Most of us became aware of fonts first through using the computer. Open up any word processing program, and you have dozens of options available for sMost of us became aware of fonts first through using the computer. Open up any word processing program, and you have dozens of options available for self-expression. Before personal computing, Microsoft Windows, and Apple computers, most of us had little clue about the world of fonts. We knew text presents itself differently in, say, movies, newspapers, and magazines.
Recently, ubiquitous computing – and especially the Internet – have made different type faces a pervasive part of everyday life. It’s almost as if their commonality has reduced some of their novelty. Through this book, author Simon Garfield seeks to renew the wonder about fonts. He describes engaging stories in typography’s history that accentuate each font’s personality.
Although I listened to this audiobook, it still communicated well even aurally. Because I was familiar with a lot of type faces already, I didn’t need visuals to construct the book’s meaning. I suspect someone unfamiliar with different fonts might have more trouble, though.
Garfield brings the typographer’s profession to life, all the way back to Gutenberg’s printing press. He talks about the personalities of type makers, the obscure uses of many fonts, and their dissemination into popular culture. I’ve read a few books about fonts before, but this one is certainly the most comprehensive. The stories entertained me while my mind fixated on the diversity of fonts around me.
Since I work in software, fonts play a major role in my life. When I write, I often switch from Times New Roman to Georgia straightaway to please my eyes more. Anyone who does a lot of work on the computer – which is a lot of us these days – can benefit from educating themselves about fonts. This book is one of the most fun ways to do that and just makes readers feel smarter and more in control of communication....more
“A picture is worth a thousand words,” so the saying goes. Thus, an effective visualization, enriched by information, must count for so much more. But“A picture is worth a thousand words,” so the saying goes. Thus, an effective visualization, enriched by information, must count for so much more. But a misconstrued visualization, unfortunately, can lead to horrific outcomes from misinterpretations. How can we refine our visual thinking so that we can infer correct deductions while ignoring misplaced sketches? Visualization guru Edward Tufte teaches us how to reason about our world through informative displays in this helpful guide, replete with engaging prose, topics, and images. He instructs designers and readers of visualizations (which includes almost everyone today!) how to hone their interpretive crafts.
Tufte is the all-time great in the art of visualization. Alongside graphical skill, he brings a love of intellectual history and art history to make readers’ minds spin. Even though his original field was political science, his interests span every form of scientific knowledge garnered by humans throughout the centuries. Therefore, even 25+ years later, the weight of his words surpasses the judgments of everyone else in the field.
This specific book addresses how to interpret complex images (“visual explanations”) to help everyday life and professional work. He harkens to great intellectual discoveries like the rings of Saturn and the wave nature of light to illustrate foundational principles of information visualization. Although his insights about the computer have become dated because of the quickly evolving technology, his philosophy has stood the test of almost three decades of time. In fact, in an era of big data, his wisdom about interpreting complex displays pertains more, not less, to today, and his principles likewise become more prescient.
Visual Explanations contains chapters on topics like: magic (the ultimate form of graphical deception), micro/macro effects, “visual confections” (a series of images to tell a complex story), parallel displays, and statistics in visuals. His thoroughness in his entire series of four visualization books will stand for generations as the classic works in the field. After reading them, all practitioners need do is to spruce up on recent technological developments in display.
Obviously, those involved in the production of visualizations will glean the most from this book. Those in scientific discourse will benefit the most, but those in communication fields will also benefit from being able to mentally clean up others’ mistakes. With computing’s advance, visualizations increasingly convey key parts of life to the general public, so interpretive literacy has become key to the general reader. Business folks, who might be slightly put off by the scientific nature of the content, will nonetheless find many pearls of wisdom to take home. Each of Tufte’s works distill years, if not decades, of work into less than 200 pages, and his rich insight deserves to be pondered for generations....more
Edward Tufte’s books on data visualization are nothing short of legend among us information geeks. A political scientist by training, he demonstrates Edward Tufte’s books on data visualization are nothing short of legend among us information geeks. A political scientist by training, he demonstrates how well-conceived visualizations can effectively communicate insights and how shortcomings can create catastrophes. He continues his famous series on visual imagination with this book on the intersection of data and art. He shows how displays of evidence can move readers much like art and how poorly constructed displays can inhibit good judgment.
