{"id":891,"date":"2015-07-28T09:40:27","date_gmt":"2015-07-28T09:40:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=891"},"modified":"2018-08-11T09:32:05","modified_gmt":"2018-08-11T08:32:05","slug":"displaying-data-over-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/visualagency.com\/?p=891","title":{"rendered":"Displaying Data: Over Time"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Time is an observed phenomenon, which we have used as a measure of how events are\u00a0ordered from the past through to present and into the future. \u00a0Everything inevitably\u00a0changes over time, but observing how things change and how often they change is what time is\u00a0useful for. \u00a0By observing patterns from\u00a0the past, people can predict and plan ahead for the future.<\/p>\n<p>In this post in our ongoing series on Displaying data, I will be looking at the type of data visualising used for showing data changing over time.<\/p>\n<h2>Line Graphs &amp; Area Graphs<\/h2>\n<p>Commonly used to show trends and changes in data over time, line graphs work by plotting points on a cartesian coordinates grid and connecting them up to form a line.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/visu.al\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/line-graph-01.png\" alt=\"data over time\" width=\"862\" height=\"397\" \/><\/p>\n<p>By following the first point to the last, you see the story of how values have developed over time: steep slopes indicate a sudden change in values and the direction of the slope (downwards or upwards) indicates whether the values have increased or decreased. \u00a0Reoccurring patterns in the lines, such as repeating spikes can indicate a trend in the data.<\/p>\n<p>Area graphs work exactly in the same way for displaying data as line graphs do, but with the spacing below the line being filled in with a colour, pattern or texture.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/visu.al\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/area-graph-01.png\" alt=\"data over time\" width=\"862\" height=\"400\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Also area graphs have two additional variations when displaying multiple data\u00a0series:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Grouped Area Graphs:<\/strong>\u00a0lines are all plotted\u00a0from the same zero axis.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Stacked Area Graphs:<\/strong>\u00a0lines\u00a0are plotted from the previous point.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Timelines<\/h2>\n<p>The main function of timelines is to communicate time-related information through graphical means;\u00a0a visual way of showing a list of events in chronological order. \u00a0Usually this is to tell a story, present a view of history or make an analysis of a series of events.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/visu.al\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/timeline-01.png\" alt=\"data over time\" width=\"862\" height=\"394\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Some timelines work on a scale, while others, like the one above, simply display events in a sequence. \u00a0If a timeline does work off a scale, then this allows readers\u00a0to see how far apart in time events have occurred and how events are distributed over the selected time period.<\/p>\n<p>Timeline can also work in conjunction with over forms of data visualisation to show how quantitive values related to the events have changed over time.<\/p>\n<h2>Gantt Charts<\/h2>\n<p>Used to display a project schedule\u00a0through the use of bars that illustrate the start and finish dates of tasks within that\u00a0project. \u00a0As well as being useful for planning Gantt charts can also be useful for displaying and comparing the different ranges of time periods (durations).<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/visu.al\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/gannt-chart-01.png\" alt=\"data over time\" width=\"875\" height=\"305\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The bars in a Gantt chart can also be divided by colour (or lack of colour) to show the percentage of\u00a0completion in a given task.<\/p>\n<h2>Streamgraphs<\/h2>\n<p>A visually attractive way of displaying data of large datasets, to give a generalised\u00a0view of categorical data over time. \u00a0Streamgraphs are very similar to a stacked area graph, but have no fixed x-axis and instead use a varying baseline, which results in a flowing organic pattern.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/visu.al\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/streamgraph.png\" alt=\"data over time\" width=\"959\" height=\"514\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The shifting baseline\u00a0can also help\u00a0minimise the change in slope for each individual layer. \u00a0This makes it easier to perceive the thickness of any of the layers across the chart. \u00a0The downside to having a varying baseline and no fixed x-axis is that accurately reading and comparing the thickness of each layer is difficult.<\/p>\n<h2>Condegram Spiral Plots<\/h2>\n<p>A visualisation method developed by Dr\u00a0Mark Conde to display the changes in space weather over the months of year.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 990px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/visu.al\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Condegram_Spiral_Plot.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" class=\"broken_link\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/visu.al\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Condegram_Spiral_Plot.png\" alt=\"data over time\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1000\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Condegram_Spiral_Plot.png\">Wikipedia<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Time starts from the centre and spirals outwards with\u00a0the data values being\u00a0represented through a histogram.<\/p>\n<h2>Candlestick Charts<\/h2>\n<p>Commonly used as a visual aid for making decisions in stock, foreign exchange, commodity and options trading. \u00a0Candlestick charts resemble a combination of a box plot (but with different functions) and a line graph.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 1545px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/visu.al\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Candle-stick-chart.png\" class=\"broken_link\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/visu.al\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Candle-stick-chart.png\" alt=\"data over time\" width=\"1555\" height=\"925\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sierrachart.com\/index.php?page=doc\/doc_CandleStickPatternFinder.php\">Sierra Chart<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Each &#8220;candlestick&#8221; shows an interval in time and is coloured based on whether the market is &#8220;bullish&#8221; (the closing price is higher than it opened) or &#8220;bearish&#8221; (closing price lower than it opened). \u00a0Bullish candlesticks are usually coloured green\u00a0or white and bearish ones are coloured red or black.<\/p>\n<p>Below you can see the anatomy of a single candlestick. \u00a0The box in the centre is called the &#8220;real body&#8221; which uses a bar to show the range\u00a0on the opening and closing price. \u00a0The little lines on the top and bottom are known as the shadows (or wicks), which represent the\u00a0highest and lowest traded prices of a security during the time interval represented.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/visu.al\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/candlestick-anatomy-01.png\" alt=\"data over time\" width=\"875\" height=\"272\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Open-high-low-close chart<\/h2>\n<p>Another financial chart, which functions in the same way as a candlestick chart, but with a different design.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 1014px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/visu.al\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/img_09.jpg\" alt=\"data over time\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/nchart3d.com\/nchart\/gallery\" class=\"broken_link\" rel=\"nofollow\">NChart 3D<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Instead of using bars\/boxes, Open-High-Low-Close charts (or OHLC charts for short) use simply the length of lines to communicate the price ranges over time.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/visu.al\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/OHLC-anatomy.png\" alt=\"data over time\" width=\"875\" height=\"269\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Time is an observed phenomenon, which we have used as a measure of how events are\u00a0ordered from the past through to present and into the future. \u00a0Everything inevitably\u00a0changes over time, but observing how things change and how often they change is what time is\u00a0useful for. \u00a0By observing patterns from\u00a0the past, people can predict and plan &#8230; <a title=\"Displaying Data: Over Time\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/visualagency.com\/?p=891\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":4128,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"generate_page_header":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[81,8,75,76,88,95],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v17.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Displaying Data: Over Time - VISU.AL AGENCY<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In this post on Displaying data, I will be looking at the type of data visualising used for showing the change in data over time.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, 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