Although more technical than most graphic design books, the book "is intended to make [the data from the science and study of visualization] available to the non-specialist." Each chapter focuses on a different facet of human vision, like "Lightness, Brightness, Contrast, and Constancy" in chapter 3, or "Static and Moving Patterns" in chapter 4.

Although the author tries to put a great deal of scientific research data into pedestrian terms, the nature of the subject matter and the papers from which he culls his information make this task an uphill battle from the start. As a result, the book is full of valuable information, but it may not necessarily be right for the average graphic designer looking for a new inspirational spin. Serious interface designers, presentation designers, data analyzers, or any artist tasked with presenting ideas in a visual format, though, should come away from Information Visualization with a clearer understanding of the inner workings of perception. At the very least, they'll be able to explain why yellow text against blue is a good combination. --Mike Caputo

Product Description

This is the first book to combine a strictly scientific approach to
human perception with a practical concern for the rules governing the
effective visual presentation of information. Surveying the research
of leading psychologists and neurophysiologists, the author isolates
key principles at work in vision and perception, and from them, derives
specific, effective visualization techniques, suitable for a wide range
of scenarios. You can apply these principles in ways to optimize how
others perceive visual information-resulting in improved clarity,
utility, and persuasiveness. Likewise, you can apply them to your
own exploratory data analyses to develop display strategies that
make data patterns and their significance easier to discern.

Information Visualization transcends the often-divergent approaches to
visualization taken by individual disciplines. It will prove a
fascinating, practical resource for anyone who uses graphical
presentation as a key to successful analysis and communication:
graphic artists, user interface/interaction designers, financial
analysts, data miners, and managers faced with information-intensive
challenges.

* Brings current scientific insight to the study of data visualization.
* Explains multiple facets of visual perception: color, organization, space, motion, texture, and the relationship between images and words.
* Explores strategies for designing glyphs and icons to optimize a GUI's effectiveness and ease of use.
* Examines the distinctions between word-based and image-based perception and develops guidelines for choosing between verbal and graphical communication approaches.
* Presents successful techniques for displaying geographical and other data in multiple layers.
* Offers rules for designing easily navigable data spaces in VRML.
* Supports points with numerous illustrations, including over thirty color images.

Yes, it's "introductory" in nature, but it's the most comprehensive introduction I've seen to this complex and emerging field. It would make an excellent reference or textbook.

The 5-star content gets 4 stars because of the book's numerous editorial flaws. For example, several illustrations in the text reference color plate images that simply don't exist. And at least a half-dozen works cited in the text don't appear on the reference list. All-in-all, a rather slipshod editing job.


Intelligent building blocks of information viz   July 30, 2000
28 out of 29 found this review helpful

This a well-written work revealing the fundamental rules of perception that are applicable in info viz and design. If you are looking for elaborate examples or brochureware, this is not for you. Focus is on basic principles (such as the gestalt rules, kinetic motion organization, visual ability. Excellent for the beginner or academic. Advanced info designers/architects may find it a little lean, but trust me, it's still worth it as a refresher and knowledge-base builder (I felt I still learned a few things).

The only main drawback may be book quality. Only a few color plates in the center make for a visually sparse work, although there are b/w images throughout. Nevertheless, writing makes up for this fact with clear and direct language. Many of us here in the Communication Planning/Information Design grad program like it a lot.


Classic introduction to InfoVis   February 19, 2008
Michael Galloy (Boulder, CO)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

This is a basic introduction to InfoVis, covering topics from human perception to improving the decision-making processes with visualizations. It is worth having if you are in the field or are serious about improving your visualizations.

Some of the negative comments in reviews must refer to the first edition. My second edition has (some) color images as appropriate throughout the book. There are still a few errors, but not a large number. There are definitely a few low quality examples.