If you’ve been reading this blog regularly for awhile, you know that I occasionally bemoan the sad state of most information graphics (infographics). Most of the folks who produce infographics lack guidelines based on solid research. In their attempt to inform, describe, or instruct, most of the infographics that I’ve seen fail-many miserably. I’m thrilled […]

You’ve probably noticed that my approach to writing, both in general and especially when reviewing software, is not typical. I write in the first person, referring to myself as “I,” rather than as some unidentified voice or indirectly as “the author.” I want you to feel as if I’m speaking to you and I want […]

I try to read every new book that’s written about data visualization. This is possible because the field is still represented by a relatively small number of experts who take the time to write books. The most recent addition to my library is Howard Wainer’s new book titled Picturing the Uncertain World: How to Understand, […]

I’ve written previously about my concern that infographics—the mixture of text and images to tell stories, explain concepts, describe processes, or provide instructions—have no real research to back up their claims of effectiveness. Visual communication is all the rage today, and rightfully so because it has great potential when used effectively, but much of what’s […]

Few things are more annoying than the idiotic way that people usually communicate in the business world. What could be said quite clearly is often obscured or inflated so much that it loses all meaning—it is reduced to pure gobbledygook. I’m not only referring to marketing jargon, which ought to have a stake driven through […]