Envisioning Information

I keep this book close by in my office. I find it a very useful reference book for visually showing students HOW TO and how NOT TO DO information design. The examples in this book are well selected and organized.

This wasn't the easiest book to read. Tufte spends a bit too much energy attempting to make the tone of the book academic, rather than getting to the point. The concepts are pretty simplistic though, once you do absorb the information. There are some interesting illustrations. All in all, I wouldn't reccomend this for casual rading.

In "The Visual Display of Quantitative Information", Edward Tufte put forth a theory of graphical excellence which taught his disciples how to present complex data crisply, clearly, and concisely while preserving data integrity.

With "Envisioning Information", Tufte tackles a bolder objective: displaying multi-dimensional data effectively within the two-dimensional space of paper or screen.

To do this, Tufte employs his successful formula from "Visual Display"---outlining the general concepts of his theory and illustrating these principles with many and varied examples.

Tufte's approach to "escaping Flatland" (as he calls it) is simple but richly-illustrated:

- Employing the concept of micro/macro readings to add resolution to data displays, conveying more information in a smaller space

- Using layering and separation to foster comprehension of multivariate data

- Utilizing small multiples to convey change over time

- Leveraging color to convey information

- Weaving narratives of space and time

The effect upon the reader is staggering and transformative. Tufte has revised and extended his theory of graphical excellence with a handful of simple yet powerful techniques for improving our presentation graphics.

Anyone involved in graphics design or in the communication of complex information should have this book on his shelf---it is simply too valuable to keep having to borrow it from your public library.

I know that I am a contrarian here but... I didn't like the book at all - I was initially so excited to see the book, but when I finally did see it, I was very disappointed. I recommend that you actually see the book before buying it. You may be disappointed too.

As in all Tufte books, this is beautifully presented and wonderfully content-filled. In particular, you'll learn:
- All about the tasteful use of color in the design of interfaces
- How to maximize data visibility in interfaces, as opposed to the widgets, frames, and borders around the data

The only bad side is that some of the chapters end just when you feel like they're about to wrap up in a statement of a best practice, leaving you to sit around and solve the puzzle yourself. While I'm all in favor of mental exercise, I would've liked to at least have a solution to double-check against.