 "Escaping Flatland, and avoiding chart junk along the way" | 2009-11-06 |
| - Reviewed By abhinavagarwal |
Passionate exposition on effective visualizations. Key takeaways are small-multiples, use of color, and use of details. However, while mostly good, it is also distractedly didactic. While a must-have in any collection on data visualizations, for people looking for only one book on effective data visualizations, this is not it. This book is the poetry of visualizations; you will need to supplement it with books that are the prose of visualizations. Four stars because the book is a bit all-over-the-place, in a mostly good way. Some of the examples may not strike a resonant chord with everyone - for example, the "Weather Chart" at the top of page 32 looks too dense and full of diverse symbols to be truly effective.
Excerpts from the book:
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"All communication between the readers of an image and the makers of an image must now take place on a two-dimensional surface. Escaping this flatland is the essential task of envisioning information." [page 12]
Given the inherent multi-dimensionality of data (a measure that represents value or values over time, region, and other dimensions - e.g. number of employees by year, by country, and by line-of-business), Tufte states that we should "... increase (1) the number of dimensions that can be represented on plane surfaces and (2) the data density (amount of information per unit area)." [page 13]
This focus on data density finds resonance throughout the book:
"Simplicity of reading derives from the context of detailed and complex information, properly arranged. A most unconventional design strategy is revealed: to clarify, add detail." [page 37]
Tufte is especially harsh on charts that feature "chart junk", what he describes as "... display apparatus and ornamentation" that "... seek to attract and divert attention...", and that "Lurking behind chart junk is contempt both for information and for the audience. ... designing as if readers were obtuse and uncaring... " [page 33, 34]
On the topic of spatial maps, Tufte highlights a problem that may emerge with conventional choropleths (blot maps): "(they)... paint over areas formed by given geographic or political boundaries ..." and resulting in non-uniform sizes, and "historical changes in political boundaries disrupt continuity of statistical comparisons." The solution? Or at least one solution: "Mesh maps finesse these problems." Taking the example of a map of Japan, "... the whole country of Japan was divided up in 379,000 equal-sized units and then, in a heroic endeavor, census data and addresses were collated to match the new grid squares." [page 40, 41]
"The struggle between maintenance of context and enforcement of comparison... " [page 77]
Excessive or wanton use of color can be very damaging to the visualization. Eduard Imhof enumerates four rules of minimizing such color damage:
"First rule: Pure, bright colors or very strong colors have loud, unbearable effects when they stand unrelieved over large areas adjacent to each other, but extraordinary effects can be achieved when they are used sparingly on or between dull background tones. ...
Second rule: The placing of light, bright colors mixed with white next to each other usually produces unpleasant results..." [page 82]
Tufte lists "... the fundamental uses of color in information design: to label (color as noun), to measure (color as quantity), to represent or intimate reality (color as representation), and to enliven or decorate (color as beauty)." [page 81]
In Closing:
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Consider this: while you may use other books more frequently to learn and reference when creating visualizations, charts, or dashboards, you will want to keep this book handy to remind yourself of the bigger picture and the historical context of visualizations.
Suggested Additional Reading:
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You should supplement the visual feast in Tufte's "Envisioning Information" with a main or side course of these books:
- Stephen Few's "Information Dashboard Design: The Effective Visual Communication of Data"
- Jenifer Tidwell's "Designing Interfaces: Patterns for Effective Interaction Design"
- Colin Ware's "Information Visualization, Second Edition: Perception for Design (Interactive Technologies)"
- Visualizing Data by William S. Cleveland
- Exploratory Data Analysis by John W. Tukey
and many other books that cover the topic of information visualizations.
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| "Time Tested Data Display Principles from a Well-Read Expert" | 2009-09-19 |
| - Reviewed By User: A116S3QU0J8BQX |
| Tufte is an information design pundit in the first order, and this book explains the issues that designers of information displays face across all number of print situations and for most data sets. The design of the book itself is concise and engaging. The text can be dense, it is extremely well and frequently cited. With the quality and sheer number of historical references from a variety of sources the reader quickly realizes that Tufte has tapped into visual design principles that transcend trends, technological advances, and local tastes. A virtual must-read for data display technicians. |
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| "Great content, but gratuitous moments" | 2009-08-19 |
| - Reviewed By User: AH8RDBPPVP9JQ |
The content is mostly worthwhile and indeed ground breaking in parts (see spark lines). However, I get the impression that Tuft is overawed with his own vision. I listened to a presentation that he gave to an audience made up mostly by DoD and Intelligence Community professionals. Tufts student assistants seemed cowed by him and his lingering on the sculptures he designed in his backyard did not speak to me other than shouting EGO. Where it got personal for me is when he mentioned that he was always interested in the design of business cards. While he was signing my book at the end of the presentation I showed Tuft my business card which had a rather nifty design on the reverse that visually depicted human interaction with our software product. Tuft glanced at my card and sniffed. I am not kidding. The guy sniffed. I described to him my companies work with visualization of data via link analysis charts and he said the era of link charts had passed. Well, tell that to the DoD, and tell that to Saddam Hussein who was found by linking disparate pieces of information via one of my company's charts!
So, while the first book is very good, the author has drunk way too much of his own Kool Aid and as a result his message is somewhat lost within the hyperbole.
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| "Overall good condition - Glue problem" | 2009-08-18 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2JFC35FRLL98F |
| Overall the book was in good condition. The papercover however was glued to the packaging. I had to cut it apart with a knife and damaged the backcover. |
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 "Eye opener" | 2009-05-31 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2F9ROSXC2EET4 |
| I have gained a new insight into the art of data presentation. My presentations will benefit. Making the complex accessible and beautiful. |
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| "Interesting and enjoyable" | 2008-12-07 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3RSDDV0LHO5I |
| Stimulates the visualisation of information with illustrations on every page and easy to read text. Provides many helpful ideas, as well as some `do and don't's. Some overlap with the other book (The Visual Display of Quantitative Information / Envisioning Information). |
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