"A viewer’s eye must be guided to 'read' the elements in a logical order. The design of an exploratory graphic needs to allow for the additional component of discovery - guiding the viewer to first understand the overall concept and then engage her to further explore the supporting information." (Felice C Frankel & Angela H DePace, "Visual Strategies", 2012)
"It is important to remember that a visual representation of a scientific concept (or data) is a re-presentation, and not the thing itself - some interpretation or translation is always involved. There are many parallels between creating a graphic and writing an article. First, you must carefully plan what to 'say', and in what order you will 'say it'. Then you must make judgments to determine a hierarchy of information - what must be included and what could be left out? The process of making a visual representation requires you to clarify your thinking and improve your ability to communicate with others. Furthermore, the process of making an effective graphic often leads to new insights into your work; when you make decisions about how to depict your data and underlying concepts, you must often clarify your basic assumptions." (Felice C Frankel & Angela H DePace, "Visual Strategies", 2012)
"Color can tell us where to look, what to compare and contrast, and it can give us a visual scale of measure. Because color can be so effective, it is often used for multiple purposes in the same graphic - which can create graphics that are dazzling but difficult to interpret. Separating the roles that color can play makes it easier to apply color specifically for encouraging different kinds of visual thinking. [...] Choose colors to draw attention, to label, to show relationships (compare and contrast), or to indicate a visual scale of measure." (Felice C Frankel & Angela H DePace, "Visual Strategies", 2012)
"Processes take place over time and result in change. However, we’re often constrained to depict processes in static graphics, perhaps even a single image. Luckily, a good static graphic can be just as successful, perhaps even more so, than an animation. Giving the reader the ability to see each 'frame' of time can of f er a valuable perspective." (Felice C Frankel & Angela H DePace, "Visual Strategies", 2012)
"When various types of data are layered directly on top of one another, the viewer is able to spatially correlate multiple features. This is immediately intuitive in the case of spatial relationships […]" (Felice C Frankel & Angela H DePace, "Visual Strategies", 2012)
"The final step in creating your graphic is to refine it. Step back and look at it with fresh eyes. Is there anything that could be removed? Or anything that should be removed because it is distracting? Consider each element in your figure and question whether it contributes enough to your overall goal to justify its contribution. Also consider whether there is anything that could be represented more clearly. Perhaps you have been so effective at simplifying your graphic that you could now include another point in the same figure. Another method of refinement is to check the placement and alignment of your labels. They should be unobtrusive and clearly indicate which object they refer to. Consistency in fonts and alignment of labels can make the difference between something that is easy and pleasant to read, and something that is cluttered and frustrating." (Felice C Frankel & Angela H DePace, "Visual Strategies", 2012)
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