Tufte’s highly intellectual writing style remains constant across this series. He notices nuance in illustrations that few others would highlight, but then balloons these observed nuances into foundational insights that can transform the way we communicate data. For instance, he shows how NASA might have prevented the 2006 Challenger disaster were the updates placed into a technical report instead of a slide format.
This book focuses on other items about the fundamentals of information visualization: “sparklines” to communicate trends, how to show causality and to avoid showing it when it’s not implied, and how to map and not to map insights on illustrations. Personally, I tend to have a tough time translating visuals into words, but reading works like Tufte’s increases my skills dramatically. He makes me think hard about how I communicate my scientific findings. His work is not restricted to science only, though, but encompasses most data-driven fields. Such breadth makes for a fun read that engages the imagination.
I wish that every serious professional who relies on communicating information would read a book (or several!) of Tufte’s to enhance their presentation skills. He’s simply on his own level. I have read other experts in the field, but Tufte’s thoughtfulness surpasses. We live in an age where information is abundant – perhaps too abundant. Books like this one help us filter data’s noise so that we can communicate more effectively… and more beautifully.
All the way back to Galileo sharing about Jupiter’s moons, science has relied upon visualizations to communicate its findings. Some things are just beAll the way back to Galileo sharing about Jupiter’s moons, science has relied upon visualizations to communicate its findings. Some things are just better depicted visually instead of through words. In contemporary society, information graphics have played an increasingly larger role as computers quickly translate data into a more accessible format. Newspapers and Internet websites have made them commonplace. Even though this book was written in 1990, before ubiquitous computing, it identifies the philosophical and graphical issues in mass presentations. Edward Tufte, the modern academic master of visualization, provides this text to teach us how to think about and make better visualizations.
Like the rest of his books, this work has a strongly artistic bent. Most of the visualizations involve some craftsmanship from a visual artist. In 1990, computer graphics, especially of massive datasets, were primitive compared to today. Still, the principles for what looks good – i.e., what communicates – remain constant. This book seeks to teach us how to read graphs by using those principles and how to communicate by incorporating those principles in our own graphs.
I’ve read a lot of books about visualizations, and Tufte is as good as it gets. This book is an appropriate introduction to reading and making graphs. Graphical interpretation of data is a mainstay of almost every academic field these days. While religions have been often rooted in the visual arts, modern scientific explorations have combined the artistry with data. These days, it’s hard to navigate a train station or a car trip without some sort of visualization. This book teaches us how to do so more effectively and how to leverage those insights to lead others more effectively. Anyone interested in better visual communication can benefit from books like this....more
As a computer science major in college, I learned about Unified Modeling Language (UML) as a way to visually document software. However, I soon found As a computer science major in college, I learned about Unified Modeling Language (UML) as a way to visually document software. However, I soon found designing and maintaining those images to be more of a pain than they’re worth. I had to reshuffle images on graphics programs for every minor change, so keeping documentation up to date proved to be impossible.
Recently, however, I discovered that someone invented a language, called Mermaid, to convert a simple Markdown file into readable – even elegant – graphics. I had to check it out, so I read this short little book by Ashley Peacock. After completing it over two days, I’m even more excited than when I started to apply it to my work.
In this book, Peacock describes the main graphical formats that can be produced with Mermaid. He also describes the “4Cs” – context, container, components and code – where Mermaid can bring ideas to life better than mere words. He also describes different scenarios where Mermaid can help to document niches in software development.
Mermaid has an online editor, which I used to get started, but I plan to use it mostly via a command-line shell script, freely downloadable from GitHub. Also, I was excited to learn, at the end of this book, that Mermaid can be integrated into normal Markdown files and viewable as a part of GitHub READMEs. Adding easily configurable graphics might transform my expressiveness in documentation!
