Charts, Tables & Text-Based Graphics

Abstract graphs and charts, along with the beginnings of statistical theory and the systematic collection of empirical data, were introduced to mathematics during the Eighteenth Century And as the collection of economic, political and census data became more common, visual forms of presentation that allowed the data to “speak to the eyes” also became more prevalent. First conceptualized in the late 1700s by William Playfair, a Scottish architect, pie charts and bar charts use geometric shapes to metaphorically represent statistical concepts. Pie charts, for example, use sections of circles to represent parts of a whole amount. Bar charts, on the other hand, use rectangular shapes to represent how whole amounts may compare to one another. These simple shapes act as illustrations of visual data metaphors. And because the brain tends to better remember information that is in some way related to visual symbolism or imagery, individuals often come to understand statistical information more quickly and easily when presented in this way.