The Case for the 5-Second Interactive
The Case for the 5-Second Interactive
Watching a “cold read” of a data visualization is revelatory. Try this: Hand some friends a printout of an infographic and ask what they think. Then, watch them. People’s eyes will dart, their jaws will clench. Sometimes they will move the paper around, as if meaning will emerge at just the right angle. Loose bits of internal dialogue sneak out: OK, what does that bar — right, got it. For some, defiance takes over if meaning eludes them: What am I looking at? Why is it green? I don’t get it. One colleague of mine grabs the paper — possessing it seems to be part of making sense of it — and then takes a deep breath, seemingly preparing for a mental fight.