Overall, I’m super-excited to apply these concepts to my work. Other software developers and especially software designers should join me in this endeavor. Explaining software proposals to colleagues and managers can be one of the hardest tasks. As with most of science, a good graphic can seal the deal, and a lack of one can break it. Now, I can produce a good graphic with Mermaid in a matter of minutes instead of hours! This tool is going to be a boon to my efficiency and my communicative reach....more
The global COVID pandemic changed global business culture. People began to work from home, and suddenly, most meetings and presentations happened virtThe global COVID pandemic changed global business culture. People began to work from home, and suddenly, most meetings and presentations happened virtually instead of in person. The technology began to outpace theory as few of us knew how to present virtually well. Obviously, a good starting approach builds off of existing practice, so many began the journey of adapting our presentations to tools like Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
A few years later, the pandemic has subsided, but Zoom and Teams remain a central part of business culture. Though primarily a software developer, I give presentations to people all over the country on a weekly basis from the friendly confines of my home. I became curious: Am I doing a good job? How can I know? Where can I improve based on what experts teach?
I looked for books on this topic, and frankly, I found few. The field just seems too new. High-speed Internet has not been available long enough for enough people to virtual-conference so that the communications theory could evolve enough. The available reflections have mainly been gathered through conversations with coaches of speakers and online forums. Everything is very new and raw. Speaking coach Jack Milner’s compilation from 2022 was the best thing out there.
This presentation, while unique and original, could still use a lot of polish. His wording is very loose and definitely not as succinct and refined as I’m used to reading. He relies on sharing entertaining stories (probably too much), so finding the theory amidst all of the verbiage remains difficult. Occasional typos and grammar mistakes are frequent enough. Graphics are often not well edited for the format of a printed book.
That said, I received a few pointers from the book. I put a small photo of my wife behind my computer’s camera so that I could focus on her when I need to make eye contact with my audience. I thought through various changes about slide presentations, like using more slides to keep visuals moving. Finally, this book reaffirmed my belief in high-energy presentations – even when working alone with little feedback – along with the value of interaction and playful humor.
In a presentation, content is still king. No theatrics can make a bad presentation great… but targeted add-ons and polish can improve a talk from good to very good. Those of us who rely on the virtual domain need those versed in communications theory to teach us how to do this. Books like this can and do help. I hope it is the first of many in this genre so that I can keep receiving stellar reviews from my audiences....more
Many scientists and engineers first learn to present by watching others present and mimicking these teachers. This technique helps to convey the basicMany scientists and engineers first learn to present by watching others present and mimicking these teachers. This technique helps to convey the basics, but how do collective bad habits get rooted out? Indeed, many weaknesses get passed on from mentor to mentee and from lab to lab. Instead of just floating aimlessly with the masses, those who aspire to greatness can benefit from reading critical commentary from scientific communicators like Michael Alley. This book, first published in 2002 but updated in 2013, seeks to improve technical presentations across the board. By using real examples from science and engineering, it hits a needed sweet spot to expand readers’ reach.
Communication transmits knowledge; it advances careers and wins recognition. However, many scientists do not spend much time on this vital piece in their training beyond a baseline competency. Alley lays a thorough layer of theory on the practices of presentations. Most critically, he tries to ensure that the reader’s presentations are not “just another presentation” in hearers’ ears. Instead, he seeks to maximize their effectiveness and impact.
Alley spends over 100 pages focusing on slide presentations, rightfully so considering how fundamental they are to modern communications. He criticizes Microsoft PowerPoint for using a topic/sub-topic organization instead of an assertion/evidence model. He advocates that an assertion/evidence model makes helps an audience naturally retain knowledge long-term. Some say that these adages are dated, being ten years old. However, I can share that as a regular presenter, I identified several specific ways I can change my slides in the future.
Anyone who presents science or engineering topics – which includes most scientists, engineers, and even data scientists – can raise their game by looking at this book. I found it one of the most comprehensive approaches about communicating data. Many other books on presentations are indeed trendier, but the added panache often comes with less thought, reason, and evidence. Alley’s book outpaces those books with a deeper theoretical basis honed by decades of research. If you’re a STEM presenter and want one book to improve from, you have found a winner here....more
UX is shorthand in the software industry for “user experience.” It’s often used in conjunction with UI, or “user interface.” In the world of the web, UX is shorthand in the software industry for “user experience.” It’s often used in conjunction with UI, or “user interface.” In the world of the web, good user interfaces and user experiences can lead to successful, profitable websites – regardless of their function. Likewise, bad UIUX almost always leads to a website’s failure. Thus, specialists are often paid well to design and implement these aspects with skill. But in a world of ever-changing designs, how can one know what good design is? In this book, one such specialist Pereyra describes 100 practices that undergird her decades of experience in this industry.
