Clouds appear, move across the sky, and disappear. The clouds are not the sky. There is no concrete connection between sky and clouds, yet the sky is not separate from the clouds.

Sheng Yen

The earth dances around the sun, creating the familiar patterns of days, months, and years. We anticipate the cycles of the moon, the patterns clear and consistent. While parts of the sky are unchanging, which we know from proven science, others surprise us daily. No two skies are alike. The clouds swirl across the sky, painting new pictures daily.

The hues vary profoundly, from the deep purples of night, to the lustrous blues and bleak dismal grays of winter, to the vivid oranges of sunset. As the sun sets, it splashes its final light on the clouds, painting them and the endless canvas all around. The clouds shift from white cotton to colored puffs of cotton candy, taking on shades of lilac and orange. As we look at the sky in the image, the largest cloud transforms in our mind. Is that large cloud above an elephant laughing in the air?

The sky is a canvas for our imaginations. It invites us to play, to revel in ever-shifting beauty, and to celebrate the passing moments. The clouds are not the sky, but they play a pivotal role in how we relate to the canvas above us. It is indicative of time and timeless. The colors can at times beguile our senses. Artists, astronomers, and photographers alike have chased the sky for years, attempting to capture and understand its essence.

We, too, attempt to capture the essence of our data in a manner similar to how the sky paints a picture. Functional aesthetics balances the science we know with the harmony we seek. As we bring all the pieces together—charts, text, design elements, and interactivity—the beauty is in the unified whole. Just as with the sky, the parts may stand out more, but the entire composition creates that magical experience. Visualizations are not mere charts but an ecosystem that encompasses the text, non-chart graphics, and the ways in which everything is brought together. This last section explores how a visualization becomes whole, just like the sky.