Establishing intent – the visualization's function
The intended function of a data visualization concerns the functional experience you create between your design, the data, and the reader/user.
If we revisit the range of phrases presented earlier, it is possible to form three separate clusters or categories of function. While there is always a chance of slight overlap, there will be a significant difference in your design choices depending on whether the function of your visualization is to:
Convey an explanatory portrayal of data to a reader
Provide an interface to data in order to facilitate visual exploration
Use data as an exhibition of self-expression
When the function is to explain
Explanatory data visualization is about conveying information to a reader in a way that is based around a specific and focused narrative. It requires a designer-driven, editorial approach to synthesize the requirements of your target audience with the key insights and most important analytical dimensions you...
