The World of Data Visualization
Jon J. Raasch, Graham Murray, Vadim Ogievetsky, Joseph Lowery · 2014
This chapter provides an overview of the present environment, highlighting its capabilities and limitations and discussing how the web professional is a key player in visualizing data. Visualizing data makes it easier for a wider audience to quickly grasp the relative nature of selected data. Key groups who stand the most to gain from data visualization are those in the public sector, business-to-business realm, and business-to-consumer realm. Web professionals are at the heart of data visualization. Web professionals are dependent on robust web software to accomplish any aspect of their work, but the need for power tools is particularly vital to properly handle data visualization. The chapter focuses on three key factors that have contibuted to the changes in online technology and have greatly expanded the possibilities for representing data: faster, more efficient JavaScript engines in browsers; rapid proliferation of HTML5 compatible browsers; increased availability of JavaScript frameworks and libraries.