Overview

This unit aims to instruct students on the fundamental principles of information visualisation, and good design practices. It will examine and describe in detail main types of information graphics and visual representations for variety of applications.

Requisites

Prerequisites
COS10009 Introduction to Programming
Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
03-March-2025
01-June-2025
Last self-enrolment date
16-March-2025
Census date
31-March-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
24-April-2025
Results released date
08-July-2025
Teaching Period 1
Location
Online
Start and end dates
10-March-2025
08-June-2025
Last self-enrolment date
23-March-2025
Census date
04-April-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
02-May-2025
Results released date
Teaching Period 3
Location
Online
Start and end dates
03-November-2025
08-February-2026
Last self-enrolment date
16-November-2025
Census date
28-November-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
02-January-2026
Results released date

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Critically evaluate data visualisations and propose improvements based on an understanding of human perception and cognition and data visualisation design principles
  • Apply a structured design process to create effective visualisations
  • Conceptualise and iterate data visualisation designs using sketching and low fidelity prototyping techniques
  • Create web-based interactive data visualisations using a real-world data set

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
On-campus
Lecture		2.00 12 weeks 24
On-campus
Class		2.00 12 weeks 24
Unspecified Activities
Independent Learning		8.50 12 weeks 102
TOTAL150

All Applicable Locations

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Online
Directed Online Learning and Independent Learning		12.50 12 weeks 150
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
AssignmentIndividual 10 - 20% 1 
ProjectIndividual/Group 60 - 80% 1,2,3,4 
Tutorial ExercisesIndividual 10 - 20% 2,4 

Content

  • Introduction to data visualisation
  • Brief history of data visualisation
  • Data visualisation design guidelines, graphical integrity
  • Visual variables: marks and channels
  • Visualisation critique
  • Analysis of user tasks in visualisation usage
  • Data sets and types
  • Interaction: Manipulating view, Filtering
  • Arranging Tables, Graphs and Maps
  • Colour theory
  • Human perception and cognition
  • User research
  • Introduction to Data Driven Documents (D3)

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.