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I admit. I do not have natural tendencies for developing web sites, color maps, charts, schedules, power points, diagrams or GUIs. Anything as such comes out in complete discord until I came across Edward Tufte's name in a seminar brochure. Edward Tufte scrutinizes design strategies all they way back in time from the Renaissance period into the 20th century. Initially I wondered, how on earth are these prestigious techniques presented in ancient times similarly applied today? They are not common today. Computer programs and marketing propaganda have limited our visual expectations to only broad and small pieces of information, limiting our learning space about the world we live in. Beyond contemporary appeals, Edward sheds out underlying utility out of these relics into everyday use. His prime example is a 1735 London figure of two dancers. The drawing describes their dance in time, motion, and sound without common resort to animation. Chapters in this book: Escaping Flatland, Micro/Macro Readings, Layering and Separation, Small Multiples, Color and Information, and Narratives of Space and Time.Read full review
The book presents critical reviews of visual products, in some cases pointing out the value of the result without need for change, and in other cases providing alternative improved designs. Tufte may seem overly critical of work at times but the reality is that we have become a society of "chartjunk" consumers and a thorough analysis of information is necessary to improve data presentation and understanding the point that is being made. I recommend all Tufte's books although there is some redundancy in material and some tangential topics. If you are serious about data presentation, these books make you think.
Edward Tufte is more than an undisputed master in visualization. This book, a continued outgrowth from his landmark book, "The Visual Display of Quantitative Information". Envisioning Information is very directed towards the designer, and I particularly like the section on "Small Multiples", a concept being used more and more by Web sites offering business information dashboards for comparison analysis.
Good graphics.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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