Information Graphics: A Comprehensive Illustrated Reference Review

I think anyone who solves serious problems by analyzing data will want to own a copy of this book. Being able to organize data into the right visual image can often make no less a difference than that between seeing the answer to the problem vs. getting lost in the complexity and variation in the data.

This is a uniquely comprehensive encyclopedia of graphical techniques with just enough detail on each technique to help you choose the right one for each situation.

There are no long, detailed explanations of principles. What you get are a few illustrations of each type of graph, with a general description of the strengths of that particular technique and several variations to show how it could be applied to different situations which share some central similarity.

One review criticized the alphabetic listing of the techniques, which is a reasonable critique in general. However I think the weakness is mitigated significantly by the way the graphs are grouped together into broad categories once you get to those. The alphabetically listed individual headings are mainly for cross-reference. It seems clear to me that the book wasn’t intended to be read from front to back alphabetically, but that the reader would have a rough idea what sort of graph they needed, would start with the heading for that category, and then when neccessary, would refer to the cross-referenced section alphabetically.

In any case, I found it useful to place sticker-tabs on the pages for the main categories of graph that I care most about, and use those tabs as my starting place for choosing the right graphic. There are about ten broad categories of graphs I usually care most about, such as bar, area, column, line, and point graphs, control charts, statistical distribution charts, and time/activity charts. In addition there are about another dozen or so big categories of topics about graphs in general, such as choosing the right aspect ratio, the right font, and the right scale.

Don’t get the wrong idea here, none of these topics is covered in great detail, this book is wonderful *index* to visual techniques for showing data for operational purposes but it is not a detailed how-to or an academic treatise on the individual techniques. Also, the book is not intended for creating flashy presentation or marketing graphics, nor does it cover argument maps, truth maps, or any other single sort of conceptual maps in any great detail (although it does touch on the topic in general).

A welcome bonus is that the bibliography is particularly well selected, and not just a list of popular books on graphs. Some of his references are difficult to get and I suspect that some of these sources may even out of print, but some of them like Tukey’s work and William Cleveland’s texts are well worth searching for.

This is an indispensible encyclopedia of operational information graphics for helping you to help data tell its own story in its clearest and most revealing light, whether you are trying to manage the quality of a process or track down the source of a problem. The examples are extremely well chosen and representative, and the explanations are concise and helpful in a way that lets you use this as a quick reference and not just as a textbook.

Information Graphics: A Comprehensive Illustrated Reference Overview

This beautifully illustrated book is the first complete handbook to visual information. Well written, easy to use, and carefully indexed, it describes the full range of charts, graphs, maps, diagrams, and tables used daily to manage, analyze, and communicate information. It features over 3,000 illustrations, making it an ideal source for ideas on how to present information. It is an invaluable tool for anyone who writes or designs reports, whether for scientific journals, annual reports, or magazines and newspapers.

Available at Amazon

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 09, 2010 15:50:42

Start Slide Show with PicLens Lite

www.youtube.com Click this to watch Guitar Hero: 1000 Notes in Under 1 Minute (Gameplay) Guitar Hero: 34 Notes Per Second / Juggernaut 100% by GuitarHeroPhenom Danny Johnson (8 time Guinness World Record holder) Getting 100% on Juggernaut. and hitting 34 notes per second on Guitar Hero. Check out our real Guitar / Music on our Youtube Channels. DIRECTOR’S CHANNELS: www.youtube.com www.youtube.com www.youtube.com DIRECTOR’S LIVE STREAM: guitarherophenom.com DIRECTOR’S TWITTER: www.twitter.com DIRECTOR’S FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - Follow Machinima on Twitter! Machinima twitter.com Inside Gaming twitter.com Machinima Respawn twitter.com Machinima Entertainment, Technology, Culture twitter.com FOR MORE MACHINIMA, GO TO: www.youtube.com FOR MORE GAMEPLAY, GO TO: www.youtube.com FOR MORE SPORTS GAMEPLAY, GO TO: www.youtube.com FOR MORE TRAILERS, GO TO: www.youtube.com Tags: yt:quality=high Guitar Hero Juggernaut Danny Johnson Guinness World Record Rock Band 3 Harmonix MTV Games EA Electronic Arts Pro Xbox 360 Xbox360 X360 X Box Microsoft Sony Playstation 3 PS3 Nintendo Wii DS Music rhythm lead bass guitar drums vocal singing beetles green day MIDI keyboard microphone machinima respawn

Design Dimensioning with Computer Graphics Applications (Dekker Mechanical Engineering) Review

Available at Amazon

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 04, 2010 23:33:31

Start Slide Show with PicLens Lite

Image : http://www.flickr.com

Internet marketers know that an ecover can increase their sales if they sell or give away something online. That’s why there are many graphic designers who offer custom designs which cost $47 and above. For anyone who doesn’t have artistic talents but want a professional-looking ecover, this is the best option to consider.

But aside from hiring professional graphic designers to do the job, there is another option worth considering for anyone who wants to have a great-looking ecover to represent their products, and that is by using an ecover generator or software.

There are many ecover programs in the market today. Basically they have pre-built ecover designs ready for you, and all you have to do is to enter your text like your product title and your name. These programs also have pre-built design shapes, so whether you want a 3D box, an ebook, a cd, a notebook, or a booklet, you can have a design right up and running for your website.

Considering that both options are good, now the question is, which option is better suited for an internet marketer?

If you are selling a unique, high-ticket product, it is really a must for you to have an ecover that stands out. After all, your visitors do not read your salesletter entirely, and the first things they see are the graphics.

Specifically, your product ecover is what represents your product, which means it gives your product the branding it needs. If you use a generic ecover template from an ecover generator, chances are that template must have been used by someone else on his mini site, making your product look the same as anyone else’s. And since your visitors do not read your salesletters entirely but notice the graphics, your product ecover is what they will remember even if they decide not to buy your product right now. Now imagine this. What would happen if they see that same product ecover on someone else’s mini site?

Aside from your salesletter and customer testimonials,a professional-looking and unique ecover is your best bet in finalizing a sale with your visitors. This is the closest thing they can get to before they actually purchase your product since they don’t see nor touch it. So, if you’re selling a unique product online, investing your money on a custom ecover design will give your product the branding and the recognition it deserves, for it to make a mark in your visitors’ memory.

But there are instances when an ecover from an ecover generator can be used. For example, if you are giving tons of freebies away as lead incentives it is a good idea to have ecovers for them to increase your subscriber sign ups. And since spending $47 for free reports might be draining for your budget, using an ecover generator for them is your wisest choice.

So, depending on what kind of product you sell or give away, a custom ecover design or an ecover generator can be used. If you have a high-ticket, unique product to sell, don’t stick to a generic template that might be used by someone else. Give your visitors that impression that your product is worth a million dollars through your product ecover. But if you’re giving multiple freebies, an ecover generator might be a good option.

Shem Cruz invites you to join Free Graphics Vault where you can download more than 5,000 original, high quality headers, order buttons, guarantee seals, and other graphics every month – for free. Visit http://www.freegraphicsvault.com now to secure your free membership.

Start Slide Show with PicLens Lite