Information visualization that organizes text-based content into interesting arrangements
Word clouds are text collages that show the most frequently used words in just about any text-based document.
Words are assigned different font sizes; usually, the bigger the word, the more frequently it occurs.
Clouds are made engaging through various dimensions such as typeface, font size, colors, and number of words, word proximity, and word orientation.
Qualify where word cloud data came from, collection methods, what the fonts, colors, sizes, etc. mean, and disclosure of any data scrubbing or segmenting.
When archiving transcripts, the visual markers of each cloud create a gestalt unique to each transcript that can facilitate recall.
Word clouds can be a lighthearted way to engage stakeholders in discussion about the gist of transcripts before delving into more rigorous analysis techniques.
Here is a word cloud generated from interviews with parents of picky eaters. When segmented based on meaningful criteria, word clouds can reveal potentially insightful and surprising themes.