In these anthologies of principles, the goal is always to find something universal and timeless; such is the case here, where Pereyra announces her intent in the title. The devil, of course, is in the details, and some topics (like usability or Google’s design predilections) seem awfully rooted in time and events. Nonetheless, she does describe one principle in each chapter – like “friction isn’t always bad” or “create a user flow.” Then she unpacks each principle with visual illustrations and examples from her life’s work.
Many of these principles can seem contradictory. These contradictions, as anyone experienced in UIUX knows, are an inherent part of the game. Two principles of “less is more” but “less is a bore” illustrate this paradox precisely. She also puts down her stake deeply in some present-day controversies. She is against so-called “objective” design (measured by metrics, not art) and insists that designers’ subjectivity, seen in work experiences and intuition, play an essential role in good design.
Aspiring UIUX designers will find this book useful. In addition, the artful illustrations (always a plus in a book on visual design) will make this book suitable for coffee tables. Anyone who (like me) designs user interfaces on screens can benefit from empathizing with end-users. The melding of art and science makes this field particularly appealing and challenging. In practice, computer programmers (again, like me) often do amateur UIUX work, and learning from an expert like Pereyra can add significant value to a product. There aren’t a ton of books in this nascent field; Pereyra’s 100 principles will likely illuminate designers’ paths for some time to come.
A popular impression about science is that scientists do not know how to write well; that is, they only write in highly technical jargon that’s, well,A popular impression about science is that scientists do not know how to write well; that is, they only write in highly technical jargon that’s, well, boring. Scientists spend so much of their training, the story goes, learning about facts that they do not master the art and craft of communication. Montgomery, in this work, seeks to counter that argument by teaching scientists how to communicate well. In so doing, he harkens to a centuries-long tradition where scientific writing is viewed as literature, not mere data dumps. And he demonstrates how a scientist, by attending to the craft of writing, can attract a wider scientific or public audience attending to the results of science.
Communication is and has always been part of the core job skills of being a scientist. One must publish papers; one often teaches; one must communicate with the public directly or via media; one often writes for grants. These are not add-ons to the vocation but intrinsic, necessary roles. By teaching readers to imitate good examples (where they are left to say, “I wish I would have written that!”), Montgomery hopes to inspire scientists to attend to this art-form more.
The book is academic and suitable for classroom use. Yet it is also inspiring and lively – an example of good writing in itself. Divided into three sections and twenty chapters, it covers the art of rhetoric as it applies to science, specific communicative products of science, and how to address common audiences. It’s not a grammar or a primer interested in proscriptive rules; rather, it portrays communication as an art or craft that enhances a scientist professionally. Even non-native English communicators are addressed in their own chapter!
Examples include a host of discipline across the “hard” sciences. (The social sciences are not specifically addressed.) Online formats are explored at length, and the book is written with an eye towards history. Visual graphics are given a separate chapter. The business of science writing and publishing is a topic that lies behind many of the chapters. Montgomery provides some nuggets of advice, yet he stops short of becoming overbearing or pedantic.
Physical scientists – whether in training or practicing – will benefit from this interesting guide. It does not cover medical writing about patients directly, only the underlying biology of the basic sciences. The writing style is engaging and thought-provoking. Ambitious undergraduates later in their programs or graduate students are all suitable audiences of readers. Communication, whether to the public or to colleagues, is an essential function of scientists, both today and in yesteryear. Montgomery’s inspirational text exemplifies how good writing takes form to impact the world.
Graphic design is an important help to any venture. In the age of electronic communication, it has become only more important to capture the public’s Graphic design is an important help to any venture. In the age of electronic communication, it has become only more important to capture the public’s attention. Distractions abound, but well-thought visuals stand the chance of garnering a glance. Of course, only deeper substance will sustain interest in a written work, but interest will never be piqued without visual appeal. Lupton’s work seeks to enlighten those who deal with type in some format about the graphical principles required to display those words pleasingly.
Lupton divides her book into three main sections: Letter, Text, and Grid. Letter covers typefaces and fonts; Text covers practices about forming words into sentences; and Grid covers how to lay them out on a page or screen. The book primarily examines the medium of print, but communication via computers frequently receives mention. Further, many of the concepts of graphical appeal can be translated to this increasingly common mew medium. (Some readers might also benefit from Lupton’s Type on Screen, but this work is the more important seminal work.) Like any graphical design book, frequent use of example images litter the book throughout. Every caption not only cites a source but also informs the reader of its worth.
