Book Image

Mastering Gephi Network Visualization

Book Image

Mastering Gephi Network Visualization

Overview of this book

Table of Contents (19 chapters)
Mastering Gephi Network Visualization
Credits
About the Author
Acknowledgments
About the Reviewers
www.PacktPub.com
Preface
Index

Graph aesthetics


Part of what makes certain graphs memorable goes far beyond the data or the layout algorithm used by the analyst. What takes these graphs to the next level is often some relatively simple tweaking of graph attributes using styling options within Gephi. The intelligent use of spacing, sizing, coloring, and labeling can elevate a graph from being merely informative to being both, informative and aesthetically pleasing, and indeed eye-catching. We should not set out to create the graph simply as a work of art, compromising the relationships in the network, but we can and should make the graph visually attractive, in order to successfully convey the meaning of the data. Use aesthetics to enhance, not obscure, the meaning of the data.

In this spirit, we can learn from the information visualization approaches of Edward Tufte and Stephen Few, albeit with some appropriate caveats that apply specifically to network graphs. Some readers will consider their approaches to be rather Spartan...