Visual inspection of a data visualisation

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Date:

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Quick Questions

Shade in the A or B circle for each question.

1. Which task is an example of visual inspection of a data visualisation?

A Checking that the title, axis labels and legend are present and readable

B Recalculating the chart's totals by hand to check they match the data

2. A chart has no axis labels. What should visual inspection conclude?

A It passes, because the bars still show the pattern clearly

B It fails the labels check, because viewers cannot tell what the axes show

3. Two charts on a dashboard are slightly misaligned, with different left edges and uneven gaps. What does a visual inspection note?

A No problem, because alignment only matters for the data values

B An alignment problem: line up the edges and space the charts evenly

4. Which finding is a legibility problem?

A Light grey text on a white background that is hard to read

B A column chart that shows the wrong total for one month

5. Why is a checklist useful during visual inspection?

A It makes sure every item (title, labels, alignment, legibility) is checked consistently

B It automatically fixes any layout problems it finds

Match the Pairs

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

Left column		Right column
1visual inspection		AMissing titles and axis labels are a visual inspection fault. The visualisation should fail until a title and labelled axes are added.
2[ ] Title present [ ] Axes labelled [ ] Legend clear		BYellow on white has poor contrast and is hard to read for many viewers. It fails the legibility check and needs a darker text colour.
3Visual inspection checks legibility: text must be large enough and contrast well with its background		C[ ] Chart edges and text boxes line up on the grid
4Visual inspection checks alignment: charts and text boxes should line up neatly in the layout		DA visual inspection checklist that records whether titles and labels are present and readable
5Inspection note: Chart has no title and the axes have no labels, but the layout looks fine so it passes.		EChecking the appearance of a visualisation, such as layout, alignment, readability, colours and labels, to spot problems
6Inspection note: Yellow text on a white background is fine because I can read it on my screen.		F[ ] Font size 12pt or more, dark text on light background

Definitions

visual inspection

Fill in the Blanks

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

Check: Does the chart have a _____? Y/N

Check: Do both axes have ______? Y/N

Check: Are charts _______ in a grid? Y/N

Check: Is all text _______ at a glance? Y/N

Record each problem found on a _________

Spot the Error

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

Question 1

A title = ''

B xLabel = 'Month'

C yLabel = 'Sales ($)'

Question 2

A SET font_size = 12

B SET text_colour = 'white'

C SET background = 'white'

Question 3

A checklist = []

B checklist.add('Title present')

C checklist.add('Axes labelled')

D checklist.add('Text readable'

Question 4

A chart1.left = 20

B chart2.left = 20

C chart3.left = 85

D chart3.top = 200

Question 5

A IF font_size < 10 THEN

B PRINT 'Text is fine'

C END IF

Answer Key

Visual inspection of a data visualisation

Section A: Quick Questions

A — Checking that the title, axis labels and legend are present and readable

B — It fails the labels check, because viewers cannot tell what the axes show

B — An alignment problem: line up the edges and space the charts evenly

A — Light grey text on a white background that is hard to read

A — It makes sure every item (title, labels, alignment, legibility) is checked consistently

Section B: Match the Pairs

visual inspection → Checking the appearance of a visualisation, such as layout, alignment, readability, colours and labels, to spot problems

[ ] Title present [ ] Axes labelled [ ] Legend clear → A visual inspection checklist that records whether titles and labels are present and readable

Visual inspection checks legibility: text must be large enough and contrast well with its background → [ ] Font size 12pt or more, dark text on light background

Visual inspection checks alignment: charts and text boxes should line up neatly in the layout → [ ] Chart edges and text boxes line up on the grid

Inspection note: Chart has no title and the axes have no labels, but the layout looks fine so it passes. → Missing titles and axis labels are a visual inspection fault. The visualisation should fail until a title and labelled axes are added.

Inspection note: Yellow text on a white background is fine because I can read it on my screen. → Yellow on white has poor contrast and is hard to read for many viewers. It fails the legibility check and needs a darker text colour.

Section C: Definitions

visual inspection — Checking the appearance of a visualisation, such as layout, alignment, readability, colours and labels, often with a checklist to spot problems.

Section D: Fill in the Blanks

Check: Does the chart have a title? Y/N

Check: Do both axes have labels? Y/N

Check: Are charts aligned in a grid? Y/N

Check: Is all text legible at a glance? Y/N

Record each problem found on a checklist

Section E: Spot the Error

A — An empty title fails a visual inspection because the reader cannot tell what the chart shows. It should hold a clear description such as 'Sales by Month'.

B — White text on a white background is unreadable, so it fails the legibility check. The text colour should contrast with the background, such as 'black'.

D — The closing bracket is missing, so the line is a syntax error. It should be checklist.add('Text readable').

C — The third chart's left edge is 85 while the others are 20, so the charts are misaligned. An alignment check expects chart3.left = 20.

B — This message runs when the font size is below 10, which is a legibility problem. It should report the problem, such as 'Text too small', not say the text is fine.