INTRODUCTION TO CONTENT

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INTRODUCTION TO CONTENT
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INTRODUCTION
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Introduction

• A silly theory results in such silly graphics as
• Comparison of solar radiation and stock prices

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Introduction

• Comparison of student grades with desk sizes.

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Introduction

• These may be correlations, but not cause and
  effect.

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GRAPHICS
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Graphics

• Graphics should
• Show data

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Graphics

• Make the viewer think about the content

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Graphics

• Avoid distortion

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Graphics

• Present many numbers in a small space.

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Graphics

• Make large data sets understandable

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Graphics

• Encourage comparisons

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Graphics

• Serve a clear purpose, and

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Graphics

• Integrate words and statistics.

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PRINCIPLES OF GRAPHIC EXCELLENCE
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Principles

• A well designed presentation of interesting data
  includes
• Substance

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Principles

• Statistics, and

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Principles

• Excellent design.

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Principles

• Complex ideas are communicated with
• Clarity

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Principles

• Precision, and

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Principles

• Efficiency.

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Principles

• Present many ideas in the shortest time

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Principles

• Let the data tell the truth, and...

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Principles

• Show the variation of data, not design.

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Principles

• Never quote data out of context.

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Principles

• Use labeling that is
• Clear
• Detailed.

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Principles

• Use standardized measurements, and

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Principles

• Present quantities that are proportionally
  correct.

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ATTRACTIVE GRAPHICS
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Attractive Graphics

• Have proper format and design

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Attractive Graphics

• Use
• Words
• Numbers
• Drawings.

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Attractive Graphics

• Reflect
• Balance
• Proportion
• Relevant scale...

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Attractive Graphics

• Display details

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Attractive Graphics

• Tell a story, and

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Attractive Graphics

• Avoid chartjunk.

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CORRECT GRAPHICS
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Correct Graphics

• Spell out words

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Correct Graphics

• Avoid elaborate
• Coloring
• Shading
• Cross-
• hatching
• Legends.

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Correct Graphics

• Read from left to right

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Correct Graphics

• Explain all data

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Correct Graphics

• Provoke curiosity, and

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Correct Graphics

• Use sans serif type for visuals.

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EXAMPLES
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Space Junk
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Space Junk

• 7,000 items of space junk orbit our world
• Dead satellites...
• Frozen sewage from astronauts...
• rocket engine explosion fragments.

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Space Junk

• 34 nuclear reactor fuel cores
• Shrapnel from test weapons...
• Garbage bags.

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Unknown Objects
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Unknown Objects

• What is the size of this painting?

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Unknown Objects

• Artist Roy Lichtenstein stands on a ladder.

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Inaccuracy
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Inaccuracy

• Grids were used in Renaissance paintings to
  exaggerate perspective
• (see next
• slide).

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Inaccuracy
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The Broad Street Pump
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Broad Street

• There were 500 fatal attacks of cholera in 10
  days in 1854 in England.

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Broad Street

• All were within 250 yards of the Broad Street
  and Cambridge Street intersection.

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Broad Street

• John Snow tested the city-provided well water
• and found
• no impurities.

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Broad Street

• Mr. Snow plotted the deaths on a map
• This is the
• first
• recorded
• time a
• scatter plot
• was used.

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Broad Street

• Data showed a link to the free water from the
  Broad Street Pump.

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Broad Street

• The handle was removed from the pump
• The epidemic ended.

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Labels - NOT Numbers or Letters
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Labels

• Codes are meaningless.

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Labels

• Labels clarify.

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Inappropriate Color
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Color

• Aggressive color shows the color.

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Color

• Light tints show the information, not the
• color.

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The Challenger Disaster
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Challenger

• The Space Shuttle Challenger
• exploded on
• January 28,
• 1986 and 7
• astronauts
• died.

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Challenger

• Icicles hung from the Challenger.

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Challenger

• Ambient temperatures were in the low 30s

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Challenger

• The O-rings were less than 20oF, and

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Challenger

• The Predicted temperature at launch was 26 to 29
  degrees.

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Challenger

• The engineers opposed the launch.

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Challenger

• Engineers prepared charts like the ones you will
  now be presented.

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Challenger

• The Thiokol managers said the evidence presented
  by the engineers
• did not link
• cold
• temperature
• with
• O-rings.

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Challenger

• NASA officials were appalled by the
  recommendation not to launch.

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Challenger

• The Challenger blew up 73 seconds after
• the rockets
• were ignited.

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Challenger

• The 13 charts the engineers prepared were
• weak

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Challenger

• One chart left off temperature totally

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Challenger

• One chart had 6 different types of data making
  it
• meaningless

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Challenger

• Items such as nozzle blow-by were included which
  
• had nothing to
• do with cold
• weather

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Challenger

• 22 previous flights with their temperature
• variations were
• not presented
• together...

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Challenger

• 92 of the temperature data was left out, and...

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Challenger

• Data was selectively chosen.

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Challenger

• A simple table would have linked O-rings and
• cold weather.
• Distribute
• table.

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Challenger

• Even a rocket chart, next slide, of all 24
  previous flights and the 48 rockets would have
  shown a link between cold temperature and O-ring
  failure.

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Challenger
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Challenger

• A scatterplot even shows the link.

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Challenger
Predicted Launch Temperature
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Challenger

• Remember - there are right ways and wrong ways
  to display data.

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EXAMPLE APPLICATION TO INDUSTRY
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Product Instruction Manual

• The Problem

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Problem

• Executive Officers want the existing Product
  Instruction Manual evaluated there have been
  complaints.

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Problem

• A committee is formed of mid-management
  executives who determine the criteria to be used.

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Problem

• An employee committee is formed to use the
  criteria to evaluate the existing product
  instruction manual and

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Problem

• make recommendations to
• who will report to the

Mid-Management
Executive officers of the company.
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Information
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Information

• Many manuals
• are written from an engineers point of view.
• are too complex.

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Information

• Many manuals
• are incomplete from the users point of view.
• use jargon.

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Information

• Many manuals
• use narrative to explain an illustration.

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Information

• Begin with Who should read this document.
• Describe the product and its purpose.

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Information

• Identify each part and its components.
• Write in small steps.

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Information

• Use illustrations to explain the narrative.

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Information

• Do not describe what the product can do.
• Instead explain how to do something with the
  product.

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Information

• Include troubleshooting techniques.
• Instill confidence in whomever reads the manual.

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Information

• No ambiguity the person reading the manual
  cannot ask questions.

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Information
Begin each step with a strong verb

• Ignite
• Mount
• Apply
• Cut

• Connect
• Excavate
• Measure
• Insert

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The End