Interpreting Information Visualization

Information visualization has become a prevailing part of our visual culture, a research field, and a line of work for designers. The literature on information visualization is diverse, dominated by handbooks aimed at designers and illustrated surveys, sometimes with an emphasis on historical examples. This chapter makes a survey of the field of information visualization in order to map out and assess its analytical vocabulary. First, there is a need to refer to some different definitions and general concepts, such as the naming of phases in the visualization process, the naming of different visualization types, and their components. In order for scholars of human sciences to be able to identify, understand, and interpret information visualization as visual objects, some tools for suitable visual analysis of these objects would be useful. To meet this end, the chapter explores two particular interpretative frameworks. The first framework discusses social semiotics as an analytical tool. The second one analyzes the ethics and emotional appeal of information visualization.