data-viz-workshop-2021

Task: Rank elementary perceptual tasks

When we see a data graphic, we perform elementary perceptual tasks.

For example, to decode a pie chart, we try to use the angle or the area of the slices as cues.

When seeing a bar chart, we may pay attention to the position of the upper edge of each bar or to its length or height.

When trying to decode a bubble chart, we could compare areas (the right choice) or diameters (which would mislead us).

Some perceptual tasks enable more accurate estimates than others.

Below we list eight perceptual tasks.

Please rank them in order, starting from the one that enables more accurate estimates (to those that enable general estimates).

Color/hue

Shading and saturation

Volume

Area

Direction/Slope & Angle

Length

Position along identical, nonaligned scales

Position along common scales