Representation

Representations depict selected information in a form that can support particular operations and questions. Their organization can help or hinder inference without determining everything a person can understand.

A representation selects features of something and makes relationships available for a purpose. A table supports exact lookup; a line chart may make change easier to see; a process diagram can expose dependencies. The same underlying facts can support several views, but switching formats also creates opportunities to omit, distort, or introduce information.

Choose the representation by the question and the action it must support. State what each mark or field means, preserve source values, and test the view on a concrete task. If a diagram makes a relationship appear obvious, ask whether the source actually supports it. Better appearance and immediate understanding are not proof of later independent capability.

When to use it

When communicating complex information. When different stakeholders see the same situation differently. When analysis seems stuck (change the representation). When choosing between visualization formats.

How it can help

Choose a form for a concrete task, preserve the underlying facts, and check what the representation makes easier or harder to inspect.