What storytelling can do for information visualization

Abstract

The article reports that visualisation allows to reveal information as accurately as if the viewer is watching a movie. A well-told story conveys great quantities of information in relatively few words in a format that is easily assimilated by the listener or viewer. Stories are just also more compelling. Images hold a considerable amount of information a viewer might grasp quickly. But images are prone to uncertainties and might require some clarification. Transforming the representation from text narrative to visual domain requires adding more information to the presentation. Information visualization is a process that transforms data, information, and knowledge into a form that relies on the human visual system. The user/viewer of the visualization needs to integrate the information streams, thoroughly understand them, and make decisions based on their information in a timely fashion. Information visualization combines aspects of imaging, graphics, scientific visualisation, and human computer and human-information interactions, as well as information technology. The flood of complex information moving into industrial and military command centers needs to be analyzed. In creating a better and more appealing representation, the designer who created visualizations in the figure tried to make the transition between disparate pieces of information appear more continuous. INSET: Discovering Visual Metaphors.