Data Visualization Ethics: The Technical and Holistic Approaches to Tackling Bias

In my second semester of sophomore year (2024), I researched, wrote, and designed this 60-page book that examines the intersection of art, technology, and ethics, highlighting the conscious role designers must assume in this realm. Data visualization is the representation of data through images, business, art, and science. As artists and designers, it is imperative to examine the reality of bias in data visualization in both historical and modern applications, even if unintentional. It is equally important to address such bias. This book aims to review two ethical approaches to tackling bias, which I have named the technical approach and the holistic approach, and will look at various topics that impact bias such as data collection, machine learning for artificial intelligence, and creative data visualization.