Graphical perception

Both quantitative and qualitative information can be said to be encoded into the image, and the human capacity to interpret it is sometimes called decoding.

[1] The importance of human graphical perception, what we discern easily versus what our brains have more difficulty decoding, is fundamental to good statistical graphics design, where clarity, transparency, accuracy and precision in data display and interpretation are essential for understanding the translation of data in a graph to clarify and interpret the science.

[2][3][5][6][8][9][10][11][12] In practical terms, graphs displaying relative position on a common scale most accurately are most effective.

For example in the attached figure, a graphic design feature, table look-up, requires the brain to work harder and take longer to decode than if the graph utilizes our ability to discern patterns.

[6][13] Graphics principles for accuracy, clarity and transparency have been detailed[2][3][4][14] and key elements summarized.