Who are you talking to?

Reader Daniel L. points us to this "dashboard" of statistics concerning downloads of a piece of software presumably called "maven". This sort of presentation has unfortunately become standard fare.

Daniel was shocked by the pie chart. Just for laughs, here is the pie chart:

Something else is worth noting -- ever wondered who the chart designer is talking to?

Is it an accountant who cares about every single download (thus needing the raw data)?

Is it a product manager who cares about the current run rates, and the mix of components downloaded?

Is it an analyst who is examining trends over time, aggregate of all components?

***

In other words, the first order of business is to identify the user. 

Comments

[Colleen Deborah Collins]

So when you say the first order of business is to identify the user, you mean the person looking at the chart? ie: accountant = downloads/dollars; pm= run rates/type of download; etc.?

This chart looks like a hodgepodge of colors and downloads but I don't really "get" anything from it. I see your point!

[Showmans]

Good point. Visual data is just another form of communication, so can be analyzed, modeled and/or planned using a simple communication diagram. "Who's the audience for this?" is a key question, along with "What's the message we're sending, and what outcome do we want?", "What medium are we using?", "Who's sending the message?" and "What's the context/environment for this communication?"