Introduction
Charts are used to facilitate the understanding of large quantities of data into a simplified graphical form. While these were historically drawn by hand, the process of making these charts has been conveniently facilitated via modern platforms that can automatically generate charts given a set of data, such as Excel and Tableau.
This timeline lays out the most popular modern forms of data displays. My influences for this timeline stemmed from my own working knowledge of data visualizations, which came primarily from charts available through Microsoft Excel. These basic charts, from bar charts to pie charts, have become so ubiquitous in our daily lives, whether for assignments or in the workplace. Yet, the origins and innovators behind these charts have been greatly overlooked. We often use these charts because they look good and intuitively feel right, but we possess less knowledge on how these were created and why they became popularized.
Datasets and Tools
The timeline was created with TimelineJS, an open-source tool created by Northwestern University Knight Lab. TimelineJS allows users to efficiently create modern and interactive timelines without the added hassle of formatting nor programming the visualization. Every event input and respective media can be filled onto a provided Excel spreadsheet, which contains labeled columns such as “Year” and “Media” to indicate where each element should be filled. After completing all fields on the spreadsheet, the spreadsheet needs to be published to obtain a link. This link is later pasted into the TimelineJS platform to be transformed into the timeline interface.
Method
I started creating my timeline by researching multiple sites on all the available types of data displays through history. Afterwards, I selected the chart types that were most familiar to me as a casual user of data visualizations and for most people who have a general understanding of them. I later retrieved information on their invention dates and reasons behind their origins both on Wikipedia and through biographical pages of each inventor. After obtaining all information, I ordered the charts on the timeline in chronological order based on invention year.
As for choosing the media and images for each event on the timeline, I tried to obtain the most primitive version from their date of invention. For instance, I searched for an image of the first treemap chart invented in 1990. In case these were unavailable, I then selected the most basic and straightforward images of the chart type, ideally with all labels and nomenclature. Background colors were selected based on colors that would complement the image for each event.
Visualization and Interpretation
The timeline visualization is previewed below and can be accessed via the hyperlink.
As these are modern data display forms, the entirety of this timeline covers a short timespan from the late 1700’s to the early 2000’s. Most events on the timeline are concentrated towards the later years. This is because many of the successive charts seem to build off concepts from the earlier charts, such as the histogram (1891) that contains many of the same features from the bar chart (1786) but was adapted to represent continuous instead of discrete data. This timeline emphasizes the fact that the foundations of modern charts were established in the 1700’s, allowing for more complex charts to be invented towards the 20th century.
Evidently, the advent of The Web in the 1990s also contributed to the growing complexity of the data display forms after this time period. The growing accessibility of technology allowed for a faster and automated way for anyone to create charts. In particular, this includes the Word Cloud (2005) that exploded in popularity through the late 2000s. The Word Cloud is clearly distinctive from previous data display forms as it completely relies on technology – it can only be generated via automated software like EdWordle.
Reflection and Critique
The final interactive timeline displaying the invention of different chart types is engaging for any casual technology user as it covers an overlooked topic from a feature that we so often use everyday. Providing an overview of the influences and reasons behind the invention of each chart helps users consolidate their understanding of different chart types and when to appropriately use them.
In a more profound study, it would be helpful to further research into the similarities that these charts have with one another and the fundamental concepts that have carried over, such as axes and geometric figures (i.e. circles to represent entirety in pie charts). As the timeline showed images of the most primitive forms of each chart from the 1700’s, it would also be interesting to add more recent events that show how any of these earlier charts have changed over time, or if any significant modifications have been done to these representations.
Due to the limited timespan of these modern charts, further explorations can also cover earlier primitive iterations of charts. This exploration could study whether these early charts have been lost to history, or carried over into the modern charts we use today.
References
https://data-xtractor.com/blog/data-visualization/chart-history-who-invented-this-chart-type/