As the subtitle suggests, multiple potential audiences exist for this classic. Pure graphic designers provide an obvious one, but writers, editors, students, and even web developers (like myself) can benefit from perusing Lupton’s pages. After reading this, I immediately changed a graphic or two in my software’s code. It’s hard not to get thinking creatively about how type is presented after reading this work, both through well-explicated ideas and copious inspirational examples. Reading it is time well spent.
I do not work in the field of public relations but rather work with others that do. Thus, I have a vested interest in learning about their work withouI do not work in the field of public relations but rather work with others that do. Thus, I have a vested interest in learning about their work without going through educational certifications. Further, I’m always eyeing ways to spotlight the positives of my work in an open and tactful manner to interested audiences. This compilation of articles by leading figures addresses a variety of core issues in PR and shows where the field has been, is now, and is going tomorrow.
Almost all of the topics contained in this book address important issues in PR. Everyone has to trumpet their work somehow even if we aren’t full-time personnel in the field. Most of the early articles cover fundamentals with an eye towards collecting the good ideas of the past. Then, later articles capture emerging – and sometimes niche – topics.
Is your audience a government? Chapter 6 covers that. Do you manage potential crises? Chapter 11 covers that. Are your clients international? Chapters 13, 14, 15, and 17 cover those areas. Are you into new channels like social media? See chapter 9. Or do you need to sell your organization’s internal hierarchy? Chapter 10. As you can see, this handbook is very comprehensive and needs to sit in any significant organization’s library to pull out in time of need.
To non-practitioners of PR like myself, this book provides access to the field without having to master the details of practice in the discipline. To practitioners, it presents the leading trends of the field and resources for further exploration. In any discipline, it’s hard to arrange 17 different articles by 17 different authors on 17 different topics that are all engaging and not too narrow. Dilenschneider accomplishes this resolutely and teaches us how to communicate better in the process....more
Since Gutenberg, fonts have spent a lot of effort at perfecting how words appears on print. However, in the last several decades, screens have taken oSince Gutenberg, fonts have spent a lot of effort at perfecting how words appears on print. However, in the last several decades, screens have taken over. Thus, there has been a subtle shift in paradigms. For example, humans read text on screens typically further away than print; thus, designs for screens need to have a larger font size. To explore these nuances, Lupton (an established expert in typography) and her students at the Maryland Institute College of Art wrote this book, filled with graphical examples to inspire.
First, the good. This book is best considered as an anthology or collection of examples. Because these examples often come from her students, they take on a variety of forms and styles. Anyone looking for a starting point on a topic can find something useful in this book. Oftentimes, references for further research are provided with the example; this provides a treasure-trove to the engaged reader. Details are picked up in the text that can inform anyone engaged in the typography business, whether designers, writers, developers, or students.
However, because this book is a compilation, it lacks a consistent message and can vary thematically too much. Those expecting to see Lupton’s genius at work here might feel disappointed. The graphical examples and the accompanying captions are often stronger than the main text. Such an approach might not hurt this work’s affinity with designers, but other audiences like developers or writers could likely benefit from more theory. The last chapter in particular – on animated text – seemed to lose cohesion as a sequence of exciting examples instead of centrally conveying a theme.
Summary: Great with examples but lacking a strong theoretical message....more
Pitching, a core business practice, involves marketing an idea to a potential collaborator. Because thousands or millions of dollars can depend on a tPitching, a core business practice, involves marketing an idea to a potential collaborator. Because thousands or millions of dollars can depend on a ten-minute presentation – or less – mastering every element of this type of presentation significantly benefits those who sell their ideas for a living. Desberg and Davis use their experiences coaching people in the film industry in Hollywood, an especially demanding domain, to bring these pitches to life.
First, the good. The basic knowledge of this book – how to pitch and how to fight through anxieties before pitching – can help those new to this practice. The examples are interesting, if a bit (but not totally) unbalanced towards one industry. This book is especially thorough in describing the psychology of pitching. Anyone seeking to overcome first-time jitters will benefit from this book’s comprehensive approach. It’s clear and easy-to-read.
Now, the weaknesses. Desberg and Davis present very little new theory about pitching, marketing, or rhetoric. Its main “newness” lies in copious examples from Hollywood. This helps those involved in this industry, but little help exists for those of us – most of us – involved in other industries that may be just as “high-stakes” (for example, biomedical devices or political leadership). This book could use some generalization of its principles through broader examples. Finally, there needs to be some kind of conclusion because it just stops cold-turkey. Some kind of summary of its intended intellectual contribution would help, but this motive may be missing from the book’s overall concept. Instead, the authors make a terse joke through an allusion that doesn’t accomplish much for the book.
Because of these weaknesses, this book only directly addresses two main audiences: those involved with the film industry and those who are just learning to pitch. I’m not sure the book reaches many others. It does a thorough job, for sure, but it offers little material to attract those already skilled in the art of selling a product. After finishing the book, I’m still not convinced that the film industry surpasses other critical fields in the pressures of pitching. A more generalized approach might have mitigated these concerns, but the authors’ expertise likely lies in this one industry, not more broadly....more
Typography, or the science of fonts, has always been an important vehicle to communicate ideas. Printing presses used typography to achieve mass commuTypography, or the science of fonts, has always been an important vehicle to communicate ideas. Printing presses used typography to achieve mass communication. In the age of Internet instantaneity, nothing has changed much as good fonts continue to be central means to convey concepts with the masses.
Unfortunately, many users still default to a few common fonts like Helvetica/Arial or Times New Roman. In this book, Santa Maria seeks to free designers – and also general users – to be more stylish by adopting different font combinations. He teaches the basics of font design, including how to break down varying mechanisms that make a font unique. Then he shares how these can be used to select font combinations in web communications.
The last chapter – on putting these in a coded web design – is a bit more dated than the rest (since this book came out in 2014). However, most of the book still describes the state of the art, with copious examples and graphics. Most helpfully, a list of resources attached in an appendix allows readers to get started quickly.
Audiences include not only web designers and developers but anyone who uses computers to communicate. In our age, who honestly doesn’t this describe? Typography is just another tool to use to stand out from the crowd. Santa Maria points the way through applications of timeless design principles adapted for the newest technologies....more
Not many books on topics related to the Internet are in their fourth edition. Around since the 1990s, Web Style Guide is an exception, and its contentNot many books on topics related to the Internet are in their fourth edition. Around since the 1990s, Web Style Guide is an exception, and its contents illustrate why. It offers in-depth examinations of various elements of user experience. Much like traditional style guides like the Chicago Manual of Style, this work provides a comprehensive, one-stop treatment of what designers need to know to make use of websites.
While being comprehensive, this book profoundly offers readers with challenges that take a lifetime to master. For instance, within 35 pages, the chapter on typography contains a summary of the field over hundreds of years. Other chapters intelligently tie to traditional design concepts and illustrate why web design is slightly but importantly different than printed paper.
Understanding how and why things have evolved because of technology especially helped me as a software developer. Some books are too low-level in computer languages to grasp design trends. Likewise, other books on design style focus on artistic trends to the neglect of technological innovation. This book integrates the two and focuses on how the innovation drives the style. For instance, discussion on relatively new retina displays show how assumptions about screen size change visual planning.
Of course, the world has changed since 2016. I write this five years later in 2021 and notice that the last two chapters (respectively on images and video) are already somewhat out of date. I hope the publishers continue to update this guide in a fifth edition sometime to allow it to stay current.
This style guide is written in plain English for designers to take advantage of. Computer programmers still can benefit from understanding what others on the team are explaining. Also, those designers – who are not coders – can and should read this book as it provides a basic understanding of the technological trends driving the team of web designers. Artisans can also grasp how physical constraints can change the process of production.
This book fills a need for a style guide for the web. For the above reasons, editors, developers, graphic designers, and IT managers can all benefit from reading this guide. Websites are often put together in an ad hoc manner that, for better or for worse, imitate each other. Lynch and Horton provide some helpful and reasoned depth to the practice. This has the potential to grow into something evermore timeless, and I hope it succeeds in that task as it moves into its third decade in production. The web is here to stay, and Lynch and Horton make sure that style will be present as well....more