Data Visualization and Communication Flashcards

Which chart is best for showing a trend in a continuous metric over time?

Answer: Line chart

Line charts connect ordered time points to clearly show trends and direction over time.

A stakeholder says your dashboard is 'too busy.' Which action most directly addresses this?

Answer: Reduce clutter and highlight only the most relevant metrics

Simplifying and focusing on key metrics reduces cognitive load and improves clarity.

Which encoding is generally perceived most accurately by the human eye (per Cleveland & McGill)?

Answer: Position along a common scale

Position along a common scale is the most accurately perceived visual encoding for quantitative values.

What is the primary risk of using a dual-axis chart with two different y-scales?

Answer: It can imply spurious correlation by arbitrary scaling

Independent scaling of two axes can make unrelated series appear correlated, misleading viewers.

Which visualization best displays the magnitude of values across two categorical dimensions simultaneously?

Answer: Heatmap

A heatmap uses color intensity in a grid to show values across two categorical axes.

To accommodate colorblind viewers, what is the best practice?

Answer: Use colorblind-safe palettes plus shape or label redundancy

Combining colorblind-safe palettes with non-color cues like patterns or labels ensures accessibility.

What is the purpose of a histogram?

Answer: Show the distribution of a single continuous variable via bins

A histogram groups a continuous variable into bins to reveal the shape of its distribution.