Visualizing Economics: Designing a Persuasive Argument

As part of my Masters thesis, I wrote a paper where I use stories in the media to explore the role of the visualization of economic data in persuasive communication. These stories included an article in USA Today about healthcare and The Newshour with Jim Lear about the cost of the Iraq War.

Abstract

The discussion of economics in the media can be confusing and contradictory. Often numbers are quoted out of context, while political agendas distort the presentation of economic data. At the same time, the visualization of economic data has become more common, although reporters and editors regularly fall back on conventional methods to present this information. However, some attempts by graphic designers to add visual interest to these graphics ends up distracting from, rather than revealing the data’s significance. I will be using economic stories in the media to explore the role of visualization in persuasive communication by employing the work of several authors including, Chaim Perelman’s The Realm of Rhetoric and Jacques Bertin’s Semiology of Graphics. My purpose is to understand how a designer shapes an argument, while maintaining the integrity of economic data in its visual representation.