The semiotics of non-virtuous data visualization: Why information design can never be pure

摘要

Information design practice strives for objectivity through clean and efficient transmittal of data. One might call this kind of information design 'virtuous.' However, in Peircean semiotic theory, any habitual, principled, structured, or recurrent use of a sign will become a symbol that must inevitably inhere toward alliance with some cultural genre. This sets up a tension between the aspiration for completely "distanced" objectivity and one's inevitable culturally-situated stance which seemingly cannot be excised. The present article examines this problem using the famous Charles Minard graph of Napoleon's Russian campaign, the stylistic marker of "ratcheting", and the employment of semiotic Semantic Profiles. The conclusion is that in any visual display of data, complete detachment is semiotically impossible; the question then is no longer how to eliminate all non-efficient or non-objective visual elements, but rather, which culturally-embedded choices are most relevant and ethical for a designer to make?