”, then one should strive to show exactly the relationships in the data.
The distribution of data is how they are arranged relative to something, how many objects fall into certain consecutive areas of numerical values. The main idea in this case will contain the phrases "in the range from x to y", "concentration", "frequency", "distribution".

Data composition- combining data for the purpose of analysis overall picture in general, comparisons of components that make up a percentage of some whole. The key phrases for the composition are "amounted to x%", "share", "percentage of the whole".

Comparison of data - combining data, in order to compare some indicators, identifying how objects relate to each other. It is also a comparison of components that change over time. The key phrases for the idea when comparing are "more/less than", "equal", "changes", "increases/decreases".

After defining the purpose of the visualization, the data type needs to be defined. They can be very heterogeneous in their type and structure, but in the simplest case they distinguish between continuous numerical and temporal data, discrete data, geographical and logical data. Continuous numerical data contains information about the dependence of one numerical value on another, for example, graphs of functions, such as y=2x. Continuous time contains data about events occurring in any period of time, like a graph of temperature measured every day. Discrete data may contain dependencies of categorical values, for example, a graph of the number of sales of goods in different stores. Geographic data contains a variety of information related to location, geology and other geographical indicators, a prime example- it's normal geographic map. Boolean data shows the logical location of components relative to each other, for example genealogical tree families.

Graphs of continuous numerical and temporal data, discrete data, geographic and logical data.

Depending on the goal and data, you can choose the most suitable chart for them. It is best to avoid variety for the sake of variety, and choose on a “simpler, better” basis. Only for specific data, use specific types of charts, in other cases, the most common charts will work well:

• linear (line)
• with areas
• columns and histograms (bar)
• pie chart (pie, donut)
• polar plot (radar)
• scatter chart (scatter, bubble)
• maps (map)
• trees (tree, mental map, tree map)
• time charts (time line, gantt, waterfall).

Line charts, area charts and histograms can contain several values ​​in one argument for one category, which can be either absolute (then the stacked prefix is ​​added to such types of charts) or relative (full stacked).

Graph with stacked values ​​and with full stacked

When choosing a suitable chart, you can be guided by the following table, compiled on the basis of this chart and:

Proper use of the graph

It is important not only to choose the right type of chart, but also to use it correctly:

• No need to load the chart with a lot of information. Optimal quantity different types data, categories - this is no more than 4-5, otherwise it would be more expedient to divide such a diagram into several pieces.

Such a chart can be compared to spaghetti and is better divided into several charts.

It is correct to choose the scale and its scale for the graph. For histograms and area plots, it is preferable to start the value scale from zero. Try not to use inverted scales - this very often misleads the viewer about the data.

An incorrect scale negatively affects the perception of data. In the first case, the scale is incorrectly selected; in the second case, the scale is inverted.

• For pie charts and graphs that show a percentage of the total share, the sum of the values ​​must always be 100%.
• For a better perception of data, it is better to arrange the information on the axis - either by values, or alphabetically, or by logical meaning.

Proper graphic design

Nothing is more pleasing to the eye than well-formed charts, and nothing spoils charts more than the presence of graphical "garbage". Basic design principles:

• use palettes similar, not bright colors, and try to limit yourself to a set of six pieces
• auxiliary and secondary lines should be simple and not conspicuous

Auxiliary lines on the chart should not detract from the main idea of ​​the data.

• where possible, use only horizontal axis labels;
• for area charts, it is preferable to use a color with transparency;
• use a different color for each category on the chart.

conclusions

Visualization- a powerful tool for conveying thoughts and ideas to the end user, an assistant for the perception and analysis of data. But like all tools, it must be applied at the right time and place. Otherwise, the information may be perceived slowly, or even incorrectly.

The graphs show the same data, the main visualization errors are shown on the left, and they are corrected on the right.

With skillful application, data visualization allows you to make the material impressive, not boring and memorable.