DATA VISUALISATION: THE PATH TO UNDERSTANDABILITY Olof Schybergson Paul Kahn CEO, Fjord Managing Director, Kahn+Associates
[email protected] [email protected] 2 CONTENTS WHY DATA VISUALISATION MATTERS A Fjord Report examining How service design is being influenced by new current thinking, future paradigms in data and information display developments, and how Understanding data visualisation – the context organisations can harness Information as a commodity the power of effective Data and information overload data visualisation Big data sets – but small screens The rules of successful data visualisation apply to consumer and corporate products alike WHAT ARE THE KEYS TO SUCCESSFUL DATA VISUALISATION? The tools and techniques that make a difference Information dashboards Actionable information Above: An application for building deployment plans The social factor for software projects (top) and aligning projects and events to a single calendar (bottom) by Kahn+Associates. Real-time information Managers in an international corporation are able to see Dynamic information the projects that will affect their division during specific time periods. THE WAY AHEAD What the future holds – and how to plan for it www.fjordnet.com 3 INTRODUCTION Data and information are everywhere. More than methods of distinguishing the data they deliver to fill Fjord believes that struggle towards ever, we are constantly connected to a world in our insatiable need for ‘understandability’. understandability should be actively shaped by which anything from news stories, TV and video service design practice, user insight, and interface content, financial transactions, search results, and However, at present there are only a limited number design. The way in which these disciplines email, Skype, Twitter and Facebook messages crowd of genuinely useful and effective tools that help users interconnect is a crucial part of the puzzle.