I’ve compiled a list of papers in my newsletter to get up to speed with the latest research on generative AI for data visualization. I hope you'll find it useful! filwd.substack.com/p/a-reading-...

I had a great chat with Richard Brath on the use of AI tools to visualize text data. Have you ever seen his experiments? Really fascinating! You can watch our chat on my Substack: filwd.substack.com/p/visualizin.... Make sure to check his fabulous blog posts too! richardbrath.wordpress.com.

The slides for my free webinar on "Misleading Data Visualization" are ready! Join me this Monday, May 12, at 12 p.m. ET, to learn my framework for detecting misleading visualizations. (Find directions on how to enroll in the thread.)

Question: What process do you follow to add icons to your data visualizations, diagrams, tables, or infographics to convey a concept? I think icons can be very powerful to quickly orient people to the right information, but also incredibly hard to get right. What strategies and tools do you use?

New experiment to see if ChatGPT can spot data interpretation errors in charts. I tried with four classic misleaders. It got two out of four right. See the details in my newsletter post. What do you think? What else should I try?

We are organizing a Vis+AI meetup at Northeastern University on April 3rd. Join us if you are in the area! P.s. We are trying to see if we can also stream the event online. www.eventbrite.com/e/visai-meet...

What tool do you use to polish a visualization exported from a data visualization tool like Tableau, ggplot, etc. (say using SVG)? Is Illustrator the best solution, or is it something else?

I started using Grok for the first time yesterday. Wow!!! Has anyone tried it? It feels like a completely different kind of dialogue. It's hard to put my finger on what it is exactly, but I am really impressed.

I need your help: do you have examples of visualizations with before and after clutter reduction interventions? I remember seeing a few ones (some animated), but I can't recall where I saw them. Can you send me examples if you have any? Thanks!!! 🙏

Are you a "data fiber artist" (representing data through knitting, crocheting, embroidery, sewing, weaving, etc.)? Please help my PhD student Sydney collect information about this fascinating practice for her thesis with this survey: skpurdue.github.io/DataFiberArts/. Please repost! Thx!

Being invited to be part of an "important" committee.

This plot is masterful. FT has become the best in news graphics, hands down.

Idea for a new focus app: you can unblock websites/apps only after conversing with a chatbot. If you manage to have a persuasive enough argument, you are granted access.

“… many of us become scientists to carve our own path, not become ruled by external demands.” Exactly👌

Misinformation or misinterpretation? 10 contrasting assertions:

Has anyone ever documented and tracked the evolution of a whole research project l, from ideation to publication and beyond? It would be cool to do it more systematically and really see how projects unfold over time. I am thinking of implementing this idea starting next year.

I wrote an initial post describing my growing discomfort with an excessive focus on publications in academia. Curious to hear your thoughts! https://buff.ly/4g47VXP

Second post on the use of titles in data visualization: https://buff.ly/3VizWmg. I propose a simple taxonomy to categorize different types of titles. It has already helped me and my students a lot. There is way more to do, but it's a good start. Happy to hear your feedback: any changes/additions?

How do you feel about the contrast between the certainty of the title and the uncertainty of the data (coming from a (single) simulation)? I have been thinking about titles and the ethics of uncertainty quite a bit lately. I am curious to hear what others think. 🤔

This is so well done and relevant! We don't talk so much about mobile vis, surprisingly.

I agree with Steve here. It's stark in its simplicity. It's so freaking easy. I made a mistake, sorry.

Are we going to party again like 2010s? 🕺

I started a new series on using titles in visualization in my newsletter. The first post is on the empirical evidence. I review two papers that shed light on how titles shape interpretation and memory. filwd.substack.com/p/titles-in-...

Being on X and Bluesky at the same time is an interesting (dissonant) experience. The cultural divide is, sadly, so stark.

Ok … let’s talk about this again. My position is this: sorry, there’s no rule. You have to judge case by case. Use your brain! 🧠

Really cool work from John. Check it out!

Ok … let’s snark a little and see what happens. How many more “the temperature is going up” chart variations do we still need? Sorry, I had to say it.

Bluesky feels a lot like class reunion right now.

This is a good thread.

So … here is where we are going to party again?

Let’s go! 🚀

So many more people here now! Re-sharing the incomplete but useful data viz starter pack: go.bsky.app/R3nSyyy