I find myself inundated: too much information, too quickly, too often. It’s overwhelming. Occasionally in that stream, though, I’m captured by graphics that translate data, processes and stories to visual form. They pique curiosity, aid understanding and, sometimes, make me laugh.
Steve Duenes, Fernanda Viégas, and Andrew Kuo are among the many designers who organize, prioritize clarify, filter and interpret information graphically. They’ll be discussing their notable work as information designers tomorrow at IN/VISIBLE. I queried them each to get a sense of their unique perspectives on information graphics and their approach to working.
STEVE DUENES manages the 30-journalist team in the graphics department at The New York Times which creates the diagrams, maps and charts for the newspaper and the Web site.
Who decides what stories require information graphics at the Times
It varies, but mostly the graphics department. There are graphics editors who coordinate our graphics for the news desks like Metro, National and Foreign. Those graphics staffers discuss the coverage with each desk to determine which graphics are required.
How do you test the designs to see if they communicate as intended?
There’s a fair amount of peer editing in our department, so we all look at graphics and offer feedback to one another. In addition, each graphic goes through a round of editing that generally includes the reporter, line editor, copy editor and news desk editor. The sheer number of people looking at each graphic serves as a pretty good test.
Are there cases when a piece of information graphics has been statistically accurate but the audience interpreted the content incorrectly?
What seems to happen with more noticeable frequency is that readers will ignore the explanatory text that accompanies a chart, so they think they know what’s being plotted, but really, they’ve misunderstood. We occasionally hear from these readers and can point them in the right direction.
How important is capturing the attention of a reader with information graphics?
It’s sort of important, but it’s not the most important thing. We’re shooting for clarity. If we are good reporters and editors, and we find compelling information, then we’re pretty assured that we’ll capture reader attention. But if the data stinks, no amount of decorating will make the graphic worthwhile.
What role does narrative play in information design?
It plays an important role. After all we’re telling stories just like writers are. With process graphics, narrative is sort of built in, but with data-driven pieces, we often have to develop the structure of the graphic so that readers can “walk through” the data. It can be a challenge, but it’s important.
ANDREW KUO‘s work attempts to categorize un-measurable human emotions and address how we process them. He’s created an obsessive chart-based retelling of music events which have been featured in the New York Times’ music section.
How do you deal with information glut?
I ignore what I don’t like and take in what I do (which seems like a lot these days). It’s easy to ignore things.
What makes information graphics resonate with you?
They look cool! Sometimes charts can simplify and complicate
things at the same time. I guess that’s what it is.
Have you ever felt manipulated by information graphics?
No, not really. unless the data is a lie. That’s not quite ‘manipulation’ anyway. It’s just lying.
Why is humor an integral part of your work?
Because humor is an integral part of my life! I’m glad it finally found its way into my work.
FERNANDA VIÉGAS is a research scientist in IBM’s Visual Communication Lab. At the MIT Media Lab, her research focused on the visualization of the traces people leave as they interact in online communities.
How do you deal with information glut?
Most of the time I try to make use of technology: RSS feeds, filters, recommendation systems, etc. Other times I just simply disconnect from the world and accept that I’ll be behind on things; it is quite liberating.
Why do you connect with information graphics?
I’m a graphic designer by training, so visual communication has always been at the core of how I make sense of the world around me. When I got to MIT, I realized that there was something called “information visualization” that could turn millions of numbers into meaningful, revealing images. I was hooked.
Have you ever felt manipulated by information graphics?
A few times: for instance, when presenters attempt to show “dramatic” results in graphs without showing a baseline. Or when someone gratuitously uses perspective on a 2D graph to distort proportions. These are dirty tricks. Most of the time, though, when a piece of infographics bothers me it’s usually because it’s poorly executed (the display technique is not the best fit for the data being shown, or the use of colors is unfortunate) instead of something that was done with the intent of manipulating the viewer.
What are the responsibilities of an information designer?
One of the main responsibilities is finding a direct route between the data that needs to be conveyed and its representation. That’s a hard challenge.
Designers are good at adapting/transforming things that are too complicated (or too big) for us to wrap our minds around. I believe this ability is crucial for the success of information graphics. If you want to empower your viewers, you need to provide them with good tools for sensemaking–that’s where design can play an important role.
Steve Duenes, Fernanda Viégas and Andrew Kuo will discuss the visual ethics of information graphics at IN/VISIBLE the evening of FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 23. The conversation will be moderated by John Maeda. Event information and registration available here.