Clarity of message in a visualisation

Name:

Date:

Class:

Quick Questions

Shade in the A or B circle for each question.

1. A chart has clarity of message when a viewer can...

A State its key point quickly

B Spend several minutes working out what it shows

2. Which title is better for a column chart that shows Year 11 attendance rising after a new school bell schedule?

A Attendance chart

B Year 11 attendance rose 6% after the new bell schedule

3. How many main messages should one visualisation aim to communicate?

A One clear message

B As many as will fit on the page

4. A line chart has heavy gridlines, a 3D effect, a shadow on every bar and a busy background image. What should you do to improve clarity?

A Remove the clutter that does not support the message

B Add more decoration so the chart looks interesting

5. Which is an example of clutter in a visualisation?

A A clear axis label with units

B Decorative clip art that adds no meaning

Match the Pairs

Draw a line connecting each item on the left to its match on the right.

Left column		Right column
1Title: Year 9 Maths marks rose 12% after tutoring		ATitle: Online sales doubled between 2022 and 2024
2One chart = one key message		BEach visualisation should focus on a single main point so a viewer can state it quickly
3Remove clutter by deleting elements that do not support the message, such as heavy gridlines and 3D effects		CA descriptive title that states the key point, so the viewer knows what to look for straight away
4Use a descriptive title that tells the viewer what to look for, rather than a vague label		Dchart.gridlines = off; chart.effects3D = off
5Title: Chart 1 Shows sales, staff, weather and costs together		EThe title is vague and the chart mixes several unrelated messages, so the viewer cannot state one key point.
6Pie chart with 3D effect, 12 colours, dark background and heavy gridlines		FToo much clutter distracts from the message, so the viewer cannot see the key point quickly.

Definitions

clarity of message

Fill in the Blanks

Complete each line of code by filling in the missing parts.

plt._____("Sales rose every month")

plt.grid(_____)

plt.______("Sales ($)")

plt.title("Sales rose monthly", ________=14)

plt.plot(months, _____) # one message: sales over time

Spot the Error

Shade in the letter of the line that contains an error.

Question 1

A type = "column"

B title = "Sales rose in Term 4"

C grid = "off"

D highlight = "all bars"

Question 2

A title = "Chart 1"

B type = "column"

C grid = "off"

D legend = "off"

Question 3

A title = "Weather"

B type = "line"

C effects3D = false

D labels = "key points only"

Question 4

A title = "Maths marks up 8%"

B type = "column"

C effects3D = false

D colours = "12 bright colours"

Question 5

A type = "pie"

B slices = 15

C title = "Most take the bus"

Answer Key

Clarity of message in a visualisation

Section A: Quick Questions

A — State its key point quickly

B — Year 11 attendance rose 6% after the new bell schedule

A — One clear message

A — Remove the clutter that does not support the message

B — Decorative clip art that adds no meaning

Section B: Match the Pairs

Title: Year 9 Maths marks rose 12% after tutoring → A descriptive title that states the key point, so the viewer knows what to look for straight away

One chart = one key message → Each visualisation should focus on a single main point so a viewer can state it quickly

Remove clutter by deleting elements that do not support the message, such as heavy gridlines and 3D effects → chart.gridlines = off; chart.effects3D = off

Use a descriptive title that tells the viewer what to look for, rather than a vague label → Title: Online sales doubled between 2022 and 2024

Title: Chart 1 Shows sales, staff, weather and costs together → The title is vague and the chart mixes several unrelated messages, so the viewer cannot state one key point.

Pie chart with 3D effect, 12 colours, dark background and heavy gridlines → Too much clutter distracts from the message, so the viewer cannot see the key point quickly.

Section C: Definitions

clarity of message — A visualisation has clarity of message when a viewer can state its one key point quickly, because clutter is removed and a descriptive title tells them what to look for.

Section D: Fill in the Blanks

plt.title("Sales rose every month")

plt.grid(False)

plt.ylabel("Sales ($)")

plt.title("Sales rose monthly", fontsize=14)

plt.plot(months, sales)
# one message: sales over time

Section E: Spot the Error

D — Highlighting every bar means nothing stands out, so the viewer cannot find the one key point. Only the Term 4 bar should be highlighted: highlight = "Term 4".

A — "Chart 1" does not tell the viewer what to look for. A descriptive title states the message, for example "Sales rose in Term 4".

A — "Weather" is only a topic label, not a message. A descriptive title says what the data shows, such as "Rain peaked on Fri".

D — Twelve bright colours add clutter and pull the eye in every direction. Use muted colours with one accent colour: colours = "grey + 1 accent".

B — A pie chart with 15 slices is cluttered and hard to read. Keeping the slices to a few (such as 3) keeps the message clear.