Promotional Design Project - Stage 02

Abstract:
Animation: can it facilitate?
Source: International Journal of Human-Computer Studies

Graphics have been used since ancient times to portray things that are inherently spatiovisual, like maps and building plans. More recently, graphics have been used to portray things that are metaphorically spatiovisual, like graphs and organizational charts. The assumption is that graphics can facilitate comprehension, learning, memory, communication and inference. Assumptions aside, research on static graphics has shown that only carefully designed and appropriate graphics prove to be beneficial for conveying complex systems. Effective graphics conform to the Congruence Principle according to which the content and format of the graphic should correspond to the content and format of the concepts to be conveyed. From this, it follows that animated graphics should be effective in portraying change over time. Yet the research on the efficacy of animated over static graphics is not encouraging. In cases where animated graphics seem superior to static ones, scrutiny reveals lack of equivalence between animated and static graphics in content or procedures; the animated graphics convey more information or involve interactivity. Animations of events may be ineffective because animations violate the second principle of good graphics, the Apprehension Principle, according to which graphics should be accurately perceived and appropriately conceived. Animations are often too complex or too fast to be accurately perceived. Moreover, many continuous events are conceived of as sequences of discrete steps. Judicious use of interactivity may overcome both these disadvantages. Animations may be more effective than comparable static graphics in situations other than conveying complex systems, for example, for real time reorientations in time and space.


Abstract:
Quantitative Graphics in Newspapers

The use of quantitative graphics in newspapers requires achieving a balance between being accurate and getting the attention of the reader. The statistical representations in newspapers are drawn by graphic designers whose key technique is fusion--the striking combination of two visual images. This technique often results in visual puns, personifications, and other visual figures of speech. However, when the aim of statistical information is communication, these fusions may be inaccurate and confusing. A study of samples from newspapers revealed 10 common pitfalls in using graphs to display quantitative information: (1) the tilted graph--the perspective is altered so that comparison is difficult; (2) the stacked graph--elements to be compared are stacked on top of one another; (3) the pseudo graph--illustrations in the form of graphs that are not graphs at all; (4) the graph with little or no variation--comparisons have no real meaning in these graphs; (5) the convention-violating graph--the logical rules of graph reading are ignored and confusing images are produced; for example, the growing federal deficit depicted by a deepening hole; (6) the bar graph with obscure bar ends--pictures used for bars have imprecise bar ends; (7) the buried line graph--the line that makes the meaningful part of the graph is hidden in a picture; (8) the three-dimensional graph--added perspectives add no information; (9) the overly complex graph--by presenting everything, they emphasize nothing; and (10) the multiple pie chart--comparing slices of two different pies is difficult. (Examples from newspapers illustrating the ten pitfalls are appended.) (SRT)

Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (69th, Norman, OK, August 3-6, 1